Chris Benoit found dead....

[Maple Leafs]

The wwe.com updates are just getting more and more bizarre. The last one ends with something along the lines of "we know more, but we've been asked not to say". Um, OK.

[Neuqua]

Fwiw, what I'm hearing now is that he may have smothered his wife and child, and then gone down to the basement and hung himself.

[Groundhog]

Probably not the right thread for it, but it's posts like Travis's that leave me scratching my head sometimes regarding wrestling. If, say, Kiefer Sutherland died, would you think it odd if fans of 24 said that it was so sad because Sutherland was such a great guy, especially because of the way he single handedly defeated terrorists and never gave up despite the odds always being against him? Much like Sutherland, Benoit is an actor, so threads like Travis' and others in this thread just seem straight out of bizzaro land to me.

I think it's absolutely tragic what's happened, and I'd be very surprised if Benoit didn't do all this himself for whatever reason, as that's what everything points to right now. If that's the case then it doesn't matter what this guy was like when acting in the ring or what kind of issues he may have had in his personal life. He has (likely) commited one of the most horrific crimes anybody can commit

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

... if fans of 24 said that it was so sad because Sutherland was such a great guy, especially because of the way he single handedly defeated terrorists and never gave up despite the odds always being against him?

Bad analogy. Imagine if people said they admired Sutherland because he struggled in obscurity for years, was incredibly dedicated to his craft, and eventually achieved success against the odds after paying his dues for two decades.

Here's the big secret of wrestling: the fans know that it's fake.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Probably not the right thread for it, but it's posts like Travis's that leave me scratching my head sometimes regarding wrestling. If, say, Kiefer Sutherland died, would you think it odd if fans of 24 said that it was so sad because Sutherland was such a great guy, especially because of the way he single handedly defeated terrorists and never gave up despite the odds always being against him? Much like Sutherland, Benoit is an actor, so threads like Travis' and others in this thread just seem straight out of bizzaro land to me.

Travis isn't talking about the character Chris Benoit portrays on TV, just like how Kiefer Sutherland fans wouldn't talk about what a great guy Jack Bauer was if something happened to Kiefer. It's subtle things like this that non-wrestling fans can't understand.

When someone says somebody is a "good wrestler" they don't mean that in the sense that "Jack Bauer is a great government agent". Wrestling, for those that appreciate it, IS a real craft, like acting. We can appreciate the performances of Chris Benoit and others, appreciating them for what they are. We don't appreciate him because he beats the bad guys, we appreciate him because of his talent for storytelling, psychology, and athleticism in a match.

It only took 5 pages or so of a wild double suicide thread for wrestling fans to have to defend themselves.

[Izulde]

Sad case, but also a little eerie, not only because of the McMahon thing, but because there was a very similiar multiple murder-suicide (if indeed that is what this is) here in Wisconsin about a week or two ago.

Makes you wonder if maybe something's not happening to our society or if it's just that the media is more quick to be aware of and cover things... probably a little bit of both.

In any event, though I haven't watched wrestling since the early-mid 80s, two of my good friends here in town are huge wrestling fans and from what they've told me, Benoit's always been a class act, so they're quite naturally devastated by this.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by molson

Travis isn't talking about the character Chris Benoit portrays on TV, just like how Kiefer Sutherland fans wouldn't talk about what a great guy Jack Bauer was if something happened to Kiefer. It's subtle things like this that non-wrestling fans can't understand.

When someone says somebody is a "good wrestler" they don't mean that in the sense that "Jack Bauer is a great government agent". Wrestling, for those that appreciate it, IS a real craft, like acting.

Pretty much. I never got the chance to meet him, but know a lot of people who did, whether at autograph signings or at local gyms, and the over riding response to these meetings was that he always had time and a kind word for them. When I've watched wrestling, it was always for the story told in the ring, I usually flip the station during interviews and segments (though I'll admit to watching a few Benoit bits just to see what sorts of bits they were trying to get him to do, the back and to the left line was so horribly delivered that it got quite a chuckle) and in this sense he's one of the greatest to ever step inside the ring as an athlete, not an actor.

