Chris, Nancy, & Daniel Benoit found dead

[Loss]

Also, I am wondering if Meltzer knew about the 2003 petition from Nancy prior to it just coming out. Chris Benoit was a friend of his. Did he shy away from reporting it for some reason? Did he report at the time on Benoit's arrest in 1998?

[Guest teke184]

The media is really dropping the ball on this. They are so wrapped up in the ROIDRAGEROIDRAGEROIDRAGEWASITROIDRAGE talking point that they are missing the bigger story, and are making WWE look better than is really deserved. There's been almost no discussion of post-concussion syndrome, the wrestling schedule, no investigation into other wrestler deaths, no verifying of facts presented by WWE and other sources ... it has for the most part, sadly, all been very sensationalistic and narrow-minded. They are attempting to make this as simple and easily explainable as possible, and seem to be taken by surprise anytime a colleague of Benoit's suggests that he was a mild-mannered, easy going person.

 

I would love for someone to ask Vince how he can say Benoit was traditionally very mild-mannered, considering that he once threw a young wrestler out of the locker room for moving another wrestler's things so he could sit down and change, or that he made another young wrestler do so many hindu squats that he was rumored to be pissing muscle tissue, or that he never saw his kids from his first marriage and basically left them to run off with another married woman. Benoit was respected in wrestling, yes, but they are really taking everything told to them by those they interview at face value, and it's unfortunate. The truth is, while he would have been considered one of the "nice guys" in wrestling prior to this tragedy, he had his share of skeletons. And aside from Nancy's 2003 petition, and very slight (very slight) mention of his DUI in 1998, there hasn't been much attempt to get insight into his personal character.

The sports journalists, mainly those involved in NFL coverage, appear likely to take up the "concussion syndrome" issue, as that's been a hot-topic issue for the NFL lately.

 

Add in that Chris Nowinski was already getting notice in NFL circles for his personal research into concussions as a result of his career-ending situation and the NFL-wrestling connection begins to strengthen. (I'm pretty sure that Nowinski was part of the NFL symposium on concussions held recently, as his name certainly came up in connection with it on the football news sites.)

 

 

 

The actual looking into Benoit's personal life won't happen unless this case sticks around for a while and the average journalist gets off his ass to either ask hard questions of Vince, Meltzer, etc. or gets to talk directly to Benoit's parents, sister, other children, etc.

 

 

The closest we've gotten to any of this right now is Bret Hart talking to at least one of Benoit's other children before going on Greta's show on Fox last night.

[Loss]

Agreed. And someone should alert the media that Benoit is the second wrestler to hang himself this year.

[Guest teke184]

Agreed. And someone should alert the media that Benoit is the second wrestler to hang himself this year.

I'd forgotten about Mike Awesome's suicide...

 

Did they ever figure out if it was due to something in his personal life (divorce, something with his kid, etc.) or if it was due to his professional life (drug use, injuries, etc.)?

[Loss]

I never heard anything about the autopsy unfortunately. He and Benoit both wrestled an extremely physical style where they took lots of hard bumps on their heads and necks, and both took their share of unprotected chairshots.

[Guest teke184]

I never heard anything about the autopsy unfortunately. He and Benoit both wrestled an extremely physical style where they took lots of hard bumps on their heads and necks, and both took their share of unprotected chairshots.

I don't doubt the number of hard shots that Awesome took, but I'm thinking more along the lines of his legs being permanently messed up.

 

 

By the time he ended up in the WWE in 2001, he'd had a tremendous number of knee surgeries.

 

The way things were going, he was going to end up like the late "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd, in a wheelchair because of all the damage his legs had taken over the years from football and wrestling.

