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411mania » The 411 » Aaron Hubbard

Picture:
Name:	Aaron Hubbard
Email:	mapdotdweller@gmail.com
Current Roles:	411 Wrestling Columnist
Past Roles:	Loyal Fan
Other credits:	I've done a couple of Fact or Fictions. Also notorious for almost fizzling out after two months. And for that Bret Hart column....
Quote:	"I find your lack of faith disturbing." -Darth Vader "Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world...indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
History:

Blog

Album Review: "The Altar and the Door" Castng Crowns - 10.15.2008

Oh yeah. So in my last review I apologize for it three days late. Now, well over a month later, I’m getting the reviews done again. EPIC SNAIL!

Casting Crowns had put out two very successful records and we’re consistently putting out hits. They had avoided the sophomore jinx and actually improved on their product. By the time the third album was announced, CC was the Christian Music’s scene’s biggest stars, an ambassador of the genre. The hype for their third album was off the charts, and it debuted at #2 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Clearly, CC was still making money and people were buying into their “name value”. But was it worth it? Did the album live up to the hype? Let’s see.

Tracks:

1. What This World Needs
2. Every Man
3. Slow Fade
4. East to West
5. The Word Is Alive
6. The Alter and the Door
7. Somewhere In the Middle
8. I Know You’re There
9. Prayer for a Friend
10. All Because of Jesus
BONUS: White Dove Fly High

The first thing one notices when listening to this album is that this is not the same band that put out their last two offerings. They have developed a certain “edge” to their sound that separates them from artists like Chris Tomlin and the Newsboys. Considering how their poignant lyrics have always pushed the envelope of what is acceptable in Christian Music, it’s nice to see that the music finally developed that same edge.

Unlike the other two albums, which had a weak and an average opener respectively, this one starts with one of the best songs on the album. With a quick-paced guitar intro, you almost expect “What This World Needs” to be a pop-rock song. Then come the lyrics. “What this world needs/is not another one-hit wonder with an axe to grind/another two-bit politician peddling lies/another three ring circus society/what this world needs/is not another sign-waving super saint that’s better than you/another ear-pleasing candy man afraid of the truth/another prophet in an Amani suit”. TADA! Instant lyrical bliss for this oft-cynical Christian. The song then stresses that what we need is God. The song never lets up and contains a speaking part from kids: “People aren’t confused by the Gospel, they’re confused by us. Jesus is the only way to God, but we are not the only way to Jesus. This world doesn’t need my tie, my hoodie, my denomination or my translation of the Bible. They just need Jesus. We can passionate about what we believe, but we can’t strap ourselves to the Gospel, because we’re slowing it down. Jesus is going to save the world, but maybe the best thing we can do is just…get out of the way.” Perfect, perfect opener.
“Everyman” somewhat fails to live up to the strength of the opener. The music grates the ears, and the second lyric contains a SAD grammatical error. The song asks “Is there hope for every man?” and says that Jesus is that Hope. It’s okay, not bad, but really nothing special. I was very disappointed when they released this song as a single instead of others on the album that are far more deserving.

Thankfully, “Slow Fade” gets us back on the right track. An adaptation of “Be Careful Little Eyes What You See”, the song stresses the dangers of little sins that go unnoticed. It is aimed directly at fathers, causing them to think about how their decisions affect their children, and when Mark’s daughter sings “Be Careful Little Eyes” at the end of the track, it’s enough to break your heart. The song is based off of Psalm 1 and points out that people “don’t become lost, they lose their souls one little compromise at a time”. While I won’t say this is the “best” track on the album, it’s my favorite.

Now we go to “East to West”. The song talks about a man troubled by his sins, but he remembers that Jesus cast his sin as far “as the east is from the west”. The chorus ends with “You know just how far the east is from the west/one scarred hand to the other”. It is an excellent song, and I think I’ll let its commercial success speak for itself. The song was #1 on Hot Christian Songs for 16 weeks in a row, and came back after a 1 week hiatus for 1 last week at the top. It was voted Song of the Year at the 2008 Dove Awards. It’s a good song, but also suffers from overexposure.

