Congress requests WWE drug testing records

[Guest *FH*]

Most backyarders are old enough to take responsibility for their own dumbass actions.

That's pretty debatable, but also beside the point. Your point (I think) was that nobody over a certain age is influenced by wrestlers. Believe me, the world is full of dumb people of every age.

[Jingus]

No, my point is that I highly doubt that wrestling influences children who have no connection to the business other than watching it on TV to take drugs, as the letter seemed to imply. I don't doubt at all that it causes a lot of impressionable young people to mimic the violence that they see.

[Bix]

Jerry McDevitt's response to Congress, which notes that drug testing records were attached and there would be more to follow (PDF file).

 

The part where they subtlely imply that they are RIGHT and the media is WRONG about the testosterone issue is pretty rich:

 

Media coverage of the Benoit family deaths and investigation is both sensational and often speculative . To the extent that criticism in these accounts appears directed against WWE, we feel that it is unfair or misplaced. We note that some scientific findings, e .g., toxicology results, already serve to undermine key parts of such speculation.

[kjh]

You've got to love how they criticise the media coverage for being sensationalistic and speculative, then in the same paragraph state:

 

In fact, just today the Atlantic Constitution reported the existence of issues as to the alleged sequence of events which occurred that weekend.

Hasn't Jerry McDevitt learnt anything from the Fragile X debacle? Are they still holding out hope that it was Nancy who killed Daniel, not Chris?

 

You've also got to love the veiled shots at the US drug enforcement agency:

 

The WWE Wellness Program seeks, through these and other efforts, to prohibit abuses that the current U.S. drug enforcement regime has yet to prevent.

We hope to share with you the insights we have gained, and our sense of what needs to be done on a national level to counter the spread of these drugs, including what we perceive to be longstanding regulatory and enforcement issues which must be modified and re-examined if meaningful improvement is to be made.

[Bix]

Also: "Atlantic Constitution."

[Boondocks Kernoodle]

God, I thought the "MAYBE NANCY KILLED DANIEL AND CHRIS KILLED HER OUT OF REVENGE AND THEN COULDN'T TAKE THE GUILT" stuff was dumb when it was just coming from mooks on TSM and DVDVR, but it that's what WWE is trying to imply, then Jesus, I hate wrestling.

[Bix]

I think it's less that and more "OMG WE STILL CAN'T KNOW ANYTHING FOR SURE!!!!111"

[kjh]

WWE's updated response to Congress.

 

Perhaps the most intriguing item in the letter is WWE seemingly having lost all their drug testing results pre September 21st 1998.

[Bix]

It also states that they used Aegis Labs going back to 1991, which I was not aware of.

 

I hope this leads to Congress subpoenaing J.J. Dillon, which I believe would supersede his non-disclosure agreement.

 

Also, it seems just about everyone on the roster has had a heart exam at least once. The fact we don't know of any actual medical suspensions have only heard of 2 wrestlers being flagged (officially, MVP, who was born with his condition, and unofficially the nameless wrestler in 8/20 WON) when odds are a number of that wrestlers have heart problems is pretty telling.

[CodySave]

As hinted at two posts above, I find it strange that it's noted "We do not have a copy of the autopsy report for Brian Pillman, who died October 5, 1997, as it is not genrally available to the public under Minnesota law," when Eddie Guerrero, whose autopsy is provided, also died in Minnesota. I assume his autopsy was done in Minnesota as well.

[Bix]

Good catch. Is it possible that the law changed?

[sek69]

I would think if anything it would have changed to more privacy, like how Florida changed who can access autopsy records after Dale Earnhardt's death.

[Bix]

From Bryan Alvarez at the F4W board:

 

The law requires an OK by the family. Apparently they couldn't find Melanie. Probably didn't look too hard.

[Jingus]

Yeah, they found her just fine for the Loose Cannon dvd.

[sek69]

They found her for RAW the next night too. That still ranks up there with one of the most disgusting moments in wrestling history for me.

[Jingus]

That was... pathetic. Both in the way she came off (reeeally wasted) and Vince for doing it in the first place.

 

Apparently Chyna was on Nancy Grace, once again claimed that she's never done steroids, and that every single worker in the WWE now is on da juice.

