Loss Posted August 8, 2007 Report Share Posted August 8, 2007 Oh Loss if you hated the Vince stuff last night, I hope you didn't see the recap of it on ECW tonight. Especially when talking about congress and having Circus music playing. I didn't see it. For the record, I'm not morally outraged, I'm just bored by something I perceive to be pretty dull and pointless. Just wanted to clarify that if there was any confusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KCook Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 LOL: August 13, 2007 Ms. Dixie Carter President Total Nonstop Action Wrestling 209 10th Avenue South, Suite 302 Nashville , Tennessee 37203 Dear Ms. Carter: We are writing to request information regarding the response of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) to allegations of pervasive use of steroids and other drugs by professional wrestlers. The tragic death of Mr. Chris Benoit and his family has focused attention on the seriousness of the problem. Illegal steroid use in professional sports has gained plenty of attention, but the record suggests that the problem is most pervasive and deadly in pro wrestling, an unregulated form of entertainment that is watched on TV and in arenas by an estimated 20 million fans a week, including children. See e.g., attached USA TODAY investigative report, "High death rate lingers behind fun facade of pro wrestling." As Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the subcommittee with jurisdiction over sports-related matters, we are monitoring this situation very closely. We request a briefing on this matter at the earliest possible time We also are considering a hearing on this matter, and whether there is a need for Federal regulation to protect the health and safety of the wrestlers. In the 109 th Congress, the Subcommittee held a hearing on "Steroids in Sports: Cheating the System and Gambling Your Health," and reported legislation, H.R. 1862, the Drug Free Sports Act World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. implemented a Talent Wellness Program in February 2006. Please advise the Subcommittee by close of business on August 28, 2007, whether TNA has adopted a similar program. If so, please provide the Subcommittee with a copy of your program, as well as any other relevant records detailing the specifics of the program as well as TNA' s implementation and interpretation thereof. Records include memoranda, correspondence, and electronic communications. Please also describe any and all actions that TNA has taken - either within or outside any such program - to detect and prevent steroid abuse. Information, including the aggregate number of random tests conducted in each month this year, would assist the Subcommittee in its review, and we request that you provide that information, as well. We are sending similar information requests to other wrestling leagues. Should you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact us, or have your staff contact Christian Tomatsu Fjeld or Consuela Washington with the Majority Committee staff at (202) 225-2927 or Brian McCullough or Will Carty with the Minority Committee staff at (202) 225-3641. Sincerely, Bobby L. Rush Chairman Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Cliff Stearns Ranking Member Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Attachment cc: The Honorable John D. Dingell, Chairman Committee on Energy and Commerce The Honorable Joe Barton, Ranking Member Committee on Energy and Commerce August 13, 2007 Mr. Robert Trobich Executive Director National Wrestling Alliance P.O. Box 160224 Nashville , Tennessee 37216 Dear Mr. Trobich: We are writing to request information regarding the response of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) to allegations of pervasive use of steroids and other drugs by professional wrestlers. The tragic death of Mr. Chris Benoit and his family has focused attention on the seriousness of this problem. Illegal steroid use in professional sports has gained plenty of attention, but the record suggests that the problem is most pervasive and deadly in pro wrestling, an unregulated form of entertainment that is watched on TV and in arenas by an estimated 20 millions fans a week, including children. See e.g., attached USA TODAY investigative report, "High death rate lingers behind fun facade of pro wrestling." As Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the subcommittee with jurisdiction over sports-related matters, we are monitoring this situation very closely. We request a briefing on this matter at the earliest possible time We also are considering a hearing on this matter, and whether there is a need for Federal regulation to protect the health and safety of the wrestlers. In the 109 th Congress, the Subcommittee held a hearing on "Steroids in Sports: Cheating the System and Gambling Your Health," and reported legislation, H.R. 1862, the Drug Free Sports Act World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. implemented a Talent Wellness Program in February 2006. Please advise the Subcommittee by close of business on August 28, 2007, whether the NWA has adopted a similar program. If so, please provide the Subcommittee with a copy of your program, as well as any other relevant records detailing the specifics of the program as well as NWA's implementation and interpretation thereof. Records include memoranda, correspondence, and electronic communications. Please also describe any and all actions that NWA has taken - either within or outside any such program - to detect and prevent steroid abuse. Additional information, including the aggregate number of random tests conducted in each month this year, would assist the Subcommittee in its review, and we request that you provide that information, as well. We are sending