“The Word Is Alive” is pretty much self-descriptive. It’s low-key and is another great track, but there’s not a whole lot to say about it. The highlight of the song is when a pastor describes the Bible at the middle of the track. “The Bible was inscribed over a period of 2000 years, in times of war and in days of peace, by kings, physicians, tax collectors, farmers, fisherman, singers and shepherds. The marvel is that a library so perfectly cohesive could have been produced by such a diverse crowd over a period of time which staggers the imagination. Jesus is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God is its end.”

The title track is another highlight. Describing the unfortunate fact that even when we promise God to improve ourselves, we often fail to follow up. It’s easy to praise God in church but not nearly as easy to do so in public setting (like say, a public website). The song is relatable and catchy, and doesn’t have the pomp of other songs. It also leads perfectly into the next track, which I will cover at the end of this review.

Unfortunately, the last few tracks are forgettable. “I Know You’re There” is as generic as it gets, but is covered by Megan (sensing a pattern?) If you haven’t hear their other albums, this might be more excusable, but by this time, it’s becoming cliché. “Prayer For A Friend” is an early, early work of Mark Hall’s, so there is the novelty factor, but it really feels like a predecessor to the superior “Here I Go Again”. “All Because of Jesus” is the last track and is EXTREMELY forgettable. For an album that started out so strong, it’s sad that the last three tracks are so mediocre. The album does have a bonus track, which is nice and not blatantly spiritual in nature. It’s an odd way to end the album however.
The best track on the album is Track 7, “Somewhere in the Middle”. It oddly plays like a wrestling match. The first verse is solid if unspectacular, nothing you will remember or forget. Then the chorus hits and kicks it into a different gear, and the song just builds and builds until by the end of it, you realize you just listened to an extremely poignant piece of spiritual poetry. It talks about the battle between sacred and secular. “Just how close can I get Lord/to my surrender without losing all control?” It also has the lyric “With eyes wide open to the differences/the god we want and the God Who Is/Will we trade our dreams for His/or are we caught in the middle?” which is among the best in the band’s short history. The song is convicting and ends in hope, as it says that God loves us “even on these nights/when I’m caught in the middle.”

So what do we have here? Is this a worthy successor to “Lifesong”? It’s really a tale of two albums. The first seven songs are among the best the band has to offer, while the last three are among the worst. The change in style is welcome and the production values are top notch, but ultimately, the album’s flaws keep in from surpassing its predecessor. Still, with songs like “What This World Needs”, “Slow Fade”, “East to West”, “Somewhere in the Middle” and the Title Track, it’s hard not to recommend the album. Ultimately, I’ll give this the same rating as the last one.

Strongest Song: “Somewhere in the Middle”

Weakest Song: “I Know You’re There”

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Album Review: "Lifesong" Casting Crowns - 09.03.2008

First of all, I would like to apologize for the lateness of this, but my computer went haywire yesterday, so I haven’t been able to get it running.

In almost all things, there are many artists and performers who suffer from the Sophomore Curse, that is, that the sequel never quite lives up to the original. Of course, there are exceptions. John Cena’s second year on television blew his first out of the water. The Dark Knight made Batman Begins seem like an average movie. But statistically speaking, the more follow ups to a franchise, the worse it gets (the TV show Digimon comes to mind). I can assure that Casting Crowns’ second effort falls in the same group of John Cena and the Dark Knight. It not only lives up to their self-titled debut album, but surpasses it, though not to such a degree as to make their first album obsolete.

Tracks:
1. Lifesong
2. Praise You in This Storm
3. Does Anybody Hear Her
4. Stained Glass Masquerade
5. Love Them Like Jesus
6. Set Me Free
7. While You Were Sleeping
8. Father, Spirit, Jesus
9. In Me
10. Prodigal
11. And Now My Lifesong Sings

Lifesong does two things that the debut failed to do. 1) There is a recurring theme throughout the entire album, which gives it a sense of unity, fixing the “demo album” feel of their first offering. 2) It has a sound that is similar-yet-different to what you would hear in a Church Service. In a sense, Casting Crowns was a Worship Team in their first album, and at this point, they are a Christian Band. The sound is tighter, the music stronger, the lyrics poignant, and overall, Lifesong is a better album.

