Dispelling some Benoit myths

Control issues cited instead of ‘roid rage’ in Benoit killings:

Can we finally drop the whole “roid rage” issue? No. Ok, if you won’t listen to me how about some expert professionals?

Domestic violence experts downplay the possible role of steroids in the Chris Benoit killings, saying the tragedy was more about Benoit’s anger over control issues at home.

Steroid usage has been linked to angry outbursts called “roid rage,” and depression when usage stops.

But in the case of Benoit, who apparently killed his wife and 7-year-old son during the weekend of June 24 before committing suicide, “that was a premeditated act and that’s not rage,” said Dr. Gary Wadler of New York, who studies the use of drugs in sports.

“I would wonder whether there was some underlying psychiatric abnormality that was unmasked by being on steroids,” he said.

“It’s sort of counterintuitive that he’s raging for three days straight,” said Nancy Grigsby, executive director of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Unfortunately, it looks like a garden variety domestic violence incident to me. It’s a decision, and they’re actually typically quite calm when they give themselves permission to do what they want to do.”

The killings at the Benoit home occurred over an entire weekend, which does not point to rage, experts said.

Penn State University epidemiologist Charles Yesalis, who has studied steroids for 30 years, said “anabolic steroid rage is a spontaneous behavior. From what I’ve read, the death of Benoit and his family wasn’t spontaneous. I don’t see steroids had much, if anything, to do with this.”

Got it now?

Benoit Used Crippler Hold to Kill His Son:

I’m sorry but this is idiotic and sensationalist at best.

This is a picture of Chris Benoit applying the Crippler Crossface.

His hands are clearly around the face of his opponent, not the throat. The crossface is designed to injure the opponent’s neck and back not the throat.

District Attorney Scott Ballard says, “A choke hold was used, rather than hands. There’s no bruising consistent with strangulation by hands.”

The crossface is not a chokehold hence the word crossface.

Wrestling writer Dave Meltzer adds, “There was bruising consistent with the Crippler Crossface on one arm and Daniel’s face. There were no bruises on his neck.

No offense to Dave Meltzer but you’re a wrestling writer, not a forensics expert. Consistent does not mean conclusive.

“But police don’t believe, because of the size difference, that the hold was applied exactly as in a wrestling match.”

Somebody wake me up when that comes from a legitimate news source and not a gossip rag or a dirt sheet.

Due to Daniel’s size, I doubt Benoit could have locked his son’s arm between his legs. In my opinion, he used the stereotypical chokehold using one arm around the throat and using the free arm to apply pressure on the occupied arm.

Was Benoit’s Son Really Sick?:

A source having access to certain of Daniel’s medical reports reviewed those reports, and they do not mention any pre-existing mental or physical impairment. Reports from Daniel’s educators likewise contradict the claims that Daniel was physically undersized.

Uh-huh. A source you say? That source better watch his ass because if that information is true leaking that information to the press without the permission of law enforcement violates a number of federal privacy laws whether the patient is deceased or not.

And again I say wake me when this comes from a legitimate news source.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am in no way excusing what Benoit did. I have dubbed him the Canadian Coward and I stand by that. However just because pro-wrestling is involved let’s not turn this into some conspiracy theory, over sensationalized crapfest in order to see who can be the first to break a detail about the case whether it’s true or not.