[Loss]

Also:

 

My first thought upon hearing the cause of death was all the work Chris Nowinski has done recently investigating mid-life depression and suicides in athletes who suffered multiple concussions during their careers. Awesome pretty much made a name for himself in the US by taking hard chairshots to the head, largely in his feud with Masato Tanaka in ECW, and on the surface his story sounds remarkably similar to that of Andre Waters, a former NFL star who committed suicide in November (and whose brain was examined by Nowinski last month). Given the head trauma a lot of guys suffered in the 90s, I’m terrified that this generation’s classic wrestler death will be brain trauma-induced suicide as opposed to the usual left ventricular hypertrophy (enlarged hearts).

Bryan Alvarez, Figure 4 Weekly, 02/26/2007

[Loss]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationwor...0,2628771.story

 

"Nancy had for a long time believed this relationship would end violently and in a bad, bad way," said a former co-worker and Benoit family friend speaking on conditioning of anonymity. "She always said the two of them were doomed to hurt each other. But she never imagined Daniel would get in the crosshairs."

[kjh]

I'm not sure Vince's tack of emphasising the need to wait for the toxicology reports was a sensible one. Sure, it buys him some time, but surely he must know that this story isn't going to be forgotten about and that the media are going to savage him when it almost certainly turns out that Benoit had a dangerous cocktail of steroids and painkillers in his body before he died. He needs to at least look like he will change things in the face of this horrible tragedy, rather than looking like he wants to get back to business as usual ASAP. I agree with Loss that the tragedy is much more complicated than simply a case of roid rage, but I do worry that when the toxicology reports come back the media will believe its an open and shut case and fail to probe more deeply into the other issues afflicting the sport.

[Guest teke184]

How the story goes depends on who's willing to push and how many people are willing to listen.

 

 

I'm betting that Meltzer, Marvez, etc. will push the "It's not steroids" argument and try to explore other potential problems, such as Benoit's mental health.

 

If there are doctor's records showing that Benoit was on meds for something like depression AND it gets the proper press, it could be looked at as a mental health issue rather than a steroids issue IF people are willing to listen.

[Loss]

I'm not sure Vince's tack of emphasising the need to wait for the toxicology reports was a sensible one. Sure, it buys him some time, but surely he must know that this story isn't going to be forgotten about and that the media are going to savage him when it almost certainly turns out that Benoit had a dangerous cocktail of steroids and painkillers in his body before he died. He needs to at least look like he will change things in the face of this horrible tragedy, rather than looking like he wants to get back to business as usual ASAP. I agree with Loss that the tragedy is much more complicated than simply a case of roid rage, but I do worry that when the toxicology reports come back the media will believe its an open and shut case and fail to probe more deeply into the other issues afflicting the sport.

Completely agreed, and that is also my concern. The toxicology report are critical, but the story still goes beyond that. As has been mentioned, if Benoit was clean at the time of his death, he still could have acted out in withdrawal. Benoit being drug free on his last wellness exam means nothing unless he has never done any drugs at all, which we absolutely know to not be true. This is a ridiculously complex story that keeps getting more and more complex, and it deserves far more research and attention to detail than it is really getting from the MSM.

[Bix]

I'm betting that Meltzer, Marvez, etc. will push the "It's not steroids" argument and try to explore other potential problems, such as Benoit's mental health.

I think it will be less "it's not steroids" and more "it was a combination of EVERYTHING."

 

Also, just to clarify Re: WWE steroid test negatives:

 

Vince said on "Today" that Benoit's test was "completely negative," which seems to suggest "no steroids" as opposed to "steroids with prescription." If this is the case, it means that either:

 

1. He was taking very expensive designer steroids that couldn't be detected.

 

Or...

 

2. Somebody else peed for him. Under the current policy, an eyewitness is not required when collecting the urine, while it was a big part of the '91-'96 policy.

 

By the way, as I always forget this, how were Warrior & Davey Boy caught using HGH in '92? Somebody tipped J.J. Dillon off and they found the prescriptions?

[Guest teke184]

I'm betting that Meltzer, Marvez, etc. will push the "It's not steroids" argument and try to explore other potential problems, such as Benoit's mental health.