The title track is a perfect opener, and is a rather unique worship song. Most services have fast songs and slow songs, but the pacing falls somewhere in the middle. However, it quickly gets the theme of the album across, and starts the album off on a good note. “Lifesong” points out that it is easy to lift your hands and sing praise to God, but that worship is done ALL the time, not just on Sunday. A “Lifesong” is the idea that we must worship God every second of every day.

“Praise You in This Storm” is a very powerful song that received a ton of radio play, and it is easy to see why. The lyrics are powerful and Mark Hall sings with the same passion that he sang “Who Am I?” It talks about one of the great questions that the human race has: “Where is God when things aren’t okay?” This song stresses that we praise God no matter the circumstances, and clings to the hope, which to a Christian is complete conviction, that God will help you get through this. It uses a powerful verse from the Psalms as its bridge, which is one of the best verses of reassurance. “I lift my eyes unto the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.” The song is a definitely one of the strongest tracks.

And it doesn’t let up with “Does Anybody Hear Her”. In the same line as “American Dream” the song sounds little like a worship song and tells a story. This time, it is about a girl who continues to make mistakes, “running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction”, “yearning for shelter and affection that she never found at home”, and “searching for a hero to ride in and save the day”. My mother likes to say that the song is the story of her life, and I’m sure that there many other women who would say the same thing. While the story is touching and makes you feel sympathetic, it also bites into the fact that you, as a person, and we, as a Church do little to help. ‘If judgment looms under every steeple/if lofty glances from lofty people/can’t see past her scarlet letter/and we never even met her”. A powerful, poignant song that is truly required listening.

“Stained Glass Masquerade” is sort of the follow up to the fantastic “If We Are the Body”, and it manages to overcome a sing-song style to state, bluntly, that Christians are truly hypocrites. While “IWATB” takes a look at hypocrisy from an outsider’s viewpoint, this talks about the hypocrisy that a regular member of Church would say. “Are we happy plastic people/under shiny plastic steeples/with walls to hide our weakness/and smiles to hide our pain?” this song asks. Going into a Church, you would think so. We fake happiness and know our lines and act like we have it together, when it truth we are hurting and broken. Is it any why wonder people don’t like Church?

“Love Them Like Jesus” is a slower, quieter song that again focuses on reassurance, this time giving reassurance not to us, but encouraging us to give it to others when they go through tough times. Personally, I feel it has a fantastic chorus and a good bridge, but the verses fail to live up to it. While this is a good song, it fails to touch the quality of the others. But there are many people who feel it is one of the best songs on the album, so make your own decision on that one.

Casting Crowns then throws you a curveball with “Set Me Free”, which is put blankly, dark, depressing, terrifying, and eerie. Of course, when you are trying to give a voice to the man who was possessed by Legion, it is going to be dark. This song will give many an uncomfortable feeling. The song finishes on a high note, as Jesus comes in to save the day, (literally) and it follows the theme of hope. It is a very, very strong song, and it has a different feel and style then the rest of the album, having a more rock or Goth sound to it. Ultimately, the song is good, great even, but I can’t help but think that it doesn’t suit them.

Skipping over track seven, the album starts to weaken a little. “Father, Spirit, Jesus” and “In Me” are songs you’ve heard a hundred times. “Father, Spirit, Jesus” doesn’t even have a second verse, as it just repeats. However, the lyrics fit the theme of the album. The song will get stuck in your head, and you it isn’t nearly as bad as say, “Glory” and “Life of Praise”, which felt like filler. “In Me” is the weakest song on the album, but again, it fits the theme, and talks about how God gives us the strength to do His will, even when we think we can’t do it. It also has the rather poignant lyric “How refreshing to know you don’t need me/how amazing to find that you want me”, which gives it a slight edge to most songs of its type, which usually don’t have any kind of hook. Both songs feature the voice of Megan Garrett, this time in duets with Mark Hall, in a nice change of pace. Mark’s son also makes his singing debut as well, singing part of the chorus of “In Me”, which is a nice touch that will make parents smile.

