Benoit brain examination findings to be released tomorrow

[Guest *FH*]

Oh, I'm not saying even that it's something that should happen, just that it's an interesting way to look at wrestling. Especially after Kronus's postmortem outing, which could've been gigantic if someone outed it in the mainstream media at the right time.

Yeah, that, and also, slight difference between company that hires emotionally stunted manchildren and encourages their nerdom and company that hires emotionally stunted manchildren and encourages them to do drugs while living in a split personality and completely divorcing them from reality. I don't know if it means anything legally, but it's an interesting angle on all this.

 

So you say. I'm waiting for one of these freaks here to go Columbine, myself.

[Boondocks Kernoodle]

http://www.ajc.com/sport/content/sports/st...age_tab_newstab

 

Commission may regulate WWE like other sports

 

By JOHN HOLLIS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 10/16/07

 

World Wrestling Entertainment could soon be answering to the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission.

 

Board member Cary Ichter said the agency, more commonly known as the state boxing commission, plans to work with state legislators this fall to close a 2-year-old loophole that has allowed WWE an exemption from state regulation.

 

Ichter, an attorney who also represents the father of deceased professional wrestler Chris Benoit, cited health and safety concerns behind the push.

 

"I'm going to fight like a dog to make sure that exemption is pulled from the law," he said Tuesday. "I want to make sure we have a way to protect folks in Georgia from the shenanigans of the WWE."

 

Should state lawmakers opt to rescind the exemption, WWE wrestlers could be subject to drug testing and other regulations just like performers from other sports that compete in Georgia.

 

"When you look at all the health issues of professional wrestlers and how many of them have died, it's clear they've been abused," Ichter said.

WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt declined to comment other than to question Ichter's motives.

 

"Gee, surprise, surprise," he said. "Wonder why he's doing that?"

 

Michael Benoit has blasted the WWE, suggesting the number of concussions his son suffered may have played a role when he killed his family and and then committed suicide in late June at their Fayetteville home.

 

The Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission already regulates the state's boxing and mixed martial arts, as well as ticket brokers.

 

Professional wrestling also falls under the group's jurisdiction, but the WWE has been exempt because of a statute that went into effect July 1, 2005, excluding groups with total assets of more than $25 million.

 

Kelly Farr, director of the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, said he knew of no other organization that qualified for the exemption.

 

The added scrutiny from the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, and perhaps state legislators as well, would be the latest public relations setback for the embattled WWE.

 

The Benoit tragedy drew national and international attention. The crime, combined with the highly publicized premature deaths of a number of other young wrestlers who had been using prescription drugs, have prompted congressional interest, perhaps culminating with hearings sometime next month or in December.

 

Benoit, 40, had roughly 10 times the normal amount of testosterone in his body at the time of his death, medical tests showed.

 

A number of other wrestlers have died with high levels of drugs in their bodies, most recently Brian "Crush" Adams in Tampa in August.

[Bix]

Right, because regulating wrestling would magically help Michael Benoit's potential lawsuit.

 

McDevitt...that guy, that fucking guy...

[Al]

It'll just push wrestling clear of Georgia. This kind of thing needs federal backing to have any teeth.

[Tim Evans]

And if it gets federal backing, WWE will just head to Europe.

[kjh]

WWE files court papers saying it will not comply with discovery requests from the Benoit and Toffoloni families.

[Bix]

"Nothing the WWE does that reflects bad faith surprises me."

 

Cary Icter is awesome.

 

EDIT: Reading further, it seems like WWE may be in the right in this specific case. Though that is still at awesome quote.

[Cox]

"Nothing the WWE does that reflects bad faith surprises me."

 

Cary Icter is awesome.

That really should be the company slogan.

[sek69]

One thing I'm not clear on, do they want those records to prove some sort of diminished capacity on Chris's part or just to blame WWE for all the concussions? Because if it's the latter, it doesn't make a lot of sense since most of his career was outside of the company.

[Al]

One thing I'm not clear on, do they want those records to prove some sort of diminished capacity on Chris's part or just to blame WWE for all the concussions? Because if it's the latter, it doesn't make a lot of sense since most of his career was outside of the company.

It doesn't matter. This specific case involves determining the order of deaths, which makes the drug testing records irrelevant. I don't see what WWE specifically could provide, short of Benoit sending a text message saying "I killed Daniel first and then Nancy. I'll be in Houston for the PPV."

