NEWS: What? It May Have *Not* Been Steroids?

CULTURE: What? It May Have *Not* Been Steroids?

While the doctor may not come out and say it, it seems that brain damage from concussions may have played a role in WWE wrestler Chris Benoit's murder spree slash suicide.

The only reason to bring this up is strangely, CNN, much like every other news agency in the world, doesn't like to follow up sensational stories with new, non-sensational information. While they, Fox, Nancy Grace, spent a fucking week telling us about the evil of steroids (sure, thanks for the news flash), this story didn't even hit CNN's headline page; instead relegated to a by-line click down below (nor was there a follow-up to the SG story that generated over 200 comments.)

Like the WWE, the NFL has a long history ignoring concussions (though the NFL bans and tests for steroids), which have lead to (among many others) the retirement of Steve Young (former QB for the San Francisco 49ers) and Merril Hoge (former FB for the Pittsburgh Steelers.) Hoge, currently a TV analyst, has talked about being so light sensitive that he needed special lighting in the studio. And concussions may have played a part in the suicide of Andre Waters (former safety for the Philadelphia Eagles); again, among others. They probably contribute to an average post NFL lifespan 15 years shorter than the average of the rest of us.

Concussions aren't as sexy as steroids; much like civilian deaths aren't as sexy Mission Accomplished, and people found innocent aren't as sexy as people who aren't (ask Richard Jewell.)

Chris Benoit chose to take steroids, chose to participate in an form of entertainment that exposed him to horrific brain damage, and in doing so, it lead to him murdering his wife and child. This isn't a story trying to make excuses for his actions. But in a world that is increasing complicated, with a media that is rapidly degenerating into a group of corporate stenographers, a little follow-up is in order.

Thank god someone said it... I was sick of the steroid spree at the beginning.

I learned about this on CNN at least a week ago, and it wasn't from anything non-headlined. Pity this article was published too late to confirm or disprove that.

But what if the STEROIDS caused the brain problems?


/sarcasm

concussions are the worst

Thanks for the article. I blogged the shit out of this the day I heard. I'm honestly shocked that this hasn't gotten more play in the mainstream media. I know that the MSM isn't so keen on reporting actual news, but they just loooove doing those "here's another thing that you should be afraid of that you weren't afraid of previously" stories.

Honestly, the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if there are people who'd rather that this information didn't get widespread circulation. I'm not talking about Vince McMahon, although I'm sure he doesn't want to be held liable for the brain damage suffered by a generation of professional wrestlers under his employ because he told them to go out there and whack each other with folding chairs. I'm talking about organizations like the NFL or NHL, who have an awful lot of real money to lose if court cases start going against them.

Take it one step further: A buddy of mine who served a tour in Afghanistan and another in Iraq suffered over a dozen serious concussions due to mortars, IEDs and other exploding things. Since he got back, he's been having trouble with short-term memory loss, vertigo, migraines and has stopped drinking because he has a hard time controlling himself when he does, which he never had a problem with previously. We've already seen with the Walter Reed situation that the Bush administration isn't keen on getting vets the medical help they need. If you start saying that guys who have suffered serious and repeated head trauma are in danger of flying into suicidal or homicidal rages, well, I'm sure that's another bit of bad news they'd rather wasn't out there.

It took a former professional wrestler to actually get the ball rolling on examining Chris Benoit's brain and the results really are pretty stunning. Stunning in how much damage was really done. I believe the doctor stated that at age 40 Benoit's brain was in the same condition as that of an 85 year old Alzheimer's patient. As much as I think rampant drug abuse is a bad thing, I really think this research is far more important in the long run, and I feel it's a shame that it will probably be forgotten by the media in favor of staying on the steroid bandwagon.

It's worth mentioning that this medical research was paid for by the Sports Legacy Institute. The president of SLI is Chris Nowinski, who is under contract with the WWE.

Unlike the WWE, the NFL at least pretends to give a flying fuck about it's players. You know, by letting them unionize and giving them health insurance and pensions, rather than having them all be independent contractors and giving them the shaft.

The NFL deserves criticism for it's mistreatment of retired players (especially those from the 60's and 70's), but the WWE is still several magnitudes of suck worse than the NFL when it comes to the health of it's stars.