“Prodigal” is again a quiet song, and tells the story of the (guess what) the Prodigal Son. One thing that it does is call God “Daddy” and it lends a more personal touch that is very nice. The song flows nicely and nothing seems out of place. After the first chorus, the song picks up nicely with some drums as Mark does the “conviction” part of the song, and you will remember it. Not my favorite track, mostly because the story has been covered by nearly every Christian Artist, but again, it isn’t filler.

“Now My Lifesong Sings” is a very simple song that requires on repeating lyrics, both in the song itself, from the song “Amazing Grace”, and from the title track. It fact, it bleeds into “Lifesong” at the end, and truly comes serves as full circle treatment for the album. It is a tribute to Mark Hall’s pathos that he is able to say the same words over and over again and have a different meaning and emotion each time. It is the perfect bookend.

As I did in my first review, I will be saving the best track for last. While “Praise You in the Storm” is dreadfully close to taking it, the award goes to “While You Were Sleeping”. It discusses, broadly, that people are often completely unaware of the miracles that are going on around them, and specifically talks about how people are unaware of Jesus. How Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a city that had no room for him and forced him to be born in a manger. Would they have done this had they known who He was? It also talks about how Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, because they were too asleep to notice that they were killing the Savior of the World. Then it turns to America, and talks about how we have become so apathetic to Jesus. It poses the question as to whether or not we are ready to accept Him when He comes. Right now, it “looks like another silent night”.

Unlike the first Casting Crowns album, there are no glaring flaws on this. Gone is the Demo CD feel and the filler cookie-cutter tracks that brought the first one down. This album is fantastic, but it doesn’t deserve a higher score than I’m giving it. There may be no real flaws, but the album just isn’t on the same level as a couple of others. Still, I recommend this to any fan of Christian Music. You’ll be listening to it over and over.

Strongest Song: “While You Were Sleeping”

Weakest Song: “In Me”

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Album Review: "Casting Crowns" (Self-Titled) - 08.30.2008

Casting Crowns is one of the most popular, and best, Contemporary Christian bands going today. The Grammy Award-winning group exploded onto the scene in 2003, and since their debut, have become the second fastest selling group in the genre, only being bested by Jars of Clay. And when you listen to their self-titled debut album, it is not hard to see why they have reached their Christian Superstar Status in so quickly.

The quick rundown:

Lead Vocals: Mark Hall – Mark Hall is a youth pastor who has battled ADD and dyslexia to become an excellent song writer and one of the more popular singers of his day. He pulls very few punches with his lyrics, and his strong passionate voice complements the songs he writes very well.

BGVs, Piano, Violin: Megan Garrett – Megan has a myriad of talents that show up on several of Casting Crowns better songs, with her piano and violin skills, and occasional taking the role of lead vocalist when a more feminine touch is needed. She can be heard on almost every song sing in the background.

BGVs, Violin: Melodee Devevo – The other female artist in the group, Melodee is the support for Megan, backing her up with the violin and her complementary voice.

Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar: Juan Devevo – Juan is the only acoustic guitar player in the group, so if you here it in the background, you can tell it’s him.

Electric Guitar: Hector Cervantes – Electric guitars are a large part of this band’s musical style, making Cervantes and Devevo critical members of the group.

Bass: Chris Huffman – Huffman backs the band up with solid bass work.

Drums: Andy Williams – Although it rarely shows on the albums, anyone who has seen a Casting Crowns concert and listened to a solo knows that he’s quite talented.

Tracks:
1. What If His People Prayed
2. If We Are the Body
3. Voice of Truth
4. Who Am I
5. American Dream
6. Here I Go Again
7. Praise You with the Dance
8. Glory
9. Life of Praise
10. Your Love is Extravagant

The record is a very strong debut. Tracks 2-6 are all excellent songs that are well worth listening to over and over again.
“If We Are the Body” talks about the judgment of Christians when new people, who may not exactly “fit the mold” come into their church through a few unspecific situations that all too frequently happen. The bridge sums up the song best. “Jesus paid much too high a price/for us to pick and choose who should come/and we are Body of Christ”. If Christians truly are to be what God wants them to be, they must set aside their judgment and do God’s Work in ALL people’s lives, not just those that fit the mold.