[Bix]

The new WON has a note from Dr. Julian Bailes, explaining how McMahon and Meltzer misunderstood the findings. The deterioration was similar to that of an 85 year-old man with Alzheimer's, but that Benoit didn't necessarily have Alzheimer's symptoms. He had damage that would make normal stress set off violent reactions.

[kjh]

WWE rejects Benoit estate's proposed settlement (of $2 million)

 

I'm not sure this is a wise move on WWE's part. It seems inevitable that a lawsuit against WWE by Michael Benoit will now be filed and even if they win the case, like the steroid trial in 1994, it will yield them a ton of bad publicity as their dirty laundry gets aired in public, which in turn may stir Congress into action. Two million dollars seems like a small price to pay to get Michael Benoit to shut up and go away, even though I understand WWE's mentality that they refuse to do anything that would suggest they were even 1% to blame for Benoit's suicide.

[Al]

I don't see why in hell they would've paid it. To find WWE responsible for the murders is an extreme stretch to say the least. It won't get them much publicity except for the verdict, which should clear absolve them unless something shocking occurs.

[Loss]

I would think Jerry McDevitt running rumors that Daniel had Fragile X Syndrome throughout the media, which he says was based on WWE's own investigations and which later turned out to not be true, would be slander, and would not help their case at all.

 

I don't think the argument of the lawsuit will be that WWE is responsible for the murders, but rather that WWE is responsible for Benoit's deteriorating state of mind that led to the murders. I'm not even sure I 100% agree with that, but there's way more of a case there.

[Bix]

It wouldn't shock me if the HHH chair incident becomes a major issue, since Benoit was knocked out for several minutes and then after waking up, couldn't stand up for several minutes, yet WWE claims to have no records of him sustaining any concussions.

[Tim Evans]

I would think Jerry McDevitt running rumors that Daniel had Fragile X Syndrome throughout the media, which he says was based on WWE's own investigations and which later turned out to not be true, would be slander, and would not help their case at all.

 

I don't think the argument of the lawsuit will be that WWE is responsible for the murders, but rather that WWE is responsible for Benoit's deteriorating state of mind that led to the murders. I'm not even sure I 100% agree with that, but there's way more of a case there.

If they Sue Vince for that, Why don't they sue Paul Heyman, Ted Turner and whoever was in charge of a promotion Benoit wrestled in?

[Bix]

In WCW, ECW, or NJPW, I'm pretty sure that he didn't take a chair shot that knocked him out for several minutes, then, when he regained consciousness, left him unable to stand for several minutes, while the company didn't have him checked for a concussion. Even with all of the concussions that could be hidden, it seems like there's a smoking gun in the fact that WWE claims to have records of no concussions when the above happened on their watch after the bizarre incident where HHH knocked out Benoit & a referee.

[Loss]

I would think Jerry McDevitt running rumors that Daniel had Fragile X Syndrome throughout the media, which he says was based on WWE's own investigations and which later turned out to not be true, would be slander, and would not help their case at all.

 

I don't think the argument of the lawsuit will be that WWE is responsible for the murders, but rather that WWE is responsible for Benoit's deteriorating state of mind that led to the murders. I'm not even sure I 100% agree with that, but there's way more of a case there.

If they Sue Vince for that, Why don't they sue Paul Heyman, Ted Turner and whoever was in charge of a promotion Benoit wrestled in?

 

Who says they shouldn't?

[Al]

In WCW, ECW, or NJPW, I'm pretty sure that he didn't take a chair shot that knocked him out for several minutes, then, when he regained consciousness, left him unable to stand for several minutes, while the company didn't have him checked for a concussion. Even with all of the concussions that could be hidden, it seems like there's a smoking gun in the fact that WWE claims to have records of no concussions when the above happened on their watch after the bizarre incident where HHH knocked out Benoit & a referee.

Even if Benoit suffered concussions under WWE's watch, you then have to make a leap to say that Benoit committed the murders due to the concussions. Boxers and other athletes suffer concussions as well, not many of them slaughter their families. That's why this case is a non-starter for me. Brain damage slows your thought processes and at worst leaves you in a vegetative state (well, short of death). I've never heard of another case of murder/suicide because a person was hit on the head one too many times.

