Posted on September 5th, 2007 at 11:09 pm by Editor
I just finished watching NightLine on ABC. The show talked about the Chris Benoit tragedy, specifically the study that the Sports Legacy Institute recently completed about how concussions may have caused brain damage. Former WWE Superstar Chris Nowinski, who retired from wrestling due to concussions, convinced Michael Benoit to donate a portion of Chris’ brain for study. The neuropathological tests demonstrated that Chris Benoit suffered from a type of brain damage called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which was found in all regions of his brain. And the WWE is writing it all off as speculation and Michael Benoit trying to prove to himself that his son wasn’t a monster.
The Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), which oversaw and coordinated the testing, is an independent medical research organization dedicated to studying the long-term effects of head injuries in sports. SLI President Christopher Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit on June 28th, the Thursday after his son’s death, to obtain permission to study the wrestler’s brain. SLI’s research has indicated there is a connection between the repeated head injuries suffered by many athletes involved in contact sports and an aggregation of abnormal Tau proteins in the brain, causing CTE. CTE’s most common symptoms include depression, cognitive impairment, dementia, Parkinsonism and erratic behavior. Experts believe that CTE may have been a cause or contributing factor in the Benoit tragedy.
Bennet Omalu, MD, MPH, a leading forensic neuropathologist, the Chief Medical Examiner of San Joaquin County, CA, and founding member of the Sports Legacy Institute examined Chris Benoit’s brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project and had also examined the brains of Mike Webster, Terry Long, Andre Waters, and Justin Strzelczyk all of whom were professional football players, died by the age of fifty, and displayed similar psychological and behavioral profiles. Their brains showed evidence of CTE and two of the players – Long, and Waters – committed suicide. Mike Webster died of a heart attack, but suffered from dementia, depression, and exhibited erratic behavior after retiring from football. When Justin Strzelczyk died at the age of 36, he had been telling relatives he was hearing voices from “the evil ones” and then led police on a 40 mile high- speed chase through central New York at speeds up to 100 mph on the wrong side of the highway, which resulted in an explosive crash and his death.
Chris Nowinski was interviewed as was Chris Benoit’s father. Michael Benoit says he is angry about the way his son has been treated, and about what happened to him during his wrestling career. “Let me put it this way. The company that I work for — the number one priority of the person that owns the company is the health and safety of the people that work in the company. I wish that the same could be said for the company that Chris worked for.”
Nightline contacted World Wrestling Entertainment for a response, and they sent a statement. They called the analysis that concussions might have led to Benoit’s murderous rampage, “speculative,” and went on to say that “WWE can certainly understand the anguish of a father having to deal with the fact that his son allegedly murdered his wife and young son … We respect the desire of that father to do whatever he can to find some explanation.”
Shame on you, WWE. That is the most insensitive, butt-covering statement I have ever heard. If anyone didn’t think that Vince McMahon and the WWE doesn’t care about the wrestlers, that statement should leave no doubt. The evidence is overwhelming and to call it speculative is a cop out. Then to go on to make out Michael Benoit as looking for a reason is just deplorable. I encourage you to read the press release from the Sports Legacy Institute.
It makes me sick that the WWE is carrying this line. If there is even a small chance of this being the case, then they should support the research and start to take measures to identify concussions and the medical treatment needed. I hope the United States Congress takes Vince McMahon and the WWE and makes an example out the man and the company. One congressman called the WWE Wellness Plan a joke, it’s more like lip service. It’s there so Vince McMahon and Jerry McDevitt can say “we are doing something” while in reality it’s just smoke and mirrors. The only reason they are making any efforts now is to try and avoid the coming storm that is brewing in Congress.
So I say it again, Shame on you WWE. I hope you get what’s coming to you.
8 Comments »
You are making a huge leap to say I don’t think Benoit is at fault. But with neurological conditions sometimes the person doesn’t know or realize what is going on. Did Benoit know the concussions were affected him, probably not, did he see and/or miss some warning signs, probably. My point is the WWE enables these things happening because they are more concerned with turning a profit than the health of it’s employees, well actually the wrestlers are more like contractors. My point is if there are serious medical implications of concussions the WWE needs to support that research and find a way to screen the wrestlers for concussions instead of just writing it off as a grieving father.
I am sick of hearing that it all lays in the lap of the WWE, and Vince Mchmanon. The history of wrestling goes back way before he even took over and brought the face of sports entertainment to main stream America. Chris Benoit has been wrestling for years, in New Japan, ECW, WCW, having taken multiple head shots before ever joining WWE. You writers for this site are out for blood to place on the hands on one person, put them on the man who did it, Chris Benoit. Sports Entertainment shall live on, WWE shall live on, and the fans who know the truth shall tune in each week to see great people doing what they love.
I am a fan of almost thrity years, and WWE has my support.
Yes just let the WWE keep using and abusing the wrestlers, then throw them away when they are done. Quite a fan perspective. The WWE for years has sat back and watched wrestlers kill themselves for the product. They have watched wrestlers get hooked on drugs so they can keep up with the schedule and not lose their spot. Yes, ultimately, each person has their own responsibility for their own actions. Obviously, if a wrestler knows they are hurt, they need to get out of the ring. But to say the WWE has no fault is a pretty ignorant statement. The WWE needs to start taking care of it’s employees instead of creating a work environment that promotes working injured and drug abuse.
Ok I can go with you on the fact that WWE needs to take responsibilty for its people, but the words of the writer of the column is saying that WWE is the whole responible of what happen. Look at the people who do take time off, or get the help they need, what about Ric Flair who has been doing this for decades and still shows the crowd a great time, he takes the time to heal and then comes back, its all about taking your own health into retrospect. Look at TNA what about their wrestlers, why not attack all the companies that have people working for them, and not just tunnel vision on a single one.
It is all about the money with the WWE and Vince. If a wrestler is injured and takes time off they do not get paid and they basically need to start over when they come back.
Vince was very cold on ECW the Tuesday after Raw did the tribute to Chris. There is a human side to all of this Vince.
Please…get off your soap box. The WWE has a right to respone any kind of way they want too. Just because you don’t agree don’t make it a shame on you. Nowinski couldn’t cut it as a wrestler, and he was terrible on the mike…get a life
ordertone, very relevant and intelligent comment . . . ok. Attack a guy who left wrestling so he wouldn’t kill himself in the ring – that’s class.
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September 6, 2007 at 6:58 am
If you think that head trauma is THE ONLY REASON for Benoit’s actions, and that the WWE is “covering thier butt” with statements, then you are ignoring the fact the Benoit was a grown man who knew of his own injuries (meaning he could have quit at any time but chose not to) and the FACT that he was taking steroids and anti-depresent/anxity medications, and both were found (at elevated levels) in his body at the time of autopsy. Plain and simple, although he was a great athlete he made his own bottom line by MURDERING his wife and child. By the way, the man had a history of domestic violence, don’t shame the WWE, shame Mr. Benoit.
This has been written “typed” by a 20 year wrestling fan!