wrestling / Columns
The MeeThinks Saturday Spectacular 6.30.07
Hello everyone, and welcome back to 411’s final news column of what will undoubtedly be remembered as the single most devastating and tragic week in professional wrestling history. By virtue of my having the weekend news report, I have the dubious honor of being one of the last writers to comment on the tragedy that has unfolded over the past seven days. This is a mixed blessing, as while it’s allowed Mee more time than many to reflect on these events and perhaps to do a better job of assembling them all into one, larger and unified perspective… it has also demanded that I keep a meticulously close watch for each grisly new report and detail of this tragedy as it has unfolded.
At times, it’s been overwhelming.
Regardless, rather than load up this report with a slew of conspiracy theories and finger pointing, I’ve decided to break this column into three separate sections so that you, the reader and the wrestling fan, can read the facts (part one), react to some of the controversies that have stemmed from this case (as I have, in part two), and — should you feel so inclined — respond accordingly (as I’ve done in part three) with what all we might be able to learn from the senseless and most unfortunate series of events of the past seven days.
Here’s how this week’s column will look:
Part One: The Timeline
Part One: The Controversy
Part Three: MeeThinks
Let’s get to it.
Part One: The Timeline
The Tragedy
On Saturday, June 23, Chris Benoit notified WWE that he had “missed his flight” and would be late for house show scheduled for that afternoon in Beaumont, Texas. During the phone call, the yet-unnamed co-worker (presumably Chavo Guerrero) described Benoit as sounding “tired and groggy.” Furthermore, the co-worker noted that Benoit ended the phone call by saying “I love you,” which the co-worker later told authorities he believed was “out of context.”
Later Saturday night —
An yet-unidentified WWE employee (and frequent traveling partner of Benoit’s) called Benoit to see if he was alright. Benoit then informed his co-worker that his son and wife were throwing up blood, which Benoit attributed to food poisoning.
Early Sunday morning —
Chris Benoit sent a series of text messages to “friends” on the WWE roster (Chavo Guerrero is one of the assumed recipients) — detailing his home address and that the garage door of his house was unlocked. Due to travel/sleep/performance schedule, the WWE superstar did not receive these messages for several hours. Since no one in the company had heard any more from Benoit since his cryptic phone call the night before, the superstar gave word of these texts to Richard Hering, WWE’s VP for Government relations, early Monday afternoon (June 25). Hering, fearing for the Benoit’s mental state and his family’s well-being (based on the contents of the texts) immediately contacts local authorities and asks them to run a “welfare check” on Benoit’s house — basically the technical term for “stop in and see if the guy’s ok.” Shortly thereafter (2:30 p.m.), police enter the Benoit home (which was locked) to discover the family dead, and the three bodies in various states of decay.
After securing the crime scene (approximately 4 p.m.), authorities notify WWE and inform the press of their findings — telling the company that “the Benoit home is now being considered a major crime scene.” At this time, the press issues word of the family’s death, saying only that “no gunshot or stab wounds” had been found on the bodies, but also that “the instruments of death” (tech-speak for “murder weapon[s]”) were discovered at the scene of the crime, and that more details will be made available shortly.
Meanwhile —
McMahon calls all of the talent together at just before 5 p.m. to tell them EXACTLY what you’ve read thus far, after which point Wade Keller (PWtorch.com) and Dave Meltzer (Wrestling Observer) “break” the story of the backstage meeting and report nothing further than the fact that “everybody was stunned” (these stories were published at 5:19 p.m. and 6:21 p.m., respectively). By all backstage accounts up to this point, this is as much as ANYBODY knows about the story up till now: three people dead, “major crimescene,” no gunshots — more details to follow soon.
The Tribute
Now then —
Right about now it’s between 4 and 5 o’clock. McMahon, having learned of the “major crime scene” death of Benoit *and* his family (and notified the WWE roster of the tragedy), decides to cancel that evening’s RAW in Corpus Christi. Though “conspiracy theories” have already begun to abound by this point — both in the locker room and throughout the wrestling community and indeed the U.S. at large — performers “fear the worst but hope for the best,” and await further news from the Fayette authorities.
With all these yet-unanswered questions, and with the WWE roster “physically and emotionally devastated” (according to the Wrestling Observer), the decision is made to scrap what WWE had written, cancel the live show (despite the fact that WWE crews had already spent the day setting up the arena), and air retrospectives and memorial videos from those stars who felt comfortable sharing their thoughts instead.
8 p.m. —
In a *bold* and classy move, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon himself takes center stage (at 8 p.m.) in an empty arena and tells the audience that even though that night’s show was supposed to feature the next chapter in a “memorial” storyline dedicated to the “demise of his character, ‘Mr. McMahon'” — the company instead is forced to deal with the very real passing of Chris Benoit and his family. As such, the show will be a night of video highlights from the man’s career, as well as a series of wrestler interviews from the guys who knew him best.
Keep in mind that by all accounts, while EVERYBODY at this point is speculating on what *might* have happened at the Benoit home (and many are fearing the worst) — there is absolutely NO evidence to suggest that WWE knew (at this time) that Chris Benoit himself was being considered the leading culprit behind the tragedy. Regardless, the “tribute” show goes as planned — with performers, friends and co-workers each taking the opportunity to “pay their respects” and share their thoughts on Chris Benoit. Interestingly, however, is that many fans are quick to observe how a number of these interviews come across as pronouncedly awkward, “careful,” and “stilted” by comparison to similar retrospective shows of the past. William Regal’s interview, in particular, is singled out by fans as a clear example of a performer who seemed to feel very uncomfortable sharing any insight during this time.
The Aftermath
Flash forward to 9 p.m. (or thereabouts) —
The Atlanta police come forward with new details regarding the investigation, saying that they will be treating the case as a “murder-suicide” and that “the investigation will not be extended to persons outside of the home.” To anybody with half a brain, this is not news (like I said — entire families don’t just up and die at once, and everybody from WWE probably knew the same), but since the order of death/details from the scene were not yet determined/made clear, many backstage at WWE (and the IWC at large) default to giving Chris Benoit the benefit of the doubt (fearing a carbon monoxide leak, robbery gone wrong, or something equally tragic) until full details emerge.