All that is gone if the popular theories are indeed true, and it's very sad that a guy who was thought of as a "good guy" in the industry ends up so very awful. There aren't many good role models anymore, it's even more tragic when one of them goes period, never mind if the disillusionment that'll follow if it's as evil as it's looking to be.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Travis

I sincerely hope that he's not responsible for everything that happened, and even trying to intellectually think of how I'll respond if/when it's proven is just not doable right now. The guy pretty much embodied wrestling the way I wish it would be as an industry and I had thought was a pretty decent human being at the same time.

I believe you pretty much just summed up where I'm at.

And Neuqua's comparison to Cal Ripken, Jr. is a darned good one as far as trying to put Benoit's stature in some sort of perspective for another sport, although if anything it might be understating how he was viewed by a lot of serious wrestling fans (since Ripken was at least occasionally criticized for possibly hurting his team by extending the streak during slumps, injuries, etc.).

[Neon_Chaos]

RIP Chris.

I hope that you have found peace wherever you are.

Say hi to Eddie and Owen for us.

edit: I just woke up, and am just reading along. Double murder/suicide? Wow. Just wow.

[DeToxRox]

WWE.com has apparently taken down any videos of last nights tribute, as well as anything involving Benoits personal life. To boot tonights SD and ECW shows will not be tributes and the McMahon angle won't go on (obviously).

Sounds like WWE is not even acknowledging it and I can't say I blame them, though a graphic for Nancy and Daniel Benoit would not be out of line.

[Neon_Chaos]

I hope to God that they reboot. The McMahon angle was off to a bad start, and now this.

[Neon_Chaos]

dola: the WWE server is taking a massive hit right now.

[saldana]

unbelievable.

benoit just went from being Thurman Munson to being Rae Carruth in about 6 seconds flat.

i think this is worse than finding out he was dead to begin with.

[NoMyths]

I didn't know anything about Chris Benoit before his death (didn't watch wrestling), but I do want to express my sympathies to everyone here who feels wounded by this tragedy. We recently had a tragedy in Charleston that united our community around a lot of men far less well known that Benoit, and it really surprised me how much myself and others were affected by the deaths of men who weren't close friends or family members. We feel a connection with the things that are part of our lives, and it makes sense that a lot of wrestling fans would be struggling with the story.

[Flasch186]

I will be pleasantly surprised if WWE actually handles this right. Over the years they've botched so many things up to and including McMahon's fake 10 bell salute.....so Im hoping to god that they get this right.

and screw Benoit....I cant believe that.

[DaddyTorgo]

interesting stuff going on late last night there. guess the dude really was a POS. Or something happened and he snapped. But either way...it's a damm shame that someone who's life was by all accounts we've heard exemplery, will always be remembered as a POS.

Because I can't help but think of him that way now. And he was in my personal "Top 10" of great workers, and guys who I enjoyed seeing work in the ring. But that's all colored now by this. It's like...none of that even matters, I won't think of that anymore. He doesn't get to be remembered in that way. He gets to be remembered as a dirtbag POS.

*shrug*

and this from someone who isn't a hater, but was an actual Benoit-aficianado.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by dime

or perhaps benoit, in some sort of alcohol or drug blackout, kills his wife in an argument and passes out. he forgets this happened until waking or being waked by his son. overcome with grief and shame, he decides he should die for what he's done...but doesn't want to leave his son alone/scarred for life? so he kills his son before killing himself in a misguided attempt to get a fresh start in the afterlife or tie up loose strings or take care of his responsibilities or whatever the reasoning of a madman.

This is all I could come up with last night when thinking about how something like this happens, given the circumstances. However the wife's death happened, I assume it wasn't planned, and when he sat down to think about what he had done and what was going to happen going forward, he decided he had to kill himself and that his son was better dead with his family than alive without his parents, let alone having to live with what he saw or knew about what had happened. In a warped way, I can understand that. He probably felt like killing the kid was doing him a favor.

But who the hell knows what goes through someone's mind at a time like that. If nothing else, this will be a fascinating story to follow (at least for someone not attached to him/wrestling like me).

[DaddyTorgo]

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[DaddyTorgo]

WWE.com has provided a new update on the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide situation where they paint a rough timeline of the weekend's events relating to the story.