“Voice of Truth” is one of the more well known songs from the band. Using the examples of Peter trying to walk on water to reach Jesus, and the famous story of David and Goliath, the song is one of reassurance, a reminder that with all of the naysayers out there, God’s voice is the one we should listen to. Not surprisingly, this is the theme song for the hit movie “Facing the Giants”.

“American Dream” is one of the least church-like songs on the track, with a heavier sound and lyrics that use religious symbolism while sounding minimally preachy. It is the tale of a husband and father who works his life away while never paying attention to what really matters most: his family, and God. Many fathers and children can relate to the story this song tells.

“Here I Go Again” tells another story, this time of a Christian trying to reveal the truth of God to his friend, who steadfastly refuses. Any active Christian will know the sadness and the sincerity of this song, as the storyteller is trying to help his friend with what he believes to be right, yet is rejected. It’s another good track, though a little weaker than others.

The fact that these two songs actually tell stories is a feat in and of itself in the world of Christian Music, which is overfilled with thousands of generic and interchangeable worship songs. And this record is not immune to that, as the quality and originality peters out towards the end. “Glory” and “Life of Praise” are dime a dozen happy praise songs, and though there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s kind of a let down. “Praise You With the Dance” might have fallen into this category, except that it has a noticeably much more upbeat performance. It also has a certain uniqueness to it, as Megan, not Mark, sings on this one and proves herself a capable lead vocalist. Fans of folk music will also find it hard not to smile when it suddenly busts on a line-dancing violin solo.

The bookends of this song are kind of in between the two extremes. “What if his People Prayed” is a good solid track, which challenges Christians to “stop asking Oprah what to do” and actually turn to God for comfort and advice. Novel concept. But it seems badly placed as the opener, as it has no musical intro and just belts into the first verse. In my opinion, this should have been track 2 and “IWATB” should have been the opening track. But other than interrupting the flow of the record, there’s nothing to complain about. “Your Love is Extravagant” is a popular song for them to cover, but it has a quiet, calm sound on a very loud album. It serves as a nice ender.

Since I like to save the best for last, we now come to track 4, “Who Am I”. Mark Hall talks about writing this song, saying he wanted to answer the question with “I’m a BELIEVER!”, but realized that, in reality, he is a vapor. This song impresses the fact that our individual lives are really insignificant to the rest of the universe. But still somehow, God loves each of us with every bit of his love. After hearing “If We Are the Body”, this song quickly proved that Casting Crowns aren’t just Church critics. Mark Hall points out that he is unworthy of God’s grace, just like all of us.

The CD has flaws, like the cookie cutter tracks near the end which seem like filler. On that note, the record feels like a demo CD of a few really good songs, with some generic stuff added at the end to merit it being a full record. Ultimately, “Casting Crowns” is a good CD with some songs that will become new standards, and with no truly awful songs, it’s hard to complain. I definitely recommend it, especially if you’re just getting into Christian music.

Strongest Song: Voice of Truth

Weakest Song: “Life of Praise”

Overall Rating: 7/10

Wrestling Fans Are Stupid - 07.08.2008

I've been a fan of wrestling my whole life. Literally. I've been teased for my passion for the business, by the assholes in class and the lofty media that are all willing to tell me how stupid the average wrestling fan is. I never believed that line, I thought these assholes were ignorant punks wanting to bash a group of people because they love a "fake sport" that is really more of a "soap opera for men" than any wrestling fan. After all, I'm smart. I got 27 on my ACT, 32 in English and 21 in Math WITHOUT A FREAKING CALCULATOR! I may be lacking in worldly wisdom, but I'm certainly not a braindead redneck. And from reading 411mania, I was pretty sure that ALL members of the "smart" wrestling crew was just as intelligent, as the articles I read were informative, well-written, often funny, and great stuff all around. I didn't always agree with their opinion, but it was THEIR opinion and I was cool with it. There was no reason for me to believe the line about wrestling fans being stupid.