similar information requests to other wrestling leagues. Should you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact us, or have your staff contact Christian Tomatsu Fjeld or Consuela Washington with the Majority Committee staff at (202) 225-2927 or Brian McCullough or Will Carty with the Minority Committee staff at (202) 225-3641. Sincerely, Bobby L. Rush Chairman Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Cliff Stearns Ranking Member Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Attachment cc: The Honorable John D. Dingell, Chairman Committee on Energy and Commerce The Honorable Joe Barton, Ranking Member Committee on Energy and Commerce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted August 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Oh LOL. Link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KCook Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 It'll be on all the n00z sites soon enough but it doesn't seem to have made it to them yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted August 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 It's not on the Committee's site, did they release it to the wires first (since you have access to an AP feed)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 I can only hope this results in Mike Tenay and Don West trying to be like WWE with subtle and not so subtle insults toward Congress on television. Also, here's hoping Gabe Sapolsky is next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted August 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Well, Cary Silkin would probably be more appropriate. Should be interesting to see if it happens, and it's certainly a possibility with a letter being sent to the fucking 2007 NWA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KCook Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 No, I just get all kinds of crap from that committee for non-pro wres reasons. With the NWA getting dragged into this, I wonder how long it will be before indies start jockeying for subpoenas to get press. "Look at Tank Toland! His gimmick is that he's on steroids. Subpoena us! Our ticket-scalping funder took over from the sex predator pornographer who got us off the ground!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingus Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) watched on TV and in arenas by an estimated 20 million fans a week That's pretty much where my eyes glazed over. Chikara or somebody needs to have an evil heel gimmick of a nosy federal investigator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted August 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 http://www.house.gov/stearns/PressReleases...8-Steroids.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - August 14, 2007 - STEARNS JOINS CHAIRMAN IN REQUESTING DRUG PREVENTION RECORDS FROM ADDITIONAL PRO WRESTLING GROUPS REQUEST SENT TO TOTAL NON-STOP WRESTLING & NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE - WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT ALREADY CONTACTED WASHINGTON, AUG. 14, 2007 - Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee, joined the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), in contacting additional professional wrestling associations regarding their drug prevention efforts. Stearns and Rush requested this information from World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. last month. "After I called for a congressional hearings on the use of steroids and other drugs in professional wrestling, I have heard from wrestlers that steroids, pain killers, and other drugs are used frequently in the industry," said Stearns. "Trafficking in steroids and other drugs is a felony and their use without a prescription is also a crime. In addition to ensuring that our laws are respected, Congress has a responsibility to protect young people from the harmful impact of drug use in pro wrestling. Some 1 million children under the age of 11 watch pro wrestling and many emulate the wrestlers they see." The associations are asked to outline their drug-testing policies and efforts to detect and prevent the use of steroids and other drugs. As a result of the numerous premature deaths of wrestlers, in many cases involving drugs, Stearns and Rush have discussed holding a hearing in the fall to look into drug use within the industry. For Further Information Please Contact Paul Flusche at 202-225-5744 or Email. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cox Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 Oh god, I know there's like a .001% chance of it happening, but Gabe Sapolsky testifying before Congress would be epic. He'd start hemming and hawing after being asked his name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingus Posted August 14, 2007 Report Share Posted August 14, 2007 REQUEST SENT TO TOTAL NON-STOP WRESTLING & NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE - WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT ALREADY CONTACTEDWait, do they mean the NWA itself? If so, whoops, looks like the feces just got thrown in the general direction of the fan for indy companies everywhere. Now if the IRS ever figures out that 95% of them pay no taxes... "steroids, pain killers, and other drugs are used frequently in the industry... children under the age of 11 watch pro wrestling and many emulate the wrestlers they see."Bullshit argument. Since the drug use takes place behind closed doors and isn't even referred to on-camera, there's no way kids could emulate it. This ain't exactly like Snoop puffing a blunt in a music video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted August 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 Yes, it's the actual Pro Wrestling LLC NWA. Membership roster