[Tim Evans]

Well aren't they? [/Alverez sarcasm]

[kjh]

Yeah, they found her just fine for the Loose Cannon dvd.

Someone should send Congress a copy of that DVD. Sure there is some BS in it (for example, I would love Jim Ross to repeat to Congress that he believed Brian Pillman died of a broken heart), but it's clear from the DVD that management knew that to be able to wrestle on his surgically repaired ankle he had to take ridiculous amounts of painkillers that were screwing him up mentally, but they continued to let him perform.

[Bix]

It's on.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_spo...r_steroids.html

 

WWE faces House call over steroids

 

BY MICHAEL O'KEEFFE

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

 

Thursday, August 30th 2007, 4:00 AM

 

A congressional panel that grilled Bud Selig, Paul Tagliabue and David Stern about performance-enhancing drugs in sports two years ago will hold a hearing next month on steroids and professional wrestling.

 

The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection will hold the hearing in late September, three months after World Wrestling Entertainment star Chris Benoit allegedly strangled his wife and suffocated his 7-year-old son before hanging himself with a weight-machine pulley in his suburban Atlanta home.

 

"I am extremely concerned about the possible illegal and destructive practices by professional entertainment athletes that negatively influence the younger generation," said Rep. Bobby Rush, the Illinois Democrat who is the chairman of the committee. "We must make sure that today's wrestling sports heroes are not using illegal performance-enhancing drugs that, unfortunately, can and have led to their untimely deaths."

 

A congressional source told the Daily News that the panel has not yet compiled witness lists, and it is still not clear who will be asked to appear at the late-September hearing. Rush's subcommittee sent a letter to the WWE on July 31 requesting information about the wrestling federation's drug-testing policies. Similar letters were sent to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance on Aug. 13.

 

WWE spokesman Kevin Hennessy said his organization was unaware of the hearing but would comply if asked to attend. A spokesman for TNA declined comment. NWA officials could not be reached for comment.

 

The subcommittee's ranking Republican, Rep. Cliff Stearns of Florida, called for Congress to investigate steroids in wrestling two weeks after Benoit's death.

 

As the Daily News reported, Benoit abused the drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, also known as the "date-rape drug." Experts say GHB can lead to violent mood swings, especially when users are withdrawing from the drug.

 

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, and that committee's ranking Republican, Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, also have asked the WWE for information about its steroid policy, but no hearings have been scheduled. A committee source said aides were reviewing the material.

 

Sources said the hearing was fueled in part by reports that scores of wrestlers have died prematurely during the past two decades. "I am working in a bipartisan manner to determine how much the industry is trying to detect and prevent illegal drug use among wrestlers," Rush said.

[tomk]

I realize this is "prowrestlingonly" board but it may be worth starting a steroids in other sports intel dump thread (maybe in the lessons of 2006 sub board). What's going on in other sports creates some of the context for how the drugs in wrestling investigation will go down and be covered. But meanwhile posting this here.

 

Supposedly MLB is interested in blood testing for HGH

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?i...e=ESPNHeadlines

 

I don't buy it actually hapening. As well if a weak union like the Football players union scoffs at it, I imagine the baseball players union will too.

 

As an aside it should be said for the most part most of the drugs in sports investigations have had both strong racial and anti-union overtones. Wrestling doesn't have a union and is a fantasy world where whites win. Its one of the interesting ways in which the Congress looking at drugs in wrestling story will both run and be covered very differently from the storys about drugs in any other "sport".

 

So while I don't buy it ever happening, I imagine if MLB does start doing blood testing for HGH, it will probably become a cheaper thing to do.

[tomk]

Riding the subway today and picked up the latest Politico which had this front page article. Not alot new to see but still:

 

 

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0907/5909.html

[Jingus]

This whole time it seems like Vince & co. have basically assumed that the government isn't really serious about this whole thing and it'll all just blow over. Whoops.

[Bix]

Operation Raw Deal. Tremendous.

[jdw]

One suspects that a lot of "leads" and "names" are going to be coming out over the next year after that one. The steriod world has long been one of denial and not naming names. But I think we're seeing more people flipping now that LEA is getting the goods on them.

 

 

John

[Bix]

By the way, since it didn't get brought up here that I recall, Cliff Stearns has noted to the press that WWE sent the testing records to Congress w/o including the actual policy.