If the cause of Chris Benoit's mental breakdown is repeated brain injuries, or steroids, or both, it still means the WWE doesn't give a crap about the athletes (or performers, whatever) that make them billions of dollars.

Saying that WWE wrestlers "choose" to work for a company that condones if not encourages steroid use and does next to nothing to deal with the severe injuries that wrestlers can sustain on the job is a cop-out.

The other founding members of the Sports Legacy Institute can be found here with includes people who are actual doctors, medical directors, chiefs of neurosurgery, and medical examiners, so I think their research may be pretty sound.

As someone who suffers from the results of too many concussion, head injuries can and will change your personality. It's wonderful to be 36 years old, currently suffer from depression, attention disorder, sleep problems, memory issues and looking forward to the potential of early onset Alzheimer's.

KONKUSHUN:

IM IN UR HEADZ.....CAUZIN UR KILLING SPREES

Yeah, and I'm not sure that "under contract" is exactly Nowinski's relationship with WWE at this point (although it might be; I can't find any definitive evidence one way or the other). He's listed as a spokesperson for their voter registration and awareness initiative, but I wonder if that's not just basically a made-up position that they're using to justify sending him a check every month after concussions ended his in-ring career. It's not uncommon for guys to have jobs created for them after they've suffered career-ending injuries. One wrestler who was paralyzed in the ring was paid to be a blogger for their website. I know that WWE covers all of the medical costs for a performer injured on the job, but this might be some sort of backhanded pension payment that doesn't have the legal weight of a settlement.

Good work. It is so annoying when the NEWS doesn't follow up.

Then what the hell am I reading?

Also, the article clearly states that steroids were also involved (actually, more likely HGH, which increases testosterone production but is mostly undetectable).

I would have mentioned next or same day (much like the headline mentioned *may* have been involved), but I figured people are smart enough to get the actual point.

You're not going to get any argument from me regarding how the WWE treat their "product." I still believe that while companies have a responsibility to their workers, those workers have a lot of things in their power to fight back with.

Benoit was a top tier guy. A top tier guy like him, Triple H, or even an ex-performer like Duane Johnson, coming down on the WWE, I think, would eventually force a change. Your very accurate example of the NFL players union is proving that with Ditka's crusade.

FUNNY
because I work front desk in a hotel where the only thing on the lobby tv all morning is CNN Headline news...and on headline news they repeat the same shit OVER and OVER and OVER again
I can tell you they did cover this new info from doctors a few days ago.

i was a chris benoit fan, and i'll be damned if i know what to make out of all this. it stunned me, pissed me off, and destroyed my image of a guy i looked up to.but when it's all said and done, no one "alive" really know what happened in that house, and really i've heard all the speculations but i haven't heard any facts about anything besides 3 bodies were found, something being hid i think. everything i've heard from the start focused on the assumption chris murdered his family, and hung himself, and what caused him too do it, and who can we blame and sue... and i don't know a person alive that would deny the world is pretty f'ked up place were people willing go and pay to see movies like saw, and it kinda scares me that some people were taking notes... i don't know what happen, never really will, but come on, investigate before you report, every news station told that same story, were they all right, no, were they all wrong, only god can say. no one can prove kurt cobain shot himself in the mouth with a shotgun after shooting up a 2xs lethal (at the time of examination 2xs, not accounting for the metabolized amount) dose of heroin, but it was suicide, nothing more or less, no investigation into anything beyond it. my point is, it's a huge lose and no one gives a damn, cause of the stigma that he was responsible cause cnn said so, and his legacy as a performer is gone, no one remembers him for the wrestler he was the husband, father, son, and person he was, they know him simple as a murderer, someone that killed his wife and son, that simple. but heres to the guy i idealized the man in the ring, the performer, the person everyone knew him as before this, the person, that people wept for, and dedicated a whole episode of raw to remember, Chris "the crippler, rabid wolverine, silent but violent, toothless aggression" Benoit, some of us still remember you for that

I can also say that long before Benoit killed himself and his family, Chris Nowinski was on the radio around here promoting concussion awareness along with Ted Johnson, the ex-patriot who sufferes from severe side effects of too many football-related concussions.

IM GOIN TO HELL, LAFFIN AT THIS JOKE.