9:30 p.m. —
After a wicked influx of traffic (many sites like 411, Rajah, OWW, etc. crashed as a result) wrestling sites all over the place get back online and start throwing up “In Memory” banners, graphics, articles and tributes. The story dominates WWE’s front page — which also features video clips of the memorial interviews with some of Benoit’s closest co-workers and friends — and it even gets mentioned on the front page of TNA’s website.
But just around 10 p.m. —
Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sherriff’s Department (in Fayetteville, Ga.) holds a press conference in conjunction with Scott Ballard (the district attorney for Fayette County). At which point, the statement is released that authorities have “officially ruled the case as a double murder-suicide from within the home.”
In addition, police report that Nancy Daus (Woman) was found in the upstairs family office, the couple’s son Daniel Christopher Benoit was found in the kid’s upstairs bedroom, and WWE superstar Chris Benoit was found in the family’s weight room in the basement of the home. Furthermore, police are they’re able to place Nancy’s time of death as the earliest (initially reported as Saturday — later corrected to reflect a time of death late Friday afternoon), followed by Daniel’s (initially reported as Sunday — later corrected to reflect a late-Saturday time of death) and Chris Benoit’s (initially reported as Monday — later modified to reflect a time of death of early Sunday morning). So right around 10:15 p.m., the district attorney goes public in a press conference to say that Chris Benoit is being treated as the main suspect in the tragedy.
From 11 p.m. – 12 a.m. —
The Associated Press (the wire service that provides subscription-based story content to many major news outlets across the country) begins to report on this story as a “double murder-suicide,” with Chris Benoit implicated as the sole actor in each of the three deaths.
In light of new details, WWE removes the wrestler “memorial interviews” from their website, which featured guys like Chavo and HHH saying what a great guy and a true family man Benoit was. Likewise, WWE posts an updated version of the Benoit story on their homepage — noting that the company “has additional details regarding the case, but have been asked by authorities not to release them at this time.” TNA, in turn, removes all mention of Benoit’s death from the front page of THEIR website, and one by one — each of the sites that had put up some sort of Benoit tribute graphic begin to pull them down (Steve Gerweck of Gerweck.net removes his, RD Reynolds at WrestleCrap.com removes his, etc.).
The Fallout
Tuesday, June 26 —
WWE updates their press release and website front page, confirming the “double murder-suicide” story that had been widely circulating via other media outlets by this point (AP picked up the story just after 11 p.m. the night before). The following morning (7 a.m. or thereabouts), WWE makes it known that — based on the new details of the case — the ECW/SD taping scheduled for that night would *not* be a “tribute” show as RAW had been. Thereafter WWE removes all mentions of Benoit from WWE Shopzone, and phases out all front-page content relating to the Benoit tragedy save for the main news release story. TNA removes mention of Benoit’s death from their website entirely.
Then just after 2 p.m., Lt. Pope and D.A. Ballard hold a joint press conference revealing the complete details of the investigation as they are known to this point. They confirm earlier theories that Chris Benoit was the sole actor in his family’s death, and that from the best forensic evidence available — Chris Benoit strangled his wife to death and wrapped her body in a towel in the upstairs family office (Friday). On Saturday, Benoit then smothered his seven-year-old son, Daniel, while the boy lay in his upstairs bedroom. Within 24 hours after killing his son, Chris Benoit proceded to the family basement, where he then hung himself using the pulley of a workout machine. Bibles were found next to the bodies of both victims (Nancy and Daniel), and perscription drugs (including some anabolic steroids) were found in the home.
At 6 p.m. — World Wrestling Entertainment gave word that on that night’s broadcast of ECW on SciFi, company chairman Vince McMahon would be issuing a public apology for having aired a show paying tribute to the man police now believed to be responsible for his own death and the deaths of his family. Prior to the show being aired, WWE issues an additional press release in response to “sensationalist” media reports — including Fox News’ “O’Reilly Factor,” CNN’s Nancy Grace, and a number of other high-profile outlets — which linked the Benoit family tragedy to Chris Benoit’s alleged “roid rage.” At this time, WWE notes that Chris Benoit was issued a random WWE Wellness test for illegal and controlled substances on April 10, which he passed.
10 p.m. — ECW opens with pre-recorded comments from the WWE Chairman:
Last night on Monday Night Raw, the WWE presented a special tribute show, recognizing the career of Chris Benoit. However, now some 26 hours later, the facts of this horrific tragedy are now apparent. Therefore, other than my comments, there will be no mention of Mr. Benoit tonight. On the contrary, tonight’s show will be dedicated to everyone who has been affected by this terrible incident. This evening marks the first step of the healing process. Tonight, the WWE performers will do what they do better than anyone else in the world – entertain you.
11 p.m. — WWE.com publishes their timeline of correspondence with Chris Benoit during his final days, as well as the text messages Benoit sent to co-workers (Chavo Guerrero is widely speculated as the recipient, though he is not mentioned by name). The company’s timeline — and the text messages they received between 3:51 and 3:58 a.m. — corresponds with the police’s theory of the crime, as well as the timeframe police had suggested that Chris Benoit actually contacted WWE after the murders and was the last member of his family to die.
In addition, the Associated Press releases word that needle marks were found in the arm of Benoit’s son, and that the boy had likely been taking human growth hormone for some time. Further reports confirm that some of the perscriptions in Benoit’s home had been filled by a pharmeceutical firm that was currently under investigation for engaging in illegal steroid business.
Wednesday, June 27 —
The AP story is published in thousands of outlets across the U.S. Major media outlets spend much of the day abuzz over the tragedy as new details continue to pour in, many of which deal with the physical state of Benoit’s son as well as the medical history and possible motive of Chris Benoit himself. According to the AP story, Benoit’s longtime personal physician, Dr. Phil Astin of metro Atlanta, saw Chris just hours before the tragedy began. “He was in my office on Friday to stop by just to see my staff,” “He certainly didn’t show any signs of any distress or rage or anything.” Astin adds that he prescribed testosterone to Benoit because he suffered from low amounts of the hormone, a condition Astin suspected likely originated from previous steroid use.
In response to these recent developments (and perhaps to offset from the media’s ongoing steroid fixation), WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt confrims the following details:
Before the killings, the family was struggling with how to care for the child, who suffered from a rare medical condition called Fragile X Syndrome, an inherited form of mental retardation often accompanied by autism. [Chris] and Nancy were clearly struggling about this whole issue, about how to take care of Daniel. I don’t know what he confronted when he went back into the house. No one really knows that. We’ll have to see. Clearly this issue of the son was a stressor on both of their relationships for some time.”
