Chris Benoit dies

[Gambit01]

Let's be honest; Chris had obviously been slipping off the deep end for a while now, but whether due to business reasons or the people close to him choosing not to see, no one called him on it.

If he killed total strangers, I'd say roast him and he deserves it, but he killed his own wife and son; there's no way anyone who's in control of their higher mental faculties could do that.

Does that excuse what he did or make it any less horrible? No; people died, and unless your Jesus, that's pretty much irreversable. I'm just saying let's not make it out like he was some stone cold killer when IMO it looks more like he belonged in a hospital then on the road.

[EZero8]

From what I've gathered, some think this had been developing for the past year. Last year, he had even asked the WWE for a 5 month leave of absence from the road to "recover from injuries sustained after being in the business for 20 years." The break was of course, granted since he was so well respected. Unfortunately, the stabbatical may have been more of a mental breakdown than a physical one really...

[Aegis]

I have to admit, as terrible an act as that was, I still don't feel any hatred towards him. Him slipping into the deep in over time certainly doesn't excuse hi from murdering his wife and his own flesh and blood, and if it's anyone else, I'd grumble about it. Yet, with Chris, I can't hate him even if I tried. There's just something about him and the hard work and effort he's put forth day in and day out that still has my respect. It just sucks that it ended this way. Double standard? I'm guilty of it. I just don't hate the man, though I also feel for the family big time.

[razgriz]

it's easy for some guy like bill o'reilly to label chris flat out killer no ifs ands or buts but obviously, the guy didnt do this for pleasure or revenge, or through "roid rage" he snapped, maybe long ago he did and just managed to keep things under control at least on the surface, everyone's worst enemy is themself so unfortunately that battle is not easy to win and for chris benoit, he didnt. but none of us were in his head so we dont know how what or why, we can only speculate, and mourn for all those who lost something in all this. im guilty of a double standard myself in that its so easy for me and others to lay blame on the person that carried out the act, but at the same time, i feel that the condemnation shouldnt come right away and all full strength until more facts are known, and in cases like this, we may never really know.

[G-Slayer]

I've been going to other forums about this, and many of the users there aren't so understanding. And they're having a field day with the WWE over the 3-hour tribute that was broadcasted prior to the results from the investigation. They are also digusted over the way coworkers and fans alike sympathize with Benoit. I feel that, "in the interest of fairness" as Mr. McMahon would say, those closest to Benoit find it harder to condemn him for his actions and may even be in denial of Benoit being so cold-blooded. Any way you look at it, the Benoit family is dead and gone now, and given the bad press the WWE is getting, that company (or even this business) may go down with them.

[Nagi]

I still don't know what to say. I mean, I gave up on pro wrestling long ago because it just got too stupid, but Benoit was always one of the guys whose career I continued to follow even after saying fie on WWF and NWA/TNA (and what ragged scraps of WCW and ECW's corpses remained). He was one of the best, period. His personas, his ring skill, he rivaled the best in their prime (of course, being a familiar face in Stu Hart's Dungeon would make anyone legend material, but I digress). And now I hear that he killed his family and killed himself.

That's effed up.

And something still doesn't fit.

Oh, I could play to the majority crowd and call him a horrible monster, but that doesn't fit. Though it's a big one, this seems to be the first really horrible thing he's done according to people who've known him and his family longer than some of us have been alive. It's too out of character. At the same time, I could also play to the small crowd of hangers-on who call him a saint, but that doesn't fit either. Something happened to make him do this, and either he snapped under some yet-unknown pressure or he was going to a doctor that was putting him on some funky meds. Either way, he's not as perfect as many of us longtime devoted fans liked to think.

Something still doesn't fit.

He was too nice to be a monster. But for whatever reason, he did a monstrous thing. I still can't sort out how I feel about it. One of my idols from youth is gone, and he left in such an effed up way that I don't think I'll ever come to a solid personal opinion on it.

In the meantime, I think I'm just going to fondly remember him as I always have, as one of the single greatest professional wrestlers to ever grace the world with his presence. That's just all there is to it.

[Charismatic Enigma]

Last night on Jay Leno, I think Dr. Phil put it best when he talked about the steroids those guys take to look the way they do, and add the painkillers they can to deal with their line work. Who really knows what that sort of combo can do to a person's system?

[ZeonfromHell]

Agreed. I don't think Benoit did any of this under his own will. There was no malice in this. I'm not saying he's the victim; he used the drugs and destroyed his mentality, which caused this mess. But he was not himself. Furthermore, I dont think it was appropriate for WWE to denounce him either. He was a valueable asset to the business and was a good person. His demise does not destroy my appreciation for him and what he was.

[Charismatic Enigma]

I've said it once and I'll say it again. I hope more people remember him for his career rather than what has happened this week.

[Malancthon]

I'm glad I swung by here. I used to watch Benoit all the time; he was about the only thing respectable at times with wrestling. Unfortunatly, ending his life like this has ruined the 20+ years he gave into the sport.

I've seen a bunch of people on other forums say that Benoit took the coward's way out by suicide after the murders, but I wonder if it was more in shock of the terrible things he did. I would think that once he 'woke' up from whatever madness he purpertrated, he'd be overwhelmed with what he'd done and possibly believed the only amends he could make was to kill himself.

I hate what he did, but I can't hate the man. I hope he and his family find peace.

[Kishiria]

The truth of the matter is that we will never know how or why these deaths happened. Full stop.

[razgriz]

obviously, we can only hope that the souls of the victims find peace, trying to make sense of this tradgedy only keeps the wounds open and playing the blame game just rips them open even further. i still think its wrong for the wwe to just completely dis-acknowledge (um is that a word, oh well) everything chris benoit has done for them, they act now as if he never existed, that itself i feel is criminal.

[Nimrod]

Check out the video from yesterdays showing of TSN's "Off the record" where they have people (a few who were friends of benoit) discussing aspects of him and everything else surrounding this tragedy.

http://tsn.ca/shows/otr/

Look under "TSN broadband" (should be on the right) and click on "July 18, 2007" to get at the interview/show.

A very interesting discussion.

[stray]

Mod Edit (Red): Post removed for being a horridly stupid joke about the tragic death of three people.

[mcred23]

Man, have some damn respect for people. An innocent woman and child were murdered, and that is nothing to make a joke about, and we won't allow that here.


Since this thread really has no where to go, and leaving it open will only encourge people to make more crappy, uncalled for jokes, it is being locked.