I think it will be less "it's not steroids" and more "it was a combination of EVERYTHING."

 

Also, just to clarify Re: WWE steroid test negatives:

 

Vince said on "Today" that Benoit's test was "completely negative," which seems to suggest "no steroids" as opposed to "steroids with prescription." If this is the case, it means that either:

 

1. He was taking very expensive designer steroids that couldn't be detected.

 

Or...

 

2. Somebody else peed for him. Under the current policy, an eyewitness is not required when collecting the urine, while it was a big part of the '91-'96 policy.

 

By the way, as I always forget this, how were Warrior & Davey Boy caught using HGH in '92? Somebody tipped J.J. Dillon off and they found the prescriptions?

 

I think that Warrior left his prescription AND/OR his stash in a hotel room, which got reported back to management by the hotel when the cleaning staff went in.

 

Davey Boy got caught up in it when Warrior admitted that Davey Boy had told him how to do it, IIRC.

[Bix]

Drug Agents Raid Offices of Pro Wrestler Chris Benoit's Personal Physician

 

State and federal drug agents staged a late-night raid of the offices of pro wrestler Chris Benoit's personal physician and met with the district attorney investigating the Benoit murder-suicide on Thursday morning to see if any charges should be filed.

 

The offices of Dr. Phil Astin were raided just before midnight Wednesday, officials said. Astin was at his office at the time of the raid.

 

Officials said the raid stemmed from the investigation into drugs found in the Benoit home after the bodies of the pro wrestler and his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, were found Monday afternoon, Capt. Mike Pruitt said.

 

Investigators took computers and medical records from Astin's office.

 

Astin on Wednesday told the Associated Press that he had prescribed testosterone for Benoit. Investigators said there were autographed photos of Benoit and other wrestlers in Astin's office.

 

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Allard would not comment on the raids but said he had met with local drug task force investigators and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

 

Meanwhile, prosecutors in upstate New York who have been investigating the deliveries Benoit received from Signature Pharmacy and MedXLife.com, which sold steroids, human growth hormone and testosterone on the Internet.

 

Terence Kindlon, lawyer for MedXLife co-owner Dr. Gary Brandwein, denied allegations that his client's company sold steroids to Benoit. Brandwein has pleaded not guilty to six counts in New York state court related to the criminal sale of a controlled substance. He was accused of signing and sending prescriptions without ever seeing patients.

 

McDevitt said the drugs found in Benoit's house were legitimately prescribed. "There's no question, none of these drugs are out there, none of these drugs came from Internet pharmacies," he said.

 

In addition to causing paranoia and explosive outbursts, steroids can also contribute to deep depression, according to experts.

[Guest teke184]

How many other WWE wrestlers live in the Atlanta area, such as ones who worked in WCW?

 

 

While checking out Benoit's records at that doctor's office, they may end up seeing if certain other WWE stars names appear in the patient register as well.

[Loss]

State and federal agents.

 

Oh boy.

[Guest teke184]

State and federal agents.

 

Oh boy.

In addition to Benoit's case, it's probably considered a continuation of that federal probe that busted those doctors and/or pharmacists some months back.

 

The busted people had a bunch of athletes on file, including Kurt Angle.

[Loss]

I'm pretty sure most of the guys who used to live in Atlanta have now moved to Tampa.

 

I can't think of anyone still living in Atlanta off the top of my head.

 

The only ones that come to mind are guys that either never got signed by WWE or had short runs, like Lex Luger and Kevin Nash. And I'm thinking Nash either moved or has another home in Phoenix, but I'm not sure.

[Bix]

I'm pretty sure Regal, Finlay, & Taylor still live there.

[Bix]

RVD's statement on his website blames demonic posession.

 

Really.

[Guest teke184]

RVD's statement on his website blames demonic posession.

 

Really.

Well, we already know what RVD's smoking...

[Loss]

RVD's statement on his website blames demonic posession.

 

Really.

One of a kind indeed.