Once again on Wednesday evening, major media outlets continue to cover this story and speculate on its possible link to steroid abuse. A number of these stories, however, begin posing questions regarding the health of Daniel Benoit leading up to the murders. During the evening hours, it is also speculated that Nancy Benoit met with Dr. Astin on Friday afternoon or earlier that week, and that she spoke to him regarding possible treatment options for her son.
Thursday, June 28 —
Just after midnight, Federal Drug Enforcement Agents raid the office of Benoit’s phsyician, Dr. Phil Astin, and sieze the records pertaining to the Benoit family. Later in the day, TMZ.com reports that in 1992, Dr. Astin was found guilty of “unprofessional conduct” by the Georgia State Board of Medical Examiners for “repeatedly prescribing several controlled substances to patients in excessive quantities or for excessive periods of time and prescribing for other than legitimate purposes.” Dr. Astin’s license was revoked again in 2001 for “reasons related to competence or character.
Early Thursday morning —
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon appears on NBC’s “Today” show and is interviewed by host Meredith Viera regarding the Benoit tragedy and the possible link to steroid abuse. During the interview, McMahon clarifies WWE’s earlier remarks on the possible steroid tie-in to the tragedy, noting “steroids may or may not have had anything to do with this… it’s all speculation until the toxicology reports come back.” McMahon’s interview is civil, but probing — Viera cites a statistic indicating that 60 wrestlers have died before the age of 65 since 1985, to which McMahon responds that he can only speak to the nature of the deaths of five employees who died while under contract to his company.
(Incidentally, the article featuring excerpts of the interview that is printed on MSNBC erroneously refers to Chris Benoit as “The Canadian Strangler.”)
Linda McMahon appears on Good Morning America, where she speaks in detail regarding WWE’s Wellness initiative as well as Daniel Benoit’s battle with Fragile X, which many media outlets are now citing as a possible reason for the Benoit family’s internal stress.
Later that afternoon —
Something of a new “conspiracy theory” wrinkle emerges in the case, as a timestamp on Benoit’s Wikipedia entry indicates that the death of his wife, Nancy, was reported on that site (by a user allegedly posting from WWE’s home city of Stamford, Connecticut) some 13 hours *before* authorities were notified of her death. Fox News, in particular, reports this “new development” quite heavily.
By 3 p.m., the July 9 issue of People Magazine hits news stands across the U.S. The Benoit family murders are listed as a cover story. Interestingly (in a detail that was quickly ignored by most other media outlets), the magazine reports that a near-empty bottle of wine was found beside the body of Chris Benoit.
Back at WWE, All mention of the Benoit tragedy has been removed from the main pages of WWE.com (though a search for the word “Benoit” still reveals a cache of old pages housed in the WWE.com archives). All further discussion of the case will be posted on WWE’s corporate website. Silvervision, WWE’s U.K. distributor of DVDs, announces that it will no longer sell Chris Benoit DVDs.
That evening —
Former WWE stars including Bret Hart, Superstar Billy Graham, Debra Marshall, Chyna and others appear on a number of Fox News programs to discuss this story. The Wikipedia twist receives particular attention, as does the raiding of the doctor’s offices and his background of suspicious activity. In addition, Fox News anchor Geraldo Rivera appears on Bill O’Reilly’s program and erroneously claims that Nancy Benoit and Sherri Martel both died the same day, and that this case is “gigantic” and just keeps getting bigger and bigger as more details arise.
Part Two: The Controversy
Argument #1: “It’s professional wrestling’s fault!”
Absolutely untrue. That’s like blaming football broadcasting for O.J. Simpson, rock and roll for the murder of Sharon Tate, or the United States Postal Service for those employees who’ve “gone postal” and killed themselves and those around them. Though the mainstream media has taken this tragedy as an excuse to declare open season on professional wrestling, the bottom line is that this story is tragic enough without people missing the point in some vain attempt to play the blame game. Let’s not make this any harder than it needs to be.
Here’s the facts, folks —
Does the business take its toll on performers, their health and their mental state? No question. But then again, much the same can be said for a TON of other jobs out there that are equally risky as the life of a pro-wrestler, if not moreseo. Police, rescuse workers, medical professionals and social workers, for example, deal with issues of life, death and suicide literally EVERY SINGLE DAY (I should know! My girlfriend is a crisis counselor in Washington, D.C.). Every job has its risks, its stressors, its frustrations and its hardships along the way — and MANY of these jobs come without so many of the “upsides” of fame, respect, and fortune that are usually afforded to your average mid-to-high-profile professional wrestler.
For example:
In March of 2007, George Terry — a retired custodian — killed his wife and two children before taking his own life.
In April of 2007, Seung-Hui Cho — a student — went on a shooting rampage at Virginia Tech and killed 32 people before taking his own life.
In June of 2007, Bobby Cutts Jr. — a former police officer — is accused of killing his girlfriend, pregnant with the couple’s nine-month-old child, and leaving the couple’s other child for dead after fleeing the scene.
And in June of 2007, Chris Benoit — a professional wrestler — killed his wife and seven-year-old son before taking his own life.
The sad reality is that in ALL walks of life, pro-wrestling and non, people with severe emotional trauma have taken both their own lives and the lives of those around them. In a radio interview on Wednesday with KHOU in Houston, Texas, Benoit’s long-time co-worker and friend “King Booker” Huffman really hit the nail on the head:
The media is going to put a [steroid] spin on it, you know. We know that. WWE knows that. Did the guy last week [Bobby Cutts Jr.] who murders his wife and kid last week have any form of roid rage? He was a cop. This happens in any form of life. I feel like the human life is a delicate piece of equipment and everyone has their breaking point. We don’t know what his breaking point was. You don’t know what my point is, I don’t know what your point is. We’re all human. I just think it was a huge malfunction and whatever it was, we may never know. It’s not for us to know. It’s out of our hands and with God now.”
Booker is 100% correct. Bad, sad, and inexplicable things happen to otherwise “good” people in all walks of life. To blame “the business,” “the sickness,” “the road,” or “the industry” for Benoit’s passing is absolutely ridiculous.