Then I joined this site and starting writing for it. I started reading my comments, and lately, the comments on other's pages, ESPECIALLY Larry Csonka's. And you know what? WRESTLING FANS ARE STUPID! Not the ones that write the columns, since you know, WE write the shit that YOU read. But all of the trolls. If you don't fit into this group, you'll agree with me and know exactly what I'm talking about. The IWC is all a bunch of spoiled, immature whiners. It's always BITCH, BITCH, BITCH, FUCK YOU BECAUSE I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU, BITCH, BITCH, BITCH! It's fucking pathetic. On a website that is ENTIRELY opinionated, THE IWC FUCKING BASHES THE OPINIONS OF PEOPLE! Now, I'm guilty of it to, because I don't agree with everyone. I believe my opinions, they wouldn't BE my opinions if I didn't believe them, and if you're going to call me an idiot of a fag for voicing my opnions, I'll call you on your shit. But I don't go looking for trouble. That's why I quit responding to the comments.

FUCK THE TROLLS! They are entitled to their opinion, and their opinion may vary well be right, but that does NOT mean that they are entitled to be assholes to everyone else. I need to grow up, I get it. I'm not saying that I don't, because I'm not perfect, but hey, at least I can disagree in my HEAD instead of voicing my opinion. We don't all have to agree with each other, if we did, life would be boring, but we can AT least be civil. Instead, it's nothing but bitching and moaning because we don't like what others say.

The wrestling fans are a small representation of what all humans are like. We are backstabbing, petty, immature, ignorant, self-absorbed assholes. And yes, I'm lumping myself in that category as well. We bitch and complain, and yet we NEVER do a damn thing to change things, other than bitching. Actions speak louder than words, and we talk a good game, but we do don't do SHIT. We bitch about Snitsky and Mark Henry because they don't fit OUR view of what a wrestler should be, despite the fact that they make the SAME damn sacrifices that the wrestlers we love make. I don't LIKE all wrestlers, but I damn sure RESPECT each and EVERY one of them, because they give their lives to entertain people LIKE ME!

But it's okay. We can keep bitching and being ignorant. Heaven forbid we support each other and try to make ourselves, our fellow wrestling fans, and the business we love better as a result. Instead, we can give a big FUCK YOU to the wrestling business by bitching and complaining about how much we hate wrestling, despite that we ALL claim to love it. But hey, the world will never be big enough for all different views, so fuck it. Wrestling fans ARE stupid.
PEOPLE are stupid! And for a group that likes to call themselves "SMARTS", we are the most stupid of all wrestling fans. At least the marks LIKE wrestling.

And we're rolling... - 06.23.2008

George Carlin passed away yesterday, and I got the news today. There isn't a whole lot to say about this situation. Carlin was one of my favorite comedians and a man I viewed as very intelligent. I'm not going to babble on forever about how great George Carlin was, because he had his faults, but he entertained me more than most. I appreciate his work, but I will not mourn his passing, because George would probably mock me for it, although that might be worth listening to. I think one of the commentors said it best. The world woke up a little less intelligent this morning. I salute you George Carlin.

Now that I've got that out of the way, there is something I would like to talk about from my columns. Chopper e-mailed me to tell me about the 9/11 comment, in which I said that the Benoit Family Tragedy affected me more than the 9/11 attacks. For those who can't comprehend what I write, I said that it affected ME more than 9/11. I will never take away the horrible events of that dreadful day, and in no way was I comparing the Benoit Tragedy to that. It's two completely different things.

The 9/11 attacks was the darkest event in recent memory. But for me, it's hard to see it as a tragedy, because I don't look at death in a negative light. Death is the end, the goal we are working for. When people say that 3000 people died, I see at as 3000 people escaping this world, which, when you really think about it, pretty much sucks, and finally getting a chance to be at piece. Death isn't so bad. The real tragedy of people dying is that there are thousands of families and friends that have lost their loved ones because of a group of religious fanatics fighting for what they believed in decided to commit heinous, monstrous acts. I do not weep for the dead, for they are dead, I weep for the living who have lost their loved ones.

Death is a normal part of life. It's okay to miss them, but I don't think they would want us to spend one second being so selfish as to want them back. They are in a better place now. Even if the athiests are correct and there is no heaven, they at least aren't feeling anymore pain.

To those who were offended by my comment, I assure you that you took it out of context and that I did not mean to compare the two. Everyone of us has a tragedy in their lives that changes how they view the world, that serves as a paradigm shift in the way they think. For some, it's the death of a relative. For some, it's the senseless killing of 3000 people in a terrorist attack. For me, it was my hero becoming a murderer. I apologize to those who were offended, and I hope that you now understand what I mean.

