Chris Benoit dead

[Kenny McBride]

In fairness, a ton of recent research (lots of it by Chris Nowinski) has suggested that multiple concussions can cause catastrophic depression and other mental problems. There were a couple of NFL players who killed themselves who were reportedly victims of that exact problem. Given the kind of abuse Benoit's brain must have taken over the years between the headbutts (flying and normal) and the unprotected chairshots, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this investigation finds exactly that type or problem.

[Loki]

These press conferences always turn violent. I predict Michael Benoit will wrap a steel chair around Dr Bailes' head before spraypainting him with nWo, to the horror of onlookers.

[unfitfinlay]

From PWInsider"According to Michael Benoit, Chris' father, tests conducted by Julian Bailes of the Sports Legacy Institute show that Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled that of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient. Bailes and his research team say that this damage was the result of a lifetime of chronic concussions and head trauma suffered while Benoit was in the wrestling ring. Benoit was famous for his flying headbutt, which put stress on his brain every time he did it. It's now entirely possible that we know why he committed the acts."

[tromageorge]

Randy Orton should be happy and they'll have to bring back Flair as this will probably lead to the banning of all moves except the headlock and the figure four.

[Phil Lowe]

In fairness, a ton of recent research (lots of it by Chris Nowinski) has suggested that multiple concussions can cause catastrophic depression and other mental problems. There were a couple of NFL players who killed themselves who were reportedly victims of that exact problem. Given the kind of abuse Benoit's brain must have taken over the years between the headbutts (flying and normal) and the unprotected chairshots, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this investigation finds exactly that type or problem.

The sooner more people in a position of power and authority pay attention to Nowinski's book, the better. I know he was knocked back by authorities a few times shortly after Benoit's death, which was a shame as there's a lot in there that they would have learnt from.

[TheBigBoot]

Well as was discussed earlier in this thread we won't be seeing the Crippler Crossface in WWE anytime soon (if ever). I think it's unlikely we are going to see Diving Headbutts for now as well.Anyway number of people speculated about this, both on here and in some of the media, in the days following Benoit's death but until now it hasn't been mentioned as much recently from what I've seen, e.g.

Something tells me that - if this horrible situation is true - Chris Nowinski could be getting involved in this case somewhere down the line with regards to concussions.

It seems like we find out more and more about this with each passing day.....Should Chris's body be examined beyond establishing the cause of death & toxicology report? Certainly - examining his brain etc could give answers he himself didn't leave behind

And these articles:http://www.f4wonline.com/"But the reality is also that steroids have been a part of this business for decades. Wrestlers have been on steroids since at least the 1960s, and probably earlier, and you don't hear about them going nuts and killing their wives and children. You hear about them dying early of enlarged organs, but not double homicide/suicides. To place the blame on steroids is horribly simplistic. My personal belief, and I've been asked this question a million times as always happens when something seemingly senseless happens, is that Chris Benoit was a guy who for whatever reason had it in him to kill two human beings. Period. Steroids probably didn't help. It probably also didn't help that he worked a very hard style over a period of many years and may have developed some sort of brain trauma. I remember shortly after the Virginia Tech massacre I listened to a radio show that interviewed a guy who had dealt with the bodies of many serial killers and mass murderers. He said almost without exception, every single one of them had some sort of brain issue, whether it be damage from an accident, a lesion, etc. Benoit's trademark move was the diving headbutt, he did multiple German suplexes night after night for years, and he took hard bumps in hard rings. I would not be in the least bit surprised to learn that something in his brain was fucked up, and that, combined with steroids and the psychological profile, lead to this disaster. "http://www.sportsline.com/mmaboxing/story/10243354/1"It is also a cycle that can lead to severe head trauma among wrestlers with the same kind of hard-nosed style that Benoit had in the ring. Many pro wrestlers suffer from multiple concussions and severe head trauma due to high-risk moves or chair shots to the skull. Medical issues related to post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) are now at the forefront of medical articles in the sports media. Former WWE star Chris Nowinski, who retired from the WWE in 2003 due to PCS, is leading the charge to examine dead athletes in all sports to see whether or not PCS has anything to do with erratic or suicidal behavior displayed by athletes who have suffered from severe head trauma. Nowinski has worked with a team of pathologists and neurosurgeons to analyze the brains of deceased NFL athletes Andre Waters and Justin Strzelczyk. According to an online article for ESPN The Magazine, published Saturday, Julian Bailes (chairman of neurosurgery at the University of West Virginia) has asked for permission to analyze Benoit's brain to see if head trauma or brain damage had anything to do with the behavior that led to the tragedy." Also when Konnan was on Nancy Grace the first time and they asked him why he thought Benoit did it, after he'd said it didn't sound like 'roid rage', he suggested that "maybe he had an undiagnosed concussion". I think BurningHammer might have been right about this:

I would absolutely fucking love something to change, but accept it will not happen. Vince McMahon is conditioned to believe in big muscles equalling big money, and has now conditioned the majority of his companies fanbase to believe the same. A few guys will shrink, so will their push. If the Wellness Policy is extended to include mental health and concussion screening, then someone finally may be getting somewhere.

Edited September 5, 2007 by TheBigBoot

[Bix]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3560015&page=1

Benoit's Brain Showed Severe Damage From Multiple Concussions, Doctor and Dad SayResearchers Say Test Results on the Pro Wrestler's Brain May Help Explain His Suicide, Murder of Son and WifeSept. 5, 2007

[JNLister]

Incidentally, the Sports Legacy Institute which carried out these tests is an organisation set up by Chris Nowinski.

[twelve_grand]

All hail Chris Nowinski.I really feel strongly about this - it's another of wrestling in particular, and US sports in general, huge problems. The working injured/concussed thing is just endemic. Have cut and paste below something I wrote here after reading Mick Foley's latest book - call me a twat but I just thought it was fucking depressing in itself. And he is/was a "survivor" who was retired and just going back for one last run.

This is as far as I can tell the most honest book about wrestling I've ever read. By the end some of 'jokes' have more fear and paranoia in them than the serious bits ('or have I just had too many concussions'). The stories from 2005 where Foley is regularly concussed (and is constantly throwing up after matches because of it) are frightening, simply frightening. You begin to fear desperately Foley gets out in a fit condition to enjoy his life but reading between the lines it doesn't seem that much fun being Foley - as the depression grips him you can't help wondering if that concussion related (by the way has anyone read Harvard Chris' writing on the subject?).Then there are the stories of Vince cracking him on the head during a match with a chair by 'accident' (it was meant to be his back), and Angle being sent out to the ring to make Foley look stupid by going off plan and constantly taking him down.And the most striking thing is going through the journey with him of seeing through the sham of the WWE family and looking back at his contrasting emotions towards it - from no-one turning up to see Davey Boy Smith in hospital to the joy that his match with Randy Orton gave him - to Randy not bothering to check on him after cracking him far too hard - to Jericho going through the same realisation that there are almost no true friends in wrestling only people you meet on the way.The most important book about wrestling today ever written.

[JNLister]

[Poopants the Scrunge]

That is one sad photo right there....So try this conclusion will this lead wrestling right back to , normally developed physiques (cos steroids fuck up your heart) and a return to ground based wrestling, (as high risk gives you a higher risk of concussions) . It is a cyclical business after all.Paging World Of Sport...Paging World Of Sport...

[TheBigBoot]

The tests, conducted by Julian Bailes of the Sports Legacy Institute, show that Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient. ..............In Benoit's case, the damage was found in every section of the brain: all four lobes and deep into the brain stem."It was extensive throughout Chris' brain," Bailes said. "This is something you should never see in a 40-year-old."The damage is proof, Bailes said, that Benoit suffered multiple, probably chronic, concussions over the course of many years.Benoit, in fact, told friends he had suffered "more concussions than he could count."

Those bits are just disturbing. Makes you wonder about the mental state of other workers who've worked a physical style especially those who like to take a lot of unprotected chair-shots/headbutts.

Foley is regularly concussed (and is constantly throwing up after matches because of it) are frightening, simply frightening. You begin to fear desperately Foley gets out in a fit condition to enjoy his life but reading between the lines it doesn't seem that much fun being Foley - as the depression grips him you can't help wondering if that concussion related (by the way has anyone read Harvard Chris' writing on the subject?).Then there are the stories of Vince cracking him on the head during a match with a chair by 'accident' (it was meant to be his