The WWE.com story is below.

Benoit's death part of a double murder-suicide
Written: June 25, 2007

According to lead investigator Lt. Tommy Pope, of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department, in Fayetteville, Ga., the deaths of WWE Superstar Chris Benoit, wife Nancy and son Daniel were the result of a double murder-suicide, WWE.com has learned.

Benoit failed to appear both at Saturday's live event in Beaumont, Tx., and WWE's Vengeance: Night of Champions in Houston Sunday night, after informing WWE of a family emergency. Several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning prompted concerned friends to alert Richard Hering, VP of Government Relations for WWE, Inc. Hering, in turn, spoke with Fayette County sheriffs Monday, and requested that they respond to the Benoit residence to check on him and his family.

Authorities representing the Sheriff's Department initially had a difficult time entering Benoit's new Fayetteville home Monday afternoon, which had been guarded by two large German Shepherds roaming freely around the property. Once authorities entered the residence, they quickly located the bodies of Benoit, Nancy and Daniel. WWE was notified of the discovery at approximately 4 p.m.

At 10 p.m. Monday night, Lt. Pope held a press conference in conjunction with Scott Ballard, the district attorney for Fayette County. The press conference officially ruled authorities' findings as a double murder-suicide from within the home.

WAGA, a FOX-owned and operated television station in Atlanta, reported that investigators believe Benoit killed his wife and 7-year-old son over the weekend, then himself on Monday.

The three bodies have been received by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's crime lab, in Decatur, Ga., where autopsies will be performed Tuesday morning. Toxicology reports will not become available for at least two weeks.

WWE.com has further information relating to both the investigation and the cause of death, but the Fayette County Sheriff's Department has requested that WWE.com not release any additional details at this time.

[DaddyTorgo]

triple-dola

I know that's a story from yesterday. thought there might be some new info in there that people hadn't seen though.

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry

I'm with Bucc. Your post doesn't explain anything. There are so many posts here where I just thought to myself "Why is this poster acting like they actually knew this guy?"

I guess I can get being sad and maybe even saying you're going to throw up about some guy you don't know killing his family then himself. But then all the posts about not understanding how he could do it? Nobody here knew the guy. I have never seen this kind of reaction to a famous person's death. It's bizarre to some of us, clearly.

I'm not begrudging anyone their feelings or their reaction. But Bucc is not alone.

I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't take it personally if Vince young or Major Applewhite murdered their family and then killed themself. I'm no wrestling fan, but I can certainly see where folks are coming from...

[Ryche]

Just wow. Had to have a bad feeling when you heard that all three were dead, but for it to actually have occurred this way, I just can't fathom. You have to think as bad as everyone involved at WWE was feeling last night, this is a double blow to have poured their hearts out over Benoit and his love for his family. If anything, I think I'm grieving for his fellow wrestlers as much as anyone.

[NoSkillz]

I watched the tribute show last night and was actually getting a bit emotional.

Now I'm literally just sick to my stomach after catching up in this thread.

[Blade]

I am absolutely floored by all of this. I was at the gym this morning when I heard the update that it is looking like a murder-suicide, and I share similar feelings to most of you.

I have watched Benoit for quite a while, and because of his work ethic in the ring, I was always a fan. I had heard similar things to Travis around town, that he seemed to be a nice guy all around, but for this to happen, if true...just wow...

I have been looking at my Benoit DVD, wondering if I can ever watch it again.

[Neon_Chaos]

It's pretty hard to get through something like this... and this is from a fan's POV. My heart goes out to all those guys who've been on the road with Benoit, and the friends of his family. To imagine how they feel right now...

[Pumpy Tudors]

What was this "McMahon angle" that was occurring before Benoit's death? I keep seeing references to it in the thread, but I don't know anything about it.

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

What was this "McMahon angle" that was occurring before Benoit's death? I keep seeing references to it in the thread, but I don't know anything about it.