here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 "steroids, pain killers, and other drugs are used frequently in the industry... children under the age of 11 watch pro wrestling and many emulate the wrestlers they see."Bullshit argument. Since the drug use takes place behind closed doors and isn't even referred to on-camera, there's no way kids could emulate it. This ain't exactly like Snoop puffing a blunt in a music video. I ... are you serious? Don't be dense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Evans Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 So does this mean the end of TNA? God I hope so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingus Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 "steroids, pain killers, and other drugs are used frequently in the industry... children under the age of 11 watch pro wrestling and many emulate the wrestlers they see."Bullshit argument. Since the drug use takes place behind closed doors and isn't even referred to on-camera, there's no way kids could emulate it. This ain't exactly like Snoop puffing a blunt in a music video. I ... are you serious? Don't be dense. Yeah, I'm serious. Of all the sins wrestling is guilty of, there's no need to make up new ones. How could a little kid know these guys are all on steroids and painkillers (unless an adult told them), and how exactly would they go about emulating that? Besides, you're got the violence nd cussing connection sitting right there, I've personally watched countless kids turn into sociopathic foul-mouthed little rioters at many a show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 If an 18-year old makes a serious attempt at getting into pro wrestling, I would guess he would learn rather quickly (within months) exactly what he needed to do to get the desired physique to get noticed, if he didn't already know going in. You don't actually *see* the groupies letting rock stars snort coke off of their breasts either, but don't tell me that's not a reason a lot of teenagers have bands in their garages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cox Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 Yeah seriously, what percentage of wrestling fans do you think assume that most of the WWE's roster is on steroids? 90%? 95%? When I first started watching as a ten year old kid, I assumed that damned near everybody was on steroids. Especially in this day and age, when the general public at large seems to be learning more and more about steroids, I think most people can assume that the wrestlers on Raw, Smackdown, and ECW achieved their bodies chemically for the most part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 Like Cox, I was about 10 or so when I started learning about steroids, both in wrestling and elsewhere (my big intro was Ben Johnson in the '88 Summer Olympics). However, I kinda see where Jingus is coming from. There's a certain range of age a kid will be where he will impersonate wrestlers for fun, but then afterwards they'll grow out of it. Maybe at the same time, or after that, they'll learn about steroids in wrestling, but as mentioned, they're past the point of emulating wrestlers. Part of the maturity process. I was 7 when I first started following it, but you could say it was age 10 I started smartening up (learning more about steroids, that it ain't real, etc.). Same thing with a lot of kids who liked wrestling that I knew growing up. Your mileage may vary, of course. But I don't think a kid who knows enough about steroids is still in an "emulating" stage, most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest *FH* Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 Just a quick note: Bobby Lashley is on the cover of this month's Flex Magazine. Hilarious for several reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingus Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 My point was, by the time they're old enough to obtain steroids or pain pills, they're way too old to be considered some naive kid who's being influenced by his heroes on TV. Saying that wrestling promotes drug use to its young audience is just plain wrong. (Well, unless you count drinking, cuz that does get glorified a whole lot.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted August 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 My point was, by the time they're old enough to obtain steroids or pain pills, they're way too old to be considered some naive kid who's being influenced by his heroes on TV. Saying that wrestling promotes drug use to its young audience is just plain wrong. (Well, unless you count drinking, cuz that does get glorified a whole lot.)Right, because there's not a horrible steroid problem in high schools. Oh wait, THERE IS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 My point was, by the time they're old enough to obtain steroids or pain pills, they're way too old to be considered some naive kid who's being influenced by his heroes on TV. Saying that wrestling promotes drug use to its young audience is just plain wrong. (Well, unless you count drinking, cuz that does get glorified a whole lot.) "Roll a fatty for this pimp daddy." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest *FH* Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 they're way too old to be considered some naive kid who's being influenced by his heroes on TV. Yardtards say 'hi' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingus Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 Right, because there's not a horrible steroid problem in high schools. Oh wait, THERE IS.Which is directly attributable to real sports, not pro wrestling. Yardtards say 'hi'Most backyarders are old enough to take responsibility for their own dumbass actions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.