[jdw]

Tough one for the WWE, since settling it may open up the door for claims by others who had deaths that were impacted by what went on in the WWE. On the other hand, I do agree that with the right/wrong judge and the right/wrong jury, the WWE could eat a verdict for more. Frankly... simply fighting it if it goes that far will cost them $2M.

 

 

John

[Resident Evil]

In WCW, ECW, or NJPW, I'm pretty sure that he didn't take a chair shot that knocked him out for several minutes, then, when he regained consciousness, left him unable to stand for several minutes, while the company didn't have him checked for a concussion. Even with all of the concussions that could be hidden, it seems like there's a smoking gun in the fact that WWE claims to have records of no concussions when the above happened on their watch after the bizarre incident where HHH knocked out Benoit & a referee.

Even if Benoit suffered concussions under WWE's watch, you then have to make a leap to say that Benoit committed the murders due to the concussions. Boxers and other athletes suffer concussions as well, not many of them slaughter their families. That's why this case is a non-starter for me. Brain damage slows your thought processes and at worst leaves you in a vegetative state (well, short of death). I've never heard of another case of murder/suicide because a person was hit on the head one too many times.

 

There were the football players that went insane after suffering concussions and they weren't as bad off as Benoit.

 

I look at Mike Awesome and I know there are other factors involved but I don't doubt for a second that he had brain damage which helped cause him to do what he did.

The brain is extremely complicated and it controls what we do. If it's altered, than it changes what we do.

[tomk]

It wouldn't shock me if the HHH chair incident becomes a major issue, since Benoit was knocked out for several minutes and then after waking up, couldn't stand up for several minutes, yet WWE claims to have no records of him sustaining any concussions.

Well that was first thing I thought of when the WWE made that statement. but haven't heard anyone else raise it. Not Muchnick, not Meltzer...you'd think it would be obvious. You'd think that more likely han not the ref who was concussed in same incident might have actual medical records available..whatever. But haven't seen anyone really raise that incident in anything yet.

 

It should be raised and maybe might be worth sending a note to Meltz, Ichter or Muchnick asking about it.

 

But haven't seen really any mentions of it.

 

Did I miss an Observer passage?

[tomk]

Even if Benoit suffered concussions under WWE's watch, you then have to make a leap to say that Benoit committed the murders due to the concussions.

The WWE says they have no records of employee suffering a concussion.

 

We know he took alot of blows to the head but the incident that Bix references is one where we know without a shadow of doubt that he was knocked unconscious.

 

Having no medical records of concussion, for a guy who we know was knocked unconscious----means they did no medical checks on him after he regained consciousness. That kind of complete negligence and indiffference to employees health is not something any jury is going to look at positively.

 

The talking point "we have no records of him siffering concussions"is a far more damning talking point than "we knew he had concussions and were adviceing him to do this that and the other thing".

[Bix]

It wouldn't shock me if the HHH chair incident becomes a major issue, since Benoit was knocked out for several minutes and then after waking up, couldn't stand up for several minutes, yet WWE claims to have no records of him sustaining any concussions.

Well that was first thing I thought of when the WWE made that statement. but haven't heard anyone else raise it. Not Muchnick, not Meltzer...you'd think it would be obvious. You'd think that more likely han not the ref who was concussed in same incident might have actual medical records available..whatever. But haven't seen anyone really raise that incident in anything yet.

 

It should be raised and maybe might be worth sending a note to Meltz, Ichter or Muchnick asking about it.

 

But haven't seen really any mentions of it.

 

Did I miss an Observer passage?

 

I emailed Dave about it yesterday. I suspect that there will be something about it in the next WON.

[Jingus]

Having no medical records of concussion, for a guy who we know was knocked unconscious----means they did no medical checks on him after he regained consciousness. That kind of complete negligence and indiffference to employees health is not something any jury is going to look at positively.

 

The talking point "we have no records of him siffering concussions"is a far more damning talking point than "we knew he had concussions and were adviceing him to do this that and the other thing".

Or they knew about it and just lied to the media. If they get called on it later, they can always go "whoops, breakdown in communication between our medical staff and our spin doctors, sorry, we were very careful to give Benoit all the medical treatment he required, and what the hell is Fragile X, never heard of it."