They "killed off" the Vince McMahon character via an exploding limo a couple of weeks ago. It was supposed to be a "who dunnit" angle to run through the summer. Of course, many people felt that this was in bad taste (giving Vince a ten-bell salute and all, pretty disrespectful for all the guys who were given them before)

[saldana]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

It's pretty hard to get through something like this... and this is from a fan's POV. My heart goes out to all those guys who've been on the road with Benoit, and the friends of his family. To imagine how they feel right now...

i would imagine they are probably hoping the same thing some of us are right now...that something snapped in Chris's head after one too many headbutts, and he essentially lost his mind...i keep telling myself that is what the autopsy is going to find...some serious brain damage that his actions can be attributed to.

[Huckleberry]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't take it personally if Vince young or Major Applewhite murdered their family and then killed themself. I'm no wrestling fan, but I can certainly see where folks are coming from...

I actually thought of the Vince Young example. And, no, I wouldn't take it personally. I don't know him personally so why would I? Vince Young could be an asshole lunatic despite what I've heard about him. I have no way of knowing. His entire persona could be a carefully crafted PR creation.

I'm truly saddened by the Benoit tragedy. A woman and a young child lost their lives, apparently at the hands of their deranged husband/father. There aren't many worse things in this world.

That's apparently just a difference between people. I allow myself to be entertained by performers. Actors, athletes, combinations like wrestlers. But I rarely consider myself a fan of the actual person because I don't know the actual person. Sure some fluff stories cause me to like the person, especially those that I'm repeatedly exposed to (like Nathan Vasher) and those that I can get second-hand confirmation. But even if someone like Vasher did something nuts I wouldn't take it personally. As stated before, I don't know him.

It's important to note that I don't consider hero worship or intense personal identification an inherently bad thing. I'm pretty sure I've read that such internalization can actually be psychologically beneficial.

Anyway, people like me don't get people like y'all and vice versa. C'est la vie.

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by saldana

i would imagine they are probably hoping the same thing some of us are right now...that something snapped in Chris's head after one too many headbutts, and he essentially lost his mind...i keep telling myself that is what the autopsy is going to find...some serious brain damage that his actions can be attributed to.

This is just surreal. It's akin to David Robinson killing his family. It just doesn't make sense from a fan's point of view. But then again, I do not know Benoit personally.

Looks like the Hart curse hit again. The business will kill you or eat out your soul.

[Ajaxab]

My sympathies go out to the Benoit family as well. It seems to be the worst possible situation to have to deal with.

I'm curious as to what effect this has on Vince McMahon. He seems about as callous an individual as there is, but could something like this provoke any kind of change in the way he does business? I used to watch wrestling a decade or so ago, but the way he pushed the WWE into becoming more and more slimy pushed me away. I'm not optimistic, but I wonder if this could possibly change his business practices.

[Buccaneer]

Without reading much further, I think Jon and Schmidty get close to my "difference". I am sad and feel bad about what happened, just like I felt about the deaths from the Pakistani floods this past weekend and many other untimely or tragic deaths. To use Jon's analogy, the closest thing I could come up with would be if Tony Gwynn would die suddenly. I would feel sad and bad for the family but it wouldn't hit me hard simply because he is not a "loved one". I never have, nor ever will take my interest in a star/player/entertainier to the point where it would feel like I lost a loved one. That was what I was sensing here but I could have been misinterpreting.

[Ben E Lou]

Updates from the AJC...

"Benoit's employer, World Wrestling Entertainment, said on its Website Tuesday that Benoit had sent "several curious text messages" to friends, but police on Tuesday said they had identified only one.


Fayette Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Pope on Tuesday confirmed a text message had been sent from Benoit's cellphone at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, but he decline to disclose the message's content or recipient."






"Benoit was found in the home's weight room, his wife in an office and his son in an upstairs bedroom."

[Neon_Chaos]

Investigators believe Benoit killed his wife and son over the weekend and then himself sometime Monday.


"I'm comfortable with our belief that this is a murder-suicide," Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said Tuesday.


The bodies were found in three rooms. Autopsies were planned for Tuesday.


"The details, when they come out," said Ballard, "are going to prove
a little bizarre."

A little bizarre? Jeez. I have a bad feeling about this.

[MikeVic]

It's been an emotional roller coaster. I was upset that I wouldn't see Punk vs Benoit at the Sunday PPV, and when it was announced that he had to go home for family reasons, I didn't really think much about it.