True, far too many wrestlers have died under the age of 50 (as we’ve heard so much about in recent days), and that in itself is a scary and disturbing fact. But in the bigger picture? The same can be said for rock stars (Cobain), researchers (Freud), actors (Farley), writers (Plath), comics (Hedberg), journalists (Thompson), athletes (Jim Tyrer — another case of murder-suicide), and just about every other sort of celebrity who lives much of their lives in the public eye. To put it most bluntly: there is a high price for fame… and some people simply can’t stand the pressure.
Since we mentioned those wrestler deaths, however…
Argument #2: “With so many performers dying young, it seems that early deaths are something of an occupational hazard of the business itself!”
Mainstream media outlets have fixated on the fact that steroids were found in the Benoit home, and that it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that drugs play a huge part in ANY professional sport, particularly one that rewards impressive physiques and prides itself on feats of physical strength. As ESPN anchor Michael Wilbon put it, “no, professional wrestling is not a sport, but the men who bust their asses day in and day out to feed their families are indeed athletes.”
Now then —
In the past week, there has been a lot of speculation surrounding what appears to be an “epidemic” of dead wrestlers in the past twenty years. In her interview with Vince McMahon on Thursday morning, Meredith Viera of NBC’s “Today” show cited a statistic that more than 60 performers have died before reaching age 65 since 1985. McMahon, in turn, said while he was aware of the deaths of many former stars, he was unsure of the validity of the statistic and said that he could only speak to any degree of certainty of five performers who had died while employed by his company, World Wrestling Entertainment.
Those five performers:
Chris Benoit [suicide, age 40 – June 25, 2007]
Eddy Guerrero [acute heart failure, age 38 – November 13, 2005]
Russ Haas [heart attack, age 27 – December 15, 2001]
Owen Hart [in-ring accident, age 34 – May 23, 1999]
Brian Pillman [atherosclerotic heart disease, age 35 – October 5, 1997]
Of the five aforementioned performers, *both* Pillman and Haas died of preexisting heart aliments and neither death was ruled to be drug-related. And though the official cause of death of Owen Hart was recorded as a “heart attack,” the heart attack he sustained was the result of a likewise non-drug-related in-ring accident — a monumental tragedy in its own right, at that. This leaves us with *TWO* WWE wrestlers who’ve deaths were likely some result of drug use: Eddy Guerrero (who was fired from WWE in 2001 after issues of drug dependency became an issue, and who was re-hired only after having overcome his addictions), and now Chris Benoit (whose death is still being investigated).
So what’s the deal?
Without question, steroids *is* and always has been a major issue in competitive athletics. But with all of these performers “dropping like flies,” as many media outlets have reported — is Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment really to blame? Let’s take a closer look at those wrestler death statistics, eh? MeeThinks you’ll find that the numbers paint a very different picture than what the mainstream media might have you believe.
Of the 80+ “wrestlers under 65 who dropped like flies” over the past two decades…
Wrestlers Who Died Before Age 65 from Non-Drug-Related Illness
Russ Haas [heart attack, 27] – victim of lifelong heart aliment, death was not drug-related.
Brian Pillman [arteriosclerotic heart disease, 35] – though he had a history of drug abuse, cause of death was attributed to a previously undetected heart condition.
Johnny Grunge [sleep apnea, 39] – death was not drug-related.
Little Beaver [natural causes, 61] – death was not drug-related.
Sapphire [heart attack, 61] – death was not drug-related, attributed to excess weight.
Shohei Baba [cancer, 61] – death was not drug-related.
Wilbur Snyder [leukemia, 62] – death was not drug-related.
George Cannon [cancer, 62] – death was not drug-related.
Gorilla Monsoon [heart failure, 62] – death was the result of a long series of illnesses.
Hiro Matsuda [colon cancer, 62] – death was not drug-related.
Wahoo McDaniel [diabetes, 63] – death was not drug-related.
Chris Candido [blot clot, 33] – death was not drug-related, last worked for TNA.
Marianna Komlos [breast cancer, 35] – death was not drug-related.
Mark Curtis [stomach cancer, 38] – death was not drug-related.
Terry Gordy [blot clot, 40] – death was not drug-related.
Randy Anderson [cancer, 41] – death was not drug-related.
Earthquake [bladder cancer, 42] – death was not drug-related.
Andre the Giant [heart attack, 46] – heart attack death attributed to gigantism.
Big John Studd [liver cancer, 46] – death was not drug-related.
Jumbo Tsuruta [complications resulting from kidney transplant, 49] – death was not drug-related.
Haystacks Calhoun [diabetes, 55] – death was not drug-related.
Giant Haystacks [cancer, 55] – death was not drug-related.
Total “Illness” Deaths Before Age 65: 22. Since all of these performers died as a result of “natural illness” (ranging from cancer to diabetes), MeeThinks it’s pronouncedly unfair to lump them in with the rest of the “dead wrestler” group.
Wrestlers Who Died Before Age 65 by Crimes or Accidents
D.J. Peterson [motorcycle accident, 33] – accident was not drug-related.
Joey Marella [car accident, 30] – died after falling asleep at the wheel, accident was not drug-related.
Adrian Adonis [car accident, 34] – accident was not drug-related.
Owen Hart [in-ring accident, 34] – accident was not drug-related.
Vivian Vachon [car accident, 40] – accident was not drug-related.
Brady Boone [car accident, 40] – accident was not drug-related.
Bruiser Brody [murdered, 42] – death was not drug-related.
Nancy Benoit [ murdered, 43] – toxicology results pending.
Dino Bravo [murdered, 44] – shooting was not drug-related.
Jerry Blackwell [complications resulting from car accident, 45] accident was not drug-related.
Junkyard Dog [car accident, 45] – died after falling asleep at the wheel, accident was not drug-related.
Chris Adams [shot, 46] – shooting was not drug-related.
Tarzan Tyler [car accident, 55] – accident was not drug-related.
Total “Accidental” Deaths Before Age 65: 13. Like the “natural” deaths that preceded this list, each of the performers in this group — save Owen Hart — were all victims of non-wrestling-related tragedies. Ergo, it’s only fair to remove each of them (save Owen) from the egregiously overinflated “80+ dead from wrestling” statistic as well. That makes just north of thirty “dead wrestlers” whose deaths were in no way preventable (at least from ANY employer’s standpoint).
Performers Dead Before Age 65 Who NEVER Worked for WWE
Chris Von Erich [suicide, 21] – never employed by WWE.
