jdw

Where are the articles that clearly state that all of the doctors Daniel saw said he wasn't suffering from Fragile X or any other physical and mental health issues. As far as grandparents go, I hate to break people illusions. They can be nuts and in denial. One of my grandmothers thought that my mother caused my brother's kidney diesease, and I can't even count the number of phone messages I deleted from the answering machine after he died where she rambled about my mother killing him. I'm not saying that's the case here. But one shouldn't take grandparents as the gospel when it comes to the health of their grandkids. They're not always rational. John

I obviously have no issue with the term puroresu. It's use among "smart" fans in the us predates any wrestling message board that exists. Frankly, it was a Hisa Tanabe who educate many of us to the term back on RSP-W. Google's archive have Hisa and Katz Kawai, both Japanese, introducing us stupid gaijin to the term all the way back in 1992. I suspect that if the archive went back further, we'd find it earlier. The use from very early on seems to have always been to differentiate what the fan likes rather than "american wrestling". I actually used it in the same way off the net with Japanese co-workers - "I like puroresu, not the WWF stuff." And they got it. "pro-wres" gets knocked these days because Meltzer once attempted to claim that there was no such thing as "puroresu", that instead it was "pro-wres". I can see why Dave got confused - I had Japanese co-workers use the term "pro-wres" when introducing me to Japanese wrestling... all the way back in early 1989, before I ever read the WON. I think there are some Japanese people who think that it's easier for us dumb gaijin to grasp the slang "pro-wres" rather than trying puroresu. The Japanese reporter that I delt with for years, who Dave dealt with for longer (and still likely does today) would use "pro-wres" with me until I started using "puroresu" enough that he saw that I "got it". So... while I was moderately annoyed by Dave's unwillingness to get educated on the subject when people raised it, I do understand where he's coming from - I dealt with the same thing. Perhaps things have some so full circle that someone on SC/TSM started using it, and the guys at OLC had some fun with it. But it really isn't a new term. On Lucharesu, it looks like Dean popularized it. He gave credit to Cheetah for coining the term. I'll have to asked her Wednesday... but I suspect she'll say someone else coined it, and all of that crowd of posters in Dean's old DVDVR threads in 1996/97 started using using it. I guess I have a soft spot for the term, since I have a soft spot for those old threads. The general point of the term was to differentiat the MPro melting pot of styles in 1996/97 from All Japan, New Japan, UWF-style, Joshi, or even NJ Juniors style. It served it purporse at the time. John

John, did Dave explain or allude to how Nancy got the neck injury that required surgery? At the time the story was reported it seemed a bit strange that a female manager that was rarely involved in physical angles would require similar surgery to what long time wrestlers have been requiring recently. Now it sadly seems all the more suspicious. Dave hasn't explained. But from a timeline standpoint: ( a ) it was well after her filing for divorce ( b ) if there was abuse strong enough to cause neck damage, it's likely that it would have been noticed by her doctors Not saying that it's not possible. But back and neck issues are not uncommon outside of wrestling an sports. I work with three people with back issues. One is degenerative. Another other was initially caused by playing with her kids. The third is just 60 years of an active life adding up. That's in a department of 8. So while the whole time off last year was odd, I don't know if I'd read dark into *everything* about it until we know more. I believe that Dave did indicate that at least part of the reason for the time off was because Benoit was stressed and in not great shape. John

What Teke said. Someone on tOA had asked if Jerry was the source. He *wasn't*. It was the woman in Canada. Jerry and the WWE grabbed onto it in total CYA fashion. For fucks sake... does anyone honestly think that anyone in WWE management (which Jerry has long been a shadow member of) knew before this what Fragile X was, let alone than Benoit's son may have it? As far as the child, it's pretty clear from the WON that he had health and mental issues, and they were getting to be too much for Nancy to handle on her own. Perhaps in his second issue Dave will debunk himself and those stories. We'll see. John

I wouldn't get to wrapped up on a specific drug. I have the feeling that well see more than a dozen different drugs were found there, and lord knows what will be in the system of the two when the tox comes back. Nancy may also taking painkillers for the neck, which from the WON sounded like it still hadn't been 100%. In addition, we'll also likely get a laundry list from Dr. Phil's records of what he prescribed to Chris (and others). John

What Bix said on the 10-month supply. John

Recap of what was said in this respect? John

Ducked this for a while... On current viewing, I haven't been viewing much old or new recently. Just jammed up with other crap at the moment. So it hasn't changed current viewing. I did watch chunks of the "tribute" show on the West Coast feed out here, and I knew it was muder-sucide from the moment Cheetah had called. There was an uncomfortable creepy feeling watching it, and needing to check out of it regularly. I tried to use Keller's recap to get back in time to see the stuff the seemed important at the time. The Chavo stuff was extremely incomfortable. What Meltzer (or someone else) has written about the Hogg Wild match was what I felt then - he's Chris being seconded by his wife... and then noticing the dead Liz also seconding him... I had to get away from that thing. Going foward... I don't know. Obviously I'll watch Benoit matches at some point. It's hard to be a wrestling fan of what I tend to like without hitting a lot of his matches. I'll be honest and say that I don't know how I'll feel when he hits the screen at that point, other than knowing that I'll feel very different than I have when watching him in the past. John