Monday morning and afternoon, I was looking at wrestling sites periodically to see people's thoughts on the PPV. And I see that his family was apparently coughing up blood. Then when I get home I see on this forum that Benoit was found dead. Then I read that his wife and son were dead too.

A friend calls me and we go watch the RAW at another friend's house. A nice tribute show that protrayed Benoit as a nice, family man. Then when I get home my sister says that he killed his family and then himself! It just seems to unreal. I don't know what to think.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Fayette Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Pope on Tuesday confirmed a text message had been sent from Benoit's cellphone at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, but he decline to disclose the message's content or recipient.

Reports on some of the wrestling sites have said that it was Chavo Guerrero who received the text(s).

For his sake, hopefully it wasn't something that he could have acted on and chose not to. What a burden that would be to carry...

[Travis]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Without reading much further, I think Jon and Schmidty get close to my "difference". I am sad and feel bad about what happened, just like I felt about the deaths from the Pakistani floods this past weekend and many other untimely or tragic deaths. To use Jon's analogy, the closest thing I could come up with would be if Tony Gwynn would die suddenly. I would feel sad and bad for the family but it wouldn't hit me hard simply because he is not a "loved one". I never have, nor ever will take my interest in a star/player/entertainier to the point where it would feel like I lost a loved one. That was what I was sensing here but I could have been misinterpreting.

Speaking for myself, it's certainly not like a family member or close friend died. It was actually a little bizarre yesterday when the news came down, pretty much like a savage punch to the stomach more than anything. Benoit was just one of those guys that I grew up watching, had never really heard anything bad about (and plenty of single degree of seperation good things), and at least in the sense of an athlete, had been built up in my mind to a pretty high level, one of those guys you think had the ability to look at any challenge, laugh at it and plow right through it. I had thought that people could take a look at how he handled himself and apply it to their lives and be improved for it.

Now, on top of that, add in an absolute sickening feeling of dread as the *worst* possible explanation surfaces and while I never knew the guy personally, every good thing about him has been pretty much stripped away in the harshest way imaginable.

I wouldn't have shed a tear, though I'm guessing I would have gotten a bit choked up during the show last night had I been home were he a victim in this, but even with how everything looks right now I'm still holding out some hope that they find something that will put him in a better light.

Denial, probably, but also a childhood hero who survived my adult appraisals has not only been taken away suddenly, but in the most vicious way.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Probably not the right thread for it, but it's posts like Travis's that leave me scratching my head sometimes regarding wrestling. If, say, Kiefer Sutherland died, would you think it odd if fans of 24 said that it was so sad because Sutherland was such a great guy, especially because of the way he single handedly defeated terrorists and never gave up despite the odds always being against him? Much like Sutherland, Benoit is an actor, so threads like Travis' and others in this thread just seem straight out of bizzaro land to me.

I think I understand where you're coming from with this comment. There's this strange line between fake sport and legit entertainment that has me scratching my head as well, since it's hard to see where or - in the case of some people, like the "IT'S REAL TO ME DAMMIT!" guy - if at all, the line is drawn.

A good example of this is found in the articles being run today about this horrible situation. In describing Benoit, there's this:

"He was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career."

Now, I have no doubt those things are factually accurate, but it strikes me as beyond bizarre that they would be cited as though they were some legitimate titles he "won" during his wrestling career. It is so matter-of-fact that you might as well be describing a boxing title or MVP award or something like that, when in reality, he was given those titles based solely on the storylines of the shows he was on. Unless I'm completely missing something.

This would be like describing a soap opera actor who died as having been President of XYZ Megacorp and having spent 3 years on an uncharted island with amnesia after his ex-wife slept with his brother, poisoned him, and paid pirates to carry him away. It's the strange blurring of the facts with fantasy that has me scratching my head.

I hope that makes sense. I'm not trying to put anyone down, and it's not really a comment on wrestling fans in general, since what I'm pointing out even extends to the media, apparently.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry

I'm with Bucc. Your post doesn't explain anything. There are so many posts here where I just thought to myself "Why is this poster acting like they actually knew this guy?"