[Loss]

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS???

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,287194,00.html

 

Web Time Stamps Indicate Benoit Death Reported About 14 Hours Before Police Found Bodies

Thursday, June 28, 2007

 

By Blane Bachelor

 

An anonymous user operating a computer traced to Stamford, Conn. — home to World Wrestling Entertainment — posted an entry to pro wrestler Chris Benoit's biography on Wikipedia.org announcing the death of his wife Nancy about 14 hours before police in suburban Atlanta said they found her body along with her husband's and that of their 7-year-old son, FOXNews.com has learned.

 

Employees at Wikipedia.com said the posting went live on their site on Monday at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Police, however, said they found the bodies Monday at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

 

Wikipedia.org's computers are set to record Standard and Universal Time, a spokesman told FOXNews.com.

 

The posting reads: “Chris Benoit was replaced by [[Johnny Nitro]] for the ECW Championship match at Vengeance, as Benoit was not there due to personal issues, stemming from the death of his wife Nancy.”

 

The posting was apparently made in reference to Benoit's scheduled appearance on Sunday night at an Extreme Championship Wrestling event in Texas, with the last phrase noted in red to indicate an edit made to the original entry.

 

An employee from Wikipedia.org told FOXNews.com that he called and left a message with investigative authorities in Fayetteville, Ga., at around 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, after the posting was brought to the attention of the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Web site.

 

“I chat with other editors on IRC -- Internet relay chat -- and somebody pointed it out to me on a relay chat and that it came from a Stamford connection, and that it took place at midnight Eastern Standard Time on Monday morning,” said Wikipedia.org volunteer coordinator Cary Bass. “I called and left a message with the police department.”

 

The computer-generated time and date stamp of the Benoit entry are listed as 4:01, 25 June 2007. Wikipedia.org lists its entries according to Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time.

 

A message left by FOXNews.com with Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department was not immediately returned.

 

Investigators so far have ruled the Benoit killings as a double homicide-suicide.

 

Wikipedia.org claims to be one of the largest reference Web sites, and is written collaboratively by users from around the world. Approved users can make submissions and change entries that are posted on the site almost immediately. Bass said the site is constantly monitored to correct inaccuracies.

 

Bass said when there is a high-profile case, such as the Benoit killlings, Wikipedia.org limits postings to registered users, which is now indicated at the top of the Benoit entry. According to the listed history on the Benoit entry, the computer used to post the 12:01 a.m. entry had a Stamford, Conn., Internet Protocol — or IP — address, a numeric designation that is assigned to every computer with an Internet connection, and that same address has been used to post about a dozen other messages on the site, dating back to May 16, 2007.

 

FOXNews.com also has learned, through widely posted Web reports, that former pro wrestler Sherri Martel, who was found dead on June 15, was linked to former wrestler Kevin Sullivan — ex-husband of Nancy Benoit.

 

Martel, who had a reputation as one of the top managers in pro wrestling, was found dead at her mother’s home in near Birmingham, Ala., on June 15. She was 49.

 

Investigators, who have not yet determined Martel's cause of death, say foul play is not suspected but that Martel did not die of natural causes.

[Bix]

I'm 99.9999999999999% sure it was just coincidental vandalism stemming from the "family emergency" announcement, but I'm glad that somebody at the Wikimedia Foundation forwarded the info to the police.

[Guest teke184]

I'm 99.9999999999999% sure it was just coincidental vandalism stemming from the "family emergency" announcement, but I'm glad that somebody at the Wikimedia Foundation forwarded the info to the police.

Someone at The Pit (Zach Malibu, IIRC) found that same thing a day or two ago, but didn't know if it was a WWE employee or not.

 

 

The IP of the person involved was traced to Stamford, CT, and a lot of the other pages updated by that person tended to be wrestling-related, although not serious in any way.

 

(IIRC, at least one of the changes by that person was about how they'd love to fuck Stacy Kiebler in the ass.)