Mike Von Erich [suicide, 23] – never employed by WWE.
Art Barr [cause unknown, 28] – never employed by WWE.
Gino Hernandez [overdose, 29] – never employed by WWE.
Jay Youngblood [ruptured spleen in-match resulting in heart attack, 30] – never employed by WWE.
The Renegade [suicide, 33] – never employed by WWE.
Gary Albright [heart attack, 34] – never employed by WWE, in-ring collapse/death was the result of his diabetes.
Ed Gantner [suicide, 31] – never employed by WWE.
Big Dick Dudley [kidney failure, 34] – never employed by WWE.
Bobby Duncum Jr. [overdose, 34] never employed by WWE.
Pitbull #2 [overdose, 36] – never employed by WWE.
The Wall/Malice [heart attack, 36] – never employed by WWE.
Leroy Brown [unknown, 38] – never employed by WWE.
Jeep Swenson [heart attack, 40] – never employed by WWE.
Billy Joe Travis [unknown, 40] – never employed by WWE.
Larry Cameron [in-ring heart attack, 41] – never employed by WWE.
Biff Wellington [unknown, 42] – never employed by WWE.
Ray Candy [unknown, 43] – never employed by WWE.
Mike Davis [heart attack, 46] – never employed by WWE.
Ken Timbs [congestive heart failure, 53] – never employed by WWE.
Uncle Elmer [unknown, 61] – autopsy results never published.
Pez Whatley [liver failure, 54] – never employed by WWE.
Eddie Graham [suicide, 55] – never employed by WWE.
Kurt Von Hess [heart attack, 56] – never employed by WWE.
Rufus R. Jones [heart attack, 60] – never employed by WWE.
Dick the Bruiser [heart attack, 62] – never employed by WWE.
Total “Non-WWE” Deaths Before Age 65: 26. This group comprises the largest chunk of the “dead wrestler bunch,” and though many of these performers died while actively competing as professional wrestlers for various promotions across the United States, pinning *their* deaths on Vince McMahon or World Wrestling Entertainment is unjustified and wrong. That would be like blaming the number of Canadian Football League players’ deaths on Major League Baseball — though both are similar in their profession (“athlete”), there is no overlap between the two groups. Adding this group to the “non-preventable” deaths detailed above, and SIXTY of the 80+ performers died with absolutely nothing to do with World Wrestling Entertainment’s ability to intervene.
Performers Dead Before Age 65 Who Were FIRED From WWE over Drug/Health Concerns
Louie Spiccoli [overdose, 27] – released by WWE in 1996 for drug abuse, died two years later.
Kerry Von Erich [suicide, 33] – released by WWE in 1992 amid drug abuse controversy, died one year later.
Yokozuna [heart attack, 34] – released by WWF in 1998 after failing to lose weight, died two years later.
Eddie Guerrero [enlarged heart, 38] – released by WWE in 2001 for drug abuse, re-hired drug-free in 2002 and died in 2005.
Davey Boy Smith [overdose, 39] – checked into rehab at WWE’s expense in 2000, released for subsequent drug abuse and died two years later.
Curt Hennig [overdose, 44] – released by WWE in 2002 for drug abuse, died one year later.
Road Warrior Hawk [heart attack, 46] – released by WWF in 1998 for drug abuse, died five years later.
Moondog King [heart attack, 56] – released by WWF in 1981 for drug arrest, died 25 years later.
Total “WWE-Disciplined” Deaths Before Age 65: 8. This statistic is important to note, as eight of the THIRTY (not eighty) WWE alumni who died young of drug-related deaths were dismissed by WWE over concerns for their health in advance. God forbid they should ever pass before their respective times, performers like William Regal and Jeff Hardy (as well as Jake Roberts, Joey Mercury and the like) would also fall into this category — as ALL of them were terminated at one time or another for failing to meet WWE standards of health and wellness.
Remaining Former WWE Wrestlers Who Died Before Age 65 from (Alleged) Drug-Related Causes
Buzz Sawyer [heart attack, 32] – hadn’t worked for WWE in four years prior to his death.
Crash Holly [overdose, 32] – released by WWE four months prior to death, last worked in TNA.
Eddie Gilbert [heart attack, 33] – hadn’t worked for WWE in 13 years.
Bertha Faye [overdose, 40] – hadn’t worked for WWE in four years prior to her death.
Chris Benoit [suicide, 40] – toxicology results still pending.
Rick Rude [overdose, 41] – hadn’t worked as an in-ring performer for WWE in nine years prior to his death.
Miss Elizabeth [overdose, 42] – hadn’t worked for WWE in eleven years prior to her death.
Big Boss Man [heart attack, 42] – autopsy results never published.
Mike Awesome [suicide, 42] – hadn’t worked as a full-time performer for WWE in five years prior to his death.
Bam Bam Bigelow [overdose, 45] – hadn’t worked for WWE in 12 years prior to his death (WWE covered funeral expenses).
Hercules Hernandez [heart attack, 47] – hadn’t worked for WWE in 13 years prior to his death.
Dick Murdoch [heart attack, 49] – autopsy results never published.
Rocco Rock [heart attack, 49] – hadn’t worked for WWE in 5 years prior to his death.
Sherri Martel [unknown, 49] – toxicology results still pending.
Moondog Spot [heart attack, 51] – hadn’t worked for WWE in 22 years prior to his death, last worked in TNA.
Ray Stevens [heart attack, 60] – hadnt’ worked for WWE in 14 years prior to his death.
Stan Stasiak [heart failure, 60] – hadnt’ worked for WWE in 20 years prior to his death.
Dale Lewis [unknown, 62] – autopsy results never published.
Bad News Brown [heart attack, 63] – hadnt’ worked for WWE in 17 years prior to his death.
Total Confirmed “WWE-Alumni” Drug-Related Deaths Before Age 65: 20. Though the media has been having a field day exploiting the dead wrestler statistics, it bears noting that less than 25% of the “epidemic of dead wrestlers” were WWE alumni who’s drug problems went unaddressed by their employer. Moreover, when you average out the total number of years that all of these folks had spent OUT of World Wrestling Entertainment before dying, you’re left with just about 10 years, 8 months away from “the road,” “the business,” and — more importantly — “World Wrestling Entertainment” before each of these performers ultimately succumbed to their demons… which means (on average) that most of these people’s drug abuse extended a LONG time beyond their tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment.