Random? "From a personal standpoint, I'm wrecked and torn with conflict on this one." Which is the first sentence of 16 paragraphs of "personal thoughts" broken off from the earlier "reporting". It's about as non-random of a shift as Dave ever could make. I think he gets a little repetative in one or two of the paragraphs at the end of the "reporting" end of it, and either he or Deputy Managing Editor Scott Williams didn't catch it in proofing it. Given the story, the timing, the deadline, and again *the story*... I think it getting a little repetative at the end is understandable. As far as jumping around, I really think he does it far less here than in many of his other reporting pieces. The Kerry obit, which along with the Andre obit that same month, essentially launch the WON Obit form as we know it. And if one reads the original Kerry obit rather than the one in Tributes, it is hardly linear. To the degree that at one point you have to read back to get the timeline again. Still... it was a very strong piece relative to the time. This one jumps back and forth in time far less than Kerry's did. I was worried that it would be an informative piece that was a trainwreck of writing as so much information was flying in on Monday and Tuesday, with mainstream reporters *and* people in the wrestling business contacting him contantly through the days. Instead, it's on the side of "good WON writing". In fact, more of the main stream pieces on the story bounced all over the place in time. It's not a story that you can cover A-B-C-D. Given the info Dave tries to bring to the table, it's literally impossible. Look... I tend to be as critical of Dave as anyone, probably more so at times. This just isn't the piece to rip. John

What Loss said. I hate that people scan and circulate the WON. That may surprise people who've seen me be critical of Dave over the years, or actually argue with Dave on boards (and we've had some good ones). Or who've seen my indifference to the rather large trade of wrestling tapes/dvds that goes on, many of which I willingly buy/get. But Dave provides a valuable service to wrestling fans, and has for close to 25 years. He couldn't do it for free. John

The WON is exceptionally well reported this week. Not easy reading, and doesn't pull any punches. John

Honestly, excluding Jericho and maybe Bret, what public wrestling figure that has spoken on this hasn't been? My point - Jimbo is always a fucking embarassment. It's not just that piece. Talk about a loathsome wrestling personality. John

Ross is an embarassment. John

It's a damn good thing that I don't live in Stamford or people would blame this on me. John

About what one would expect out of Dan on the subject. He does have valid points in it, and his overall theme (how the murders alter forever how one looks at Chris) is one that I would agree on. But... much like the WWE shouldn't have put people on camera on Monday night, I think Dave (or Marvez) shouldn't have other writers on WO.com offering up their opinion thoughts quite yet. It's a developing story... everyone is still trying to gather their thoughts... additional things are coming up that shed more light... it's probably not the best time for Dave to open a live mic on the site. John

Really? That's odd. Last that I knew, Mike actually likes his job of announcing. There were aspects of the business/backstage side that he didn't like, but he was a wrestling fan. He's really one of the few people in wrestling who could walk away from it at any point, take the money he's made and invested over the years, and if needing a regular income go back to what he did before going into wrestling (running a not-so-small Vegas sports book if I recall) pretty easily. Maybe there are some stories out there of him saying he hates his job, and hates the fans, and is only doing the job for the cash. On hating wrestling fans... honestly, Joey comes across far more as loathing wrestling fans, simply poorly hiding it with a phoney exterior. Joey is the one who's doing the gig for the egofuck and the cash. Again... Mike may suck as an announcer. I can't stick around on any TNA program long enough to rate him. I confess - pretty much all wrestling announcers suck, and always have sucked. When you watch someone like poker announcer Mike Sexton run circles around them calling a fucking *card game*, it reminds me of how overrated wrestling announcers. It's like talking about Soap actors being good actors. John

I thought West was the one sucking there. Not to defend Mike or anything. But West is really dog shit there, and he's talking about 90% of the time. Mike's glove comment actually makes sense, while West's are just plain rambling. I'm sure there are better example of Mike not being good. Loathsome is a bit strong. I mean... if he sucks, he sucks. I tend to think Joey is more loathsome - he's a shitty announcer, always has been, was a phoney in ECW, was a phoney on Bob.com, and now taking Vince's greenbacks is a phoney as well. He sucked back in ECW, but you could never get the ECW Rubes to face that reality. Christ... this is a guy who co-owned a business with Bob Fucking Ryder and paid a fulltime salary to Dave Scherer. How much more loathsome do you need to be? John

Good point. We've been discussing this for a half hour, and one of the pissant internet fans on a pissant internet board came up with something that the folks in the WWE couldn't come up with. John

No, just among some. Keller hammered the point home earlier in the day: I suspect he said something similar in one of his ealier audio updates. Say what you will about Wade, he did have the balls early on to cut through the fandom, the protection of the business, and the respect most everyone had for Benoit right to a critical, inescapable point. John

Cook's points above are all correct. As were Loss' that the press release contains "talking points" for the company. It is frightening to ponder how the WWE will address this tonight. The company gets incredibly defensive and paranoid when attacked. They don't do "apology" well at all. The also are swift to throw anyone under the bus to save themselves. On the other hand... I'm not sure that anyone in the MSM will be able to read through the bullshit. John

I don't believe a thing RYDER writes unless I see it confirmed elsewhere. His track record of being full of shit is just too long. John

Well... other than their going into overdrive around the press conference about Roid Rage. I'm not saying that they might have played a role. But became the focus of their post press conference. John

Is smoking fucking crack. John

I don't think he ever got to Houston. At some point we'll get a more clear timeline. Some of the stories had a note about a 4 AM Saturday text message from Benoit. If he were flying Saturday, that would be before the morning before the hop from Atlanta to where ever the Satuday show was. His last match with the WWE was the match on ECW TV last week. I don't even recall the "official" one from last year, which shows how much I've been paying attention to the WWE in the past year. Can someone fill me in? John