As I've said, I can handle Chris Benoit's death. Dying is no tragedy. I do not weep for Daniel or Nancy, only their loved ones who miss them dearly. The REAL tragedy of the Benoit situation isn't that three people are dead, it's that one of them is a murderer. The tragedy is that Chris Benoit lost his mind and committed undefendable acts that have tarnished every sane person's view of him. Death is not something to lament, it is something to be celebrated, because the people we love are better off. But a man committed great evil, the murder of those closest to him, is definately worth lamenting.

Those who might think I'm a scumbag and a hypocrite for forgiving Chris Benoit are, frankly, full of shit. I do not forgive Chris Benoit because he was a wrestler. I forgive him because he is human. Let me make this clear to you. Have you ever heard of the BTK killer in Kansas? My dad lost his best friends, the Otaros, because some psychotic lunatic tortured and slaughtered them. I live with the knowledge that my Dad is scarred because of what a killer did to his best friends. But you know what? Being spiteful and unforgiving to that psycho isn't going to bring the Otaros back. All it does is fill my heart with hatred and anger that make me a dispicable human being. And I for one am not going to spend the rest of my life hating a dead man, because my hatred doesn't hurt him, it only hurts me.

I don't forgive Chris Benoit for his sake. I do it for MY sake, and I just wish that you would do the same, for YOUR sake. And let me make this clear. Me forgiving and refusing to pass judgment on Chris doesn't make it okay. His final deeds will always be pure evil and nothing anyone else has to say about it makes any difference. But I'm not Chris' judge, just like you are not my judge. MY judge will judge us all some day, or else we will die and cease to exist, which suits me just fine. Either way, when I die, I'm not going to give two shekels what people thought of me, because they won't be able to hurt me anymore. Chris Benoit doesn't care what I think because he'd DEAD. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? CHRIS BENOIT IS DEAD! The way some of you carry on makes me think that you somehow believe your lack of forgiveness hurts Chris, but I can assure that he doesn't. If he's in Heaven, he's at peace. If he's in Hell, then he's suffering so much that you can't hurt him. And if there is no Heaven or Hell, then he doesn't exist anymore and he doesn't care what you think. So LET IT GO. I'm sick of people clinging to their hatred when it helps no one and hurts them. You all need to let the Benoit Tragedy pass by. Move on with your lives and to Hell with what you think of Benoit, because ultimately, nothing I think and nothing you think matters. The ONLY opinion that matters is God's, and whatever decision He makes, I'm in agreement with. And if there is no God, than none of our opinions matter anyway.

I use Chris Benoit as an example for forgiveness because I write for 411 WRESTLING! If this were 411 History, I'd use Hitler as the example. I forgive everyone and reserve judgment for the wrongs of others because it's NOT MY FUCKING PLACE TO JUDGE PEOPLE! You know why it isn't? Because I say things like "It's not my fucking place to judge people!" I'm not perfect, I screw up like everyone else, and because I screw up like everyone else, I extend grace to others, because ultimately, we are all the same in the end. Inadequate. We are simply not good enough, there's always someone better than us, and even he or she has failures as well. We are HUMANS, we fuck up and it's time to acknowledge that we need to forgive each other.

Does Chris Benoit deserve your forgiveness? NO. Does he need your forgiveness? NO. Do you need to forgive Chris Benoit? YES. Because as long as you refuse to forgive him, you are doing a grave injustice to that man's family. Does anyone remember that Chris has two other kids? How do you think THEY feel about the situation? Can you look those two children in the eye and tell them that their father is a monster and that you will never forgive him? I can't. And if you can, then YOU are the real monster.

Perhaps it's because I understand that death isn't a tragedy as so many people think it is that I view Chris Benoit's decent into madnesss that made him a killer more sad than the deaths of thousands. Or perhaps it's because this situation should have been prevented, as those closest to Chris should have seen what he was becoming and done something to protect him, and to protect themselves. Or, and this might be the most honest answer, perhaps it's that death and murder happens all the time in life. I'm used to it. People are evil and life sucks. It's why I watch wrestling, to escape from the world for a while. It's my safe place, my comfort zone, my drug of choice. Now, my safe place doesn't seem so safe anymore, because murder has tainted it. It's the realization that we can't escape evil, no matter what, that makes this event more tragic for me the 9/11 attacks. The 9/11 attacks reminded me that there is great evil in the world. Chris Benoit becoming a murderer made me realize that that evil is so great that no area of our lives is safe from it.