Again, does WWE share part of the blame? No question. And yes, even one death is “too many” — but to blame WWE for 80, 60, 40 or even 20 of the deaths in this so-called “epidemic” is asinine and off base.
Argument #3: “WWE’s Wellness Initiative is a joke. It’s high time the U.S. Government intervened.”
Let’s deal with the first half of that sentence first, shall we?
As Superstar Billy Graham told Fox News correspondent Sean Hannity:
“Vince McMahon isn’t a babysitter. These are grown men and women who need to take personal responsibility for their actions.”
Seems like the Superstar is onto something here, as even longtime McMahon rival Bret Hart (who certainly has no love lost for the Chairman) echoed these same sentiments later that evening on the Greta Van Sustern program:
“Nobody ever asked me to take steroids, and I jumped with two feet in with the rest of them back when everybody was doing it. [So] I was relieved when WWE began their drug testing in the early nineties. I think that a lot of guys develop a mental addiction to steroids [and] they think that they need them in order to stay competitive when that’s just not the case. I like to think that my best matches were when I was steroid-free.”
Translation? Some wrestlers abuse the hell out of steroids (coughChrisMasterscough) and STILL can’t manage to get over no matter HOW big they get. Other wrestlers (Mick Foley, Jerry Lawler, C.M. Punk, etc.) claim to be steroid and drug free — and their respective physiques reflect such a claim — yet in spite of their steroid aversion, they STILL manage to get over and go on to become incredibly successful… sometimes even moreso than so many of the roid-monkeys that surround them.
Long story short? Personal accountability for individual actions.
Is it shameful and sad that this industry — now well into the 21st century — still lacks a workers’ union in order to guarantee safe standards of work and healthcare? Absolutely. Heck, I was awarded my college’s top graduating honor as an undergraduate for my thesis addressing this issue in particularly close detail. But with recent advancements such as the WWE Wellness initiative (Benoit was tested on April 20, and high-profile stars such as Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, and Randy Orton have all been suspended for violating the company’s drug policy), there are certainly more steps in place today to safeguard wrestler’s health than there were some ten years ago. Is it a perfect system? Of course not — far from it.
But the bottom line is that with Wellness in place, not only has WWE “covered their ass” — but they have most certainly become much more concerned for the health and safety of their performers in recent years.
As for a U.S. government intervention into professional wrestling?
Not with my tax dollars, thank you very much. It’s laughable that the U.S. congress wasted COUNTLESS hours and COUNTLESS tax-payer dollars probing steroid use in professional baseball. Meanwhile, immigration reform CONTINUES to need addressing, the Vice President pretty much is declaring himself immune from responsibility to ANY of the three recognized branches of U.S. government, genocide CONTINUES to ravage Darfur and the Sudan, and — oh yeah — THERE’S A WAR GOING ON WITH NO END IN SIGHT WHERE THOUSANDS OF U.S. SOLDIERS ARE DYING EVERY YEAR.
“Pro athletes on steroids?” No shit. “War, genocide, immigration reform, rampant corruption on BOTH sides of the political aisle, abuse of power in the highest levels of government?” Priorities, people.
Argument #4: “WWE is evil, and Vince McMahon pushed Chris Benoit over the edge!”
Absolutely untrue.
Just one year ago —
Chris Benoit went to his employer and asked for time off to recharge. In turn (from May 2006 to October 2006) WWE granted him FIVE MONTHS of paid time off to get his head back in the game. “Heartless” though WWE might be in many instances — the simple fact of the matter is that they gave an employee a FIVE MONTH paid vacation in order to get himself well-rested and healthy. Few, if *any* employers out there can say the same.
Bottom line —
In ALL walks of life employers *always* want their employees to work harder, produce to a higher level, make the company more money. Employees in all walks of life are presented with “unreasonable” or “unfair” demands by their bosses EVERY SINGLE DAY, and with the crazy workload that just about every person has to bear… sure, some people are going to make bad or unhealthy decisions in order to make sure that they “stay ahead of the curve” and continue to get the job done.
And if Vince McMahon is to blame, then so is every single fan in attendance who ever rose to their feet and cheered for Chris Benoit when the man put his health, safety, and (literally) his life on the line for the sake of our entertainment. Do the wrestlers know what they’re getting into from the momnent they sign up? Of course, and do the promoters push their talent to continue performing at a high level? No doubt. But WE are the fans who cheer the crazy stunts, the high spots, the risky maneuvers — NOT Vince McMahon. We, the fans, are the ones who encourage performers to out-do one-another with our continued cheers of “We want tables!” and the like. And we, the fans, are the people who get all worked up into a tizzy if a performer is “too worn-out” to show up to a non-televised house show or an autograph signing.
So as the old saying goes, folks, “be careful when you point a finger — because when you do, there’s three more fingers pointing right back at you.”
Argument #5: “Between the loner attitude, the painkillers, the memories of Eddy’s death, etc. — somebody should have seen this coming!”
Yes and no. Benoit’s colleagues (who knew him best) called him a “hero” and a “family man” and had nothing but good things to say about the guy. His employer of more than a decade said “there was no way of telling that this man was capable of becoming a monster.” And his longtime physician (who saw him the day the murders began) likewise had no idea of the man’s capacity for such a crime.
“But John,” come the critics, “Nancy Benoit filed for divorce and had a restraining order taken out against Chris Benoit back in 2003, saying that she feared for her safety and that of her child!”
True enough. But when did you learn that juicy little tidbit? AFTER the tragic events of last weekend. And a lot of good such information does us now. Hindsight is 20/20 and we, the survivors, have the benefit of “armchair quarterbacking” everything we see unfold in the lives of those around us — but if those closest to the situation (with all of their unique insight and perspective) weren’t able to see this coming well in advance, there is simply nothing to be gained by pointing fingers and accusing people *after* the fact. NOBODY saw this coming.
Moving forward —
More than steroids, wrestling, travel or ANY work-related stress that might ultimately take some of the rap for this tragedy, the bottom line here is that warning signs were in place from the moment Nancy Benoit first had the courage to recognize and report an incident of domestic violence. While it is unclear from those initial reports if Benoit ever actually assaulted anyone in his family, the fact remains that — even if it was only once before — the precedent was there for a man with a violent temper. Debra Marshall (ex-wife of Steve Austin and Steve “Mongo” McMichael) hit the nail right on the head in her media appearances this week, and as any family counselor will tell you, “if someone is violent once, they are most likely to be violent again… and next time it may be too late.”
