Chris Benoit

I've been watching professional wrestling since the early 1980's. I saw the rise of the "sport", and I'll probably see the fall of this form of "entertainment". The reputation that it suffers is that "it's all fake". I supect this comes from where wrestling comes from: the sideshow. Professional wrestling comes from "strongman" exhibitions at carnivals, not from the sport of Wrestling, and, as such, has more in common with tattooed ladies and Indian "fakirs" and acrobats than it does with baseball, and football. It's easily misunderstood. A friend of mine describes Professional Wrestlers as "actors portraying athletes", and there's some truth to that, but really, I think they're more like jugglers and sword swallowers. They are people who are gifted physically, who use their gifts, odd as they may be, in an effort to create wonder, and joy.

Now, wrestling has come under clouds before. I remember when Hulk Hogan had to confess before federal investigators about his steroid use, and about how matches get scripted. I can remember when Owen Hart was killed, falling from the roof of an arena, in a stunt gone bad. There are other examples, but this one is different.

In case you hadn't heard, which I find rather doubtful, if you're reading a blog entry with the man's name, Chris Benoit was a very famous, top drawer Professional Wrestler who, by the evidence, apparently murdered his child, and wife, before hanging himself. Steroid use has been floated by authorities as a possible influence.

There is so much to talk about that I literally could do a yearlong series of entries on the different topics this whole thing brings up, but I'll try to just do a few in this entry.

First, and foremost, if the authorities have it correctly, and I believe that they do: this is horribly sad. I cannot understand what would possess anyone to murder a child, let alone their own child. I believe that killing is a deeply immoral act, predicated upon several moral failures. It's a horrible thing that has happened.

But, also, Chris benoit was out of his mind if he did this. He was dangerously insane. Because he could present a front of a contented, hardworking family man that had virtully everyone convinced, and then, murder that very same family. That is, quite literally, sick and crazy.Was the insanity the result of chemicals he ingested? I guess we have to wait for toxicology reports to get an idea on that, but even if so, I do not blame Chris Benoit for his insanity. People have diseases. Epilepsy, Cancer, Schizophrenia: any disease is simply a disease. It's not a demon, or a curse, or a moral failing. It's simply a disease. I no more blame Chris Benoit for his disease than I could if his disease happened to be Leprosy. I do not believe in a God who uses disease to punish people, else that God has punished many more innocents than I could ever accept. If that is God's character, I'd rather be a heretic.

But I still Blame Chris Benoit for the choices he made. If he was mentally ill, he could have sought help. If he was toxic from a potent combination of chemicals, he could have seen a medical professional about getting off of them. People never have to give in to those negative forces in their life. Even if they cannot help it, there still is society to concern ourselves with: we cannot allow those who would do us harm, regardless of their intent, to do us that harm. Chris Benoit belonged somewhere safe for both himself, and the rest of us. Whether that's jail or a mental hospital, I won't argue tonight, but in either event, he should have removed himself, rather than cause his child or wife harm.

Personally, I think the lifestyle that Professional wrestlers have to adopt is what caused him to snap. The constant (300+ days a year) travel, the constant pain (wrestlers may script the stunts, but they really get hit, kicked, thrown, and injured. Many, many concussions, broken bones, muscular injuries and so on ) and the pressure to be BIG in every sense of the word are all accepted as part of the modern professional wrestler's life. Well, I don't think anyone can live long like that, and I think my belief is being borne out by events. I would like to see a professional wrestling industry where the performers can lead somewhat normal lives. Like, how about no more than 100 days of travel in a year, Full insurance provided by the "league" (Konnan, another professional wrestler had to get donations from fan to help pay for his kidney transplant operation, as his promotional company NWA, known on tv as "TNA" offered him no insurance or financial assistance) and rigorous drug testing, and bimonthly physicals? Various wrestling organizations like to portray themselves a "family" operations. I'd like to see them take care of their own. I'm willing to sacrifice seeing jacked up steroid abusers 4 nights a week on my TV, if it means that other human beings get to live out their natural life spans. If there was only 1 wrestling show on TV per month, and it featured people with natural physiques I would still be fully entertained, knowing that I could see these same people in 15, 30, or even 45 years. 

Which brings up my final point for the night: What of me, as a fan? I will readily admit I cheered for Chris Benoit, many many times. I don't apologize for that because I have no need to apologize. Chris Benoit, the personality that I saw on my TV, and in stadiums, was a noble and hardworking man, who never behaved in a way that was less than dignified. I have no problem with that. I never knew the man behind the image. I don't need to know him. I'll admit, I am hurt and disgusted by what this man did, but I still don't know him, at all. Whether he was a good man, or an evil monster, all I was ever owed as a spectator was entertainment. I will continue to seek my entertainment from other Professional Wrestlers. I sincerely hope that all of them are decent people, and I think it only right that they be given the same rights and priviledges I enjoy, but I cannot see them as my friends, or as my family. So long as wrestling provides me with good stories and amazing feats of agility and strength, I see no reason for one man's sick and depraved action to interfere with my entertainment.

Here's hoping I'm not the only one who feels this way.