I guess I can get being sad and maybe even saying you're going to throw up about some guy you don't know killing his family then himself. But then all the posts about not understanding how he could do it? Nobody here knew the guy. I have never seen this kind of reaction to a famous person's death. It's bizarre to some of us, clearly.

I'm not begrudging anyone their feelings or their reaction. But Bucc is not alone.

i'm with Bucc and Huck. some of these reactions are completely weird. everytime i hear news about this i always just remember the title of a Jane's Addiction album:

Nothing's Shocking


this is the world that we live in. you don't know anything about anybody you see on tv. you also don't know all the facts. what if Benoit's wife killed her son, and in a rage he killed his wife? the autopsy's aren't even completed yet (that i know of).

i don't get this "i'm gonna vomit" or "i'm sick". you're sick about that, but not about the attrocities in Dafur or all the conflicts in the Middle East? so these things don't sicken people, but a millionaire who killed his family - that's what turns your stomachs?

funny world we live in. and by funny i mean pathetic.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

i'm with Bucc and Huck. some of these reactions are completely weird. everytime i hear news about this i always just remember the title of a Jane's Addiction album:

Nothing's Shocking


this is the world that we live in. you don't know anything about anybody you see on tv. you also don't know all the facts. what if Benoit's wife killed her son, and in a rage he killed his wife? the autopsy's aren't even completed yet (that i know of).

i don't get this "i'm gonna vomit" or "i'm sick". you're sick about that, but not about the attrocities in Dafur or all the conflicts in the Middle East? so these things don't sicken people, but a millionaire who killed his family - that's what turns your stomachs?

funny world we live in. and by funny i mean pathetic.

People react differently to different situations. You were all happy your puppy can fetch slippers. To me, that's a whoop-dee-do. Regarding the war and stuff like that, I feel disconnected with it all. I followed wrestling so closely at a point that I feel like I know the wrestlers, even though I don't.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

i'm with Bucc and Huck. some of these reactions are completely weird. everytime i hear news about this i always just remember the title of a Jane's Addiction album:

Nothing's Shocking


this is the world that we live in. you don't know anything about anybody you see on tv. you also don't know all the facts. what if Benoit's wife killed her son, and in a rage he killed his wife? the autopsy's aren't even completed yet (that i know of).

i don't get this "i'm gonna vomit" or "i'm sick". you're sick about that, but not about the attrocities in Dafur or all the conflicts in the Middle East? so these things don't sicken people, but a millionaire who killed his family - that's what turns your stomachs?

funny world we live in. and by funny i mean pathetic.

I understand what you're saying, but ultimately, I think the reason why a murder of this nature strikes as many people home as it does is because the deaths in war, the atrocities in Dafur, are committed and received by people who are abstractions to most people, just a name, sometimes less than that.

Whereas celebrities, because of their elevated status, become more than abstraction--they become an entity their fans and people who follow their careers and/or lives, believe that they have some familiarity with and so the chance of significant emotional impact increases as a result of that familiarity and knowlege of them.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Izulde

...emotional...

You mean like this guy, huh?

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[Anthony]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

People react differently to different situations. You were all happy your puppy can fetch slippers. To me, that's a whoop-dee-do. Regarding the war and stuff like that, I feel disconnected with it all. I followed wrestling so closely at a point that I feel like I know the wrestlers, even though I don't.

what did Benoit do for you? how much of his millions did he put in your pocket? you feel more connected to some guy you watch on tv than troops who die trying to make the world a safer place for you to live in?

its funny to see people who are so shocked and surprised by something like this, as if they truly knew Benoit and what went on in his home and in his private life.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

what did Benoit do for you? how much of his millions did he put in your pocket? you feel more connected to some guy you watch on tv than troops who die trying to make the world a safer place for you to live in?

its funny to see people who are so shocked and surprised by something like this, as if they truly knew Benoit and what went on in his home and in his private life.

He put his body on the line for something like 15 years to entertain me.

So you can't feel emotional about a millionaire that you don't know?