And we're rolling... - 05.17.2008

Well...last week I was complaining about not getting any comments on my page. Maybe I was because I was mostly positive in my writing, praising Foley and Shawn, as well as puro. I guess writing things that show my love and appreciation of wrestling won't ever make me famous on this site. Nobody likes a writer who actually ENJOYS wrestling these days.

This week I wrote a column defaming Bret Hart, not for some personal vendetta against him, but because I feel he is overated. I don't hate Bret Hart, he was at one time my very favorite, but the amount of undue love and accolades thrown at him by people have made watching him bittersweet, because I watch him and KNOW that he isn't as good as people make him out to be.

I also was comparing him to John Cena, who, like Bret, is repetive and wrestles the same match every week. For this, some people think that I am a little mark for John Cena. Cena is a GOOD wrestler, not a great one, not on Bret's level, although he might get there one day. I just don't understand all the hate...people are FAR too passionate in their hatred of this man.

I also got flack for talking about how Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and Chris Benoit are better than him. Almost anyone in the IWC will agree with me on those points. Even if I do mention "He who must not be named", I don't think I deserve the prominent amount of hatred that I get for mentioning him. Benoit is no hero, nor is HBK, nor is Flair or Bret, or Hogan or Austin, or Cena, or ANY wrestler. THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLERS, NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS!

And to all these trolls that keep telling me I don't know what I'm talking about, you have made my angry enough to break my typical Christian values and tell all of you...FUCK YOU! I am VERY well educated on wrestling. I KNOW who Lou Thesz and Buddy Rogers are. Hey, do you know who Joe Stecher is? How about Ed "Strangler" Lewis? Or how about FRANK GOTCH, the man who made wrestling into a phenomenon in the first half of the century, and whose lack of presence in 411's Hall of Fame makes me sick to my stomach? I know ALL about the history of wrestling, and I shouldn't have to write a fucking encyclopedia to prove it. I have a column on here, assume that I know what I'm talking about.

Maybe you guys just don't get it. Wrestling has been my obsession for most of my life. I spend hours a day reading about it, learning about new wrestlers, looking up history, and watching matches. I know what goes into making a great match and I know who are great wrestlers. But you know what? I also look at this business as a BUSINESS and an ARTFORM and a MORALITY PLAY. Wrestling is a part of my life, but it is NOT my life. JJ, so I make you mad enough to break the screen? That's really pathetic, get a life dude. With one exception (Bumgarner wishing Cena's injury was worse than it was, because that crossed the line of human decency) NOTHING I have ever read about wrestling has offended me or made me mad at the writer. Quit taking this psuedo-sport so seriously.

I am not going to apologize if I offended you. It hurts and bothers me that you take wrestling so seriously that you can't handle someone else's opinion, but that's fine, I'll forget about it in the morning. I may give my all to write my columns on here, because that's what I'm asked to do and I enjoy it, but this column is not my life and you guys need to settle the fuck down.

I'm curious...does anybody remember what I write from week to week? I put Bret Hart in a dream match with Angle one week and the next week I get a condescending comment suggesting I've never watched Bret. I HATE the comments section of this website, because it allows stupid, hateful trolls with no tact who can't handle their heroes being bashed to post tasteless comments. Oh well...at least Bumgarner isn't wishing injury on me, so I guess I have something left. Do you guys think you are hurting my feelings? You aren't. I am merely posting this to show that I know what I'm talking about, so that I can have some credence to my column. I don't really care what you think of me.

By the way, you won't make me quit writing here either. Until Csonka or Ashish ask me to leave or I decide it's time to leave, I'm staying put. To those who enjoy my writing and will continue to read, thank all of you. God bless all of you, even those who hate my writing. I may hate what you have said, but it's nothing personal, I'm sure you are all great people in person.

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