Benoit strangled wife, smothered son

[Professor S]

Until the WWE lightens up on their worker's schedules, wreslers are going to contnue to die early for various reasons, whether through drugs or events such as this. Its just not healthy.

[Typhoid]

Originally Posted by Professor S

Until the WWE lightens up on their worker's schedules, wreslers are going to contnue to die early for various reasons, whether through drugs or events such as this. Its just not healthy.

But they choose to get into that line of work - they know they're sacrificing a life, to be on TV for 20 or so years, with a chance of being the 'next' Hogan.

They need to be giganticly huge to be appealing on the screen, so they "need" to do steroids, because it's the fastest, and easiest way to build muscle, and is most likely widely accesable to them.

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by Typhoid

But they choose to get into that line of work - they know they're sacrificing a life, to be on TV for 20 or so years, with a chance of being the 'next' Hogan.

Well by this logic a professional that works onskyscrapers or high voltage lines shouldn;t be afforded any protection or regulations for their health and safety? After all, their career is their choice right? Who cares if they get hurt or worse, die?

I'm not saying that Benoit is not at fault here, but there is a systemic problem in wrestling that is more related to a lack of options than anything else. If you want to be a pro wrestler and make a decent living, you have three options. 1) WWE. 2) TNA. 3) Japan. That doesn't leave for a lot of options for the up and comer trying to make a name for themselves. So things such as drugs and living through a hellish schedule become musts to get noticed.

This means that organizations can force their workers to suffer through mentally and physically unhealthy schedules. Afterall, the alternative is not practicing their trade.

My point is that wrestlers shouldn't have to do steroids, wrestle over 300 times a year and pop pain killers to do what they want/love to do. Its that lack of choices that leads to this type of abuse. Any other industry in the US with so few choices would have been regulated by the government years ago, but wrestling has always slipped by, for reasons more sadly prejudicial than legal. Wrestling is "silly", therefore wreslers are "silly" and do not need to have the same safeguards that any other dangerous industry would have.

Its just sad and wrestlers keep dying before their time. This is a list of well known that have died before the age of 50. If I were to name those that never made it to the big time, the list would go on much further.

Chris Von Erich - 21
Mike Von Erich - 23
Louie Spiccoli - 27
Art Barr - 28
Gino Hernandez - 29
Jay Youngblood - 30
Rick McGraw - 30
Joey Marella - 30
Ed Gatner - 31
Buzz Sawyer - 32
Crash Holly - 32
Kerry Von Erich - 33
D.J. Peterson - 33
Eddie Gilbert - 33
The Renegade - 33
Owen Hart - 33
Chris Candido - 33
Adrian Adonis - 34
Gary Albright - 34
Bobby Duncum Jr. - 34
Yokozuna - 34
Big Dick Dudley - 34
Brian Pillman - 35
Marianna Komlos - 35
Pitbull #2 - 36
The Wall/Malice - 36
Leroy Brown - 38
Mark Curtis - 38
Eddie Guerrero - 38
Davey Boy Smith - 39
Johnny Grunge - 39
Vivian Vachon - 40
Jeep Swenson - 40
Brady Boone - 40
Terry Gordy - 40
Bertha Faye - 40
Billy Joe Travis - 40
Chris Benoit - 40
Larry Cameron - 41
Rick Rude - 41
Randy Anderson - 41
Bruiser Brody - 42
Miss Elizabeth - 42
Big Boss Man - 42
Earthquake - 42
Mike Awesome - 42
Ray Candy - 43
Nancy Benoit (Woman) - 43
Dino Bravo - 44
Curt Hennig - 44
Bam Bam Bigelow - 45
Jerry Blackwell - 45
Junkyard Dog - 45
Hercules - 45
Andre the Giant - 46
Big John Studd - 46
Chris Adams - 46
Mike Davis - 46
Hawk - 46
Dick Murdoch - 49
Jumbo Tsuruta - 49
Rocco Rock - 49
Sherri Martel - 49

SOURCE: http://prowrestling.about.com/od/wha...lersdeaths.htm

[GameMaster]

Its funny this has yet to make it into CNN's top ten list of most popular stories.

[TheGame]

Professor S, that list is pretty very alarming for me. @_@ I know so many of those people, and some of them I didn't even know had died... That really sucks.

[Perfect Stu]

Really bizzare, killed his wife friday night, and his son saturday night/sunday morning. That's actually disturbing. I know drugs can cause people to lose their minds, but i truly feel there is always a choice involved, and so I have zero sympathy for Chris.

[Professor S]

More shocking was Ballard's revelation that The Benoit's son Daniel was found with needle marks in his arms. ESPN wrote, "The district attorney said he believed that the boy had been given growth hormones for some time because the family considered him undersized." HGH can be prescribed for children deemed hormone deficient.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2917133

Anyone else still think there isn't a SERIOUS problem in the pro wrestling community???? HE WAS JUICING HIS OWN KID.

Once again, I'm not taking any blame off of Benoit, but just look at the list. Look at it. And you tell me that there isn't more to it than personal choice. This is a business based on the trade of lives for fame, and something has to change.