And yes, I said that I feel more connected to Benoit than to the troops. I feel bad about the troops too, but there's a disconnect there. If they had some kind of biography on TV for troops as they were alive, and then all of a sudden one of them killed two fellow troops and then himself... I'd also feel emotional about that if I watched any of their biographies.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Now, I have no doubt those things are factually accurate, but it strikes me as beyond bizarre that they would be cited as though they were some legitimate titles he "won" during his wrestling career. It is so matter-of-fact that you might as well be describing a boxing title or MVP award or something like that, when in reality, he was given those titles based solely on the storylines of the shows he was on. Unless I'm completely missing something.

Well, even though it's scripted, wrestling is still a competition in some sense. These guys are scripted to win these titles based on their abilities -- not just athletic, obviously, but the whole showmanship package that comes with being a wrestler. You get chosen to win a title because you're "good" at what you do, even though for some guys that doesn't have much to do with actual athleticism.

And even though the championships are fictional, winning one does bring a certain degree of responsibility as far as being a guy that the company is banking on. That's especially true for the world titles, which make you the de facto face of the company. It's not like the WWE decides they need a new champion and goes out and holds auditions to fill the role. In general, that spot if going to go to a guy who's been working for it for years.

So the fact that he held that many titles is a legitimate reflection of the "success" he had in his career, even though it wasn't the same type of success that for example a boxer would be able to claim. Using the actor analogy, it would be more like saying a guy had a twenty year movie career, including a half dozen starring roles in major blockbusters.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

This is going to get worse before it gets better - the Benoit story is now the lead on cnn.com.

It only took 5 hours to knock Paris Hilton off the lead story, huh?

[stevew]

wrestling sites sure seem to have an unbearable amount of ads to navigate.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

what did Benoit do for you? how much of his millions did he put in your pocket? you feel more connected to some guy you watch on tv than troops who die trying to make the world a safer place for you to live in?

its funny to see people who are so shocked and surprised by something like this, as if they truly knew Benoit and what went on in his home and in his private life.

I think it would be shocking and surprising no matter who it was. The difference is, if this happened to a family in your town that nobody but you knew of, you would still be shocked and saddened, but may not choose to post it here because other posters don't share the "knowledge" of that person with you.

While this is very tragic to me, it doesn't affect me like it would if it was someone I knew personally. For me it is more the shock factor of someone so well known involved in something this terrible. And with him being so well known different people have different reactions.....What's the big deal? So what if you don't get it, nobody "gets everything" they encounter from others, why the hell even critique it?

[molson]

Originally Posted by Ajaxab

My sympathies go out to the Benoit family as well. It seems to be the worst possible situation to have to deal with.

I'm curious as to what effect this has on Vince McMahon. He seems about as callous an individual as there is, but could something like this provoke any kind of change in the way he does business? I used to watch wrestling a decade or so ago, but the way he pushed the WWE into becoming more and more slimy pushed me away. I'm not optimistic, but I wonder if this could possibly change his business practices.

As far as wrestling promoters go, I think all the wrestlers (and fans) are pretty fortunate that Vince McMahon is the guy who won dominance of the wrestling scene. He's paid for rehab for many of his wrestlers (Steve Regal has been especially appreciative in interviews). He's taken care of guys that have suffered career-ending injuries (Droz, Chris Nowitski). He's been a big supporter of charities like the Make-A-Wish foundation. In recent years, he's even emphasized and glorified wrestling's past, with the hall of fame, wwe 24/7, and countless apperances by "legends" on today's programming.

Sure, he could have taken a stronger stand on the drug issues, and he'll have to live with the consequences of that. But I hardly think Vince and WWE created the hard living and lifestyle associated with wrestling.

He's no angel. But as far as promoters go (and there's some real horror stories out there), I'm glad he's the guy that "won".

I don't think this will be a "wake up" call for him, like the Eddie Guerrero thing seemed to be. (Maybe the drug tests that were instituted then weren't perfect, and show favoritism, but a lot of guys have been suspended.) I don't view this as a "wrestling death". This is something else entirely. Steroids don't make you kill your family.

[molson]

Originally Posted by stevew

wrestling sites sure seem to have an unbearable amount of ads to navigate.

Stay away from pwinsider.com. Unless you want to test out your spyware software.