Not to sound too much like a public service announcement here, but this is serious business. Bad and dangerous relationships are nothing to take lightly — and if you or someone you know is currently involved in a volatile or violent relationship, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline IMMEDIATELY by visiting their website or by calling 1-800-799-SAFE. As a matter of protocol, I would like to challenge fellow wrestling “journalists” to carry this information as a public service announcement in all future columns. I think it’s the least we can do.
Fake violence is one thing, but real violence can be deadly.
Argument #6: “With the tastelessness of the McMahon/Limo angle, WWE deserved to have a performer die!”
The question as to whether or not WWE’s “demise of Mr. McMahon” storyline was tasteless will and could be argued indefinitely from both sides of the argument (MANY people had no problem with it, MANY people were offended by it — NEITHER side was gonna’ convince the other of how they had a right to feel about the matter). Regardless, if you are actually the type of person who goes as far as to *Wish* tragedy, “karma”, payback or whatever you call it to a company and its performers for WHATEVER reason — then it is *you* who is truly the “tasteless” one, not them.
Did WWE’s “demise of Mr. McMahon” angle offend some folks? No question. But to say that the company “got what they deserved” in all of this is both mean-spirited and wrong. Was it all too ironic that a company who literally makes its living off of “sensationalism” immediately turned around and lashed out at mainstream media outlets for the very same behavior? Of course. And if you thought the McMahon angle is/was tasteless? Fine. But don’t go the extra mile so as to actively wish ill on the company or to rejoice in their misfortune when an actual tragedy befalls them.
Argument #7: “WWE Knew damned well the guy was guilty from the start and they couldn’t care less. How DARE they put on a ‘tribute’ to a murderer?”
In lieu of more finger-pointing and half-cocked conspiracy theories, I’ll simply direct you to the FACTS of how WWE has responded since details implicating Chris Benoit have emerged in this case. Long story short?
After allowing the man’s friends, fans and coworkers the opportunity to pay their respects on Monday afternoon — WWE came to face the sad reality that, in light of *how* he and his family died, Chris Benoit may not have been deserving of their “tribute” after all. As such, once armed with the knowledge that they had unknowingly “mourned a murderer” — the company worked FULL-TILT to change the manner in which they both presented and handled the man’s death.
Of course, on the other side of the coin people are already saying…
Argument #8: “WWE turned their back on Chris Benoit! How dare they scrap his tribute and remove his name from the website!?”
In the wake of WWE’s relative “about-face” on the Benoit story, many longtime fans feel hurt, confused, frustrated and angered by what they believe is WWE’s all-too-selfish “betrayal” of a man who, before last week, was widely regarded as nothing less than one of their most talented performers. Judging by his ECW report earlier this week, it seems that my 411 colleague Michael Bauer seems to be one of the folks in this camp.
To those people, I’ll say this…
Media was ALL OVER this story and its every detail, and they’re always looking to paint “rasslin” as the universal bad-guy whenever the opportunity should arise. As such — pinned to the ground belly-first and choked-out from behind, it doesn’t take much for the casual “non-fan” to point out that the Crippler Crossface looks a LOT like the manner of death authorities were reporting of Nancy Daus and Daniel Benoit (a string of tasteless photoshops depicting Daniel and Nancy locked in the Crippler Crossface have already begun to make their rounds on the wrestling sites). Heck, MSNBC.com was already calling the guy “The Canadian Strangler” and not thinking anything of it. Now imagine you’re a critic/non-fan/media outlet looking for a juicy story/etc. who visits WWE.com only to discover testimonial after testimonial of how “great a family man” the angry wrestler guy was. Make that even worse with video after video (and photo after photo) of this same “angry wrestler guy” applying a trademark hold that looks mighty similar to what has, of late, become an all-too-familiar variation of the face-down chokeout maneuver.
Just bad business for everyone involved.
So feel “betrayed” that WWE “abandoned” their superstar so soon after his tragic death if you will — but when all’s said and done here, WWE didn’t betray Chris Benoit. If anything, by pulling his image, likeness and name from their promotional materials as quickly as they did — they may, in the long run, have actually done more to *preserve* what little of the man’s “legacy” that the man had left. Why plaster the media with a bevy of ready-to-be-taken-out-of-context images that could easily be used as “angry” and “violent” proof that the guy had always been a psycho? The most die-hard Benoit fans have already got their DVD’s at home, and they can watch them at their own discretion should they ever feel so inclined… why give the vultures scouring the WWE archives for any damning evidence they might find (and use out of context) any more fuel for their fire?
Give them a break, people.
MeeThinks WWE’s efforts in handling this tragedy have been particularly commendable. Erring on the side of caution during this difficult time is hardly a damnable offense.
Since I mentioned damnation, however…
Argument #9: “Chris Benoit is a monster who deserves to burn in Hell for his crime!”
Maybe so, folks, maybe so — and such frustration is certainly understandable given the particularly gruesome nature of this nightmare. Moreover, there is absolutely *nothing* that can be said or done to change, detract or alter the fact that as a result of Chris Benoit’s actions last weekend, three people are now dead.
However —
Ask anyone who’s ever lost a loved one or family member to suicide and they’ll tell you; given the particularly complex nature of suicide (and the psychological maelstrom that leads one to commit such an act), suicide cases are rarely so black and white. Heck, even the notoriously “hard-line” Catechism of the Catholic Church (Benoit himself was Roman Catholic) isn’t so quick to judge. As it writes:
Grave psychological disturbances, anguish [or] suffering… can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide. We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance.
“But John,” comes the hate mail, “he locked the doors! He made up an alibi! This was all obviously a pre-meditated act!”
Again, maybe so… but the pre-meditation here might well have been past Chris Benoit’s psychological breaking point — indeed the proverbial “point of no return”. Does this justify his actions? Absolutely not. But might it help explain — and perhaps even mitigate — them to a certain degree? 100%.
Perhaps Eric Bischoff said it best: “God bless Nancy and Daniel. God forgive Chris Benoit.”
On the flip side…
Argument #10: “Regardless of how he died, Chris Benoit still deserves a place in the Hall of Fame
Of all the topics surrounding Benoit’s death, perhaps it is this one that will likely prove to be the most controversial of all. And that’s a shame, because anybody who’s more concerned “how the guy will be remembered” than the all-too-tragic fact that three people are dead right now because of him seriously need to get their priorities in order.
Time will tell us how Chris Benoit will be remembered. By his fellow performers, “The Rabid Wolverine” was always spoken of as a man of respect and tradition, with a tremendous love and appreciation for the wrestling business on the whole. By many of his “fans,” however — the tragic and untimely death of the Benoit family may inevitably (and perhaps, understandably) eclipse any and all that the man might have ever have accomplished in the wrestling ring. As many a columnist has already said, no matter how impressive his career may have been, in one tragic act Chris Benoit has become the OJ Simpson of professional wrestling. As such, MeeThinks it will be a LONG time before the company even feels remotely comfortable with entertaining the notion of a Chris Benoit Hall of Fame induction possibility, and you really can’t blame them for that, either.
People have to heal, react, respond, and move forward from tragedy at their own pace. And there is nothing to be gained for ANYONE (pro-Benoit or against him) by forcing people to call the man a Hall of Famer if, deep down, a great number of people simply no longer believe in the man as they once did.
Argument #11: “Steroids Are to Blame!” (or) “Chris Benoit’s Death Has NOTHING to Do With Steroids!”
In this article with the Edmonton Sun newspaper, Dr. John Bradford, associate chief of the integrated forensic program for the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, was one of the first medical professionals since the Benoit tragedy to come forth and maintain that there is a clear and distinct correlation between steroid use and long-term psychiatric health. “People that abuse steroids carry with them an increase risk of rage and rage attacks. There’s also an increased risk of depression, so it’s kind of a double whammy. The most usual cause [for murder-suicide] is a major depression, normally a severe one with psychotic features. They sort of start to think, in this psychotic thinking, that the whole family would be better off in heaven … that, ‘This is a horrible place, I think we’d all be better off dead.'” Bradford added that medical professionals often refer to cases of murder-suicide as “extended suicide,” as the perpetrator’s psychological state is ultimately is reduced to an all-consuming downward spiral in the moments just before they take their own life.
On Thursday evening, Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic psychologist, appeared on the Fox News television program “On The Record with Greta Van Susteren” (which also featured Bret Hart and Joanie “Chyna Doll” Laurer), and he said that while steroids and their effects could certainly have played a roll in Benoit’s mental state, that “he had a lot of other contributing factors that are more consistent with typical cases of murder-suicide,” including stress at home, marital problems, and issues surrounding how to care of a developmentally-disabled child.
And frankly, with steroid use/abuse being what it is/was in professional wrestling — this one issue alone simply can’t be held at fault for the Benoit tragedy, or there would be a slew of “roid-rage” murders (be they in the ring, in the homes, on the road, or anywhere else) throughout the wrestling world. And that’s simply not the case.
In short —
If medical professionals tell you “yeah, steroids are bad, but the big issue here is depression, marital stress and the couple’s frustration over caring for their son with mental retardation…” chances are that while sure — steroids, “tasteless” wrestling angles, crazy travel schedules, memories of dead friends and wrestlers, etc. probably ALL played some sort of role in determining the guy’s mental state, the big issue here was that most people who kill themselves and their family do so as the result of problems in the home.
Argument #12: “The Wikipedia entry from Stamford 13 hours before the bodies were found PROVES that there’s more to this story!”
No, it doesn’t.
What the Wikipedia entry PROVES in this case is that the age-old game of “telephone” is alive and well, and that the Internet Wrestling Community — as usual — is still incredibly effective at taking a rumor and blowing it WAY out of proportion before they actually can produce anything in the way of factual proof. Here’s how the Wikipedia thing went down…
Benoit misses the PPV, so the rumor-mill goes in full speculation mode, and somebody says “I heard his son was sick!” Somebody else says “I heard his wife was sick!” A third says “I heard his wife AND son were sick!” And a fourth says “I heard he had a family funeral!”
The guy himself admitted as much:
Last weekend, I had heard about Chris Benoit no showing Vengeance because of a family emergency, and I had heard rumors about why that was. I was reading rumors and speculation about this matter online, and one of them included that his wife may have passed away, and I did the wrong thing by posting it on wikipedia to spite there being no evidence.
Case closed.
Part Three: MeeThinks?
What I’ve Learned from the Benoit Family Tragedy
1) Media couldn’t care less as to the *why* behind this tragedy, they just want the ratings they know it will bring.
2) Fox News will cover ANYTHING to take the focus off of the war or Dick Cheney’s antics.
3) Geraldo has no idea what he is talking about.
4) People like to put things in neat little mental boxes, and “steroids” and “wrestling” are an easy fit.
5) Americans love a good murder mystery.
6) The IWC is a great place for rumors to get out of hand.
7) People are quick to blame steroids but quick to ignore alcohol and other factors.
8) Steroids are a dangerous problem. WWE’s Wellness policy might have some holes, but it’s a good start.
9) In mainstream media – statistics/details are ridiculously simplified or inflated.
10) A lot of “dead wrestlers” simply aren’t WWE’s fault.
11) WWE’s ass is covered thanks to Wellness.
12) The doctor who prescribed the medication might not be so lucky.
13) Some wrestling fans seriously need to check their priorities.
14) Many ex-wrestlers are bitter, angry people.
15) Many ex-wrestlers are well-adjusted and forgiving.
16) Some very successful wrestlers take and/or have taken steroids
17) Some very successful wrestlers (so they say) have NOT taken steroids.
18) There is a high price for fame.
19) Given the complex nature of suicide, it’s not my place to judge.
20) Domestic violence is never an issue to be taken lightly.
And With That, I’m Outta’ Here
If you made it this far, my thanks, as I know that this week’s column has been particularly loaded AND polarizing, and I’ve done my very best to keep things as fact-based and non-reactionary as possible. I hope, for what it’s worth, that I’ve done at least a half-decent job along the way… even though there’s undoubtedly a TON of blame to go around in a case like this (to WWE, to the doctors, to the industry, etc.) the bottom line here is that ONE person and ONE person alone is ultimately responsible for the tragic and senseless acts of last weekend — and that person, along with his wife and seven-year-old son, is dead.
“God bless Nancy and Daniel. God forgive Chris Benoit.”
The National Domestic Violence Hotline : 1-800-799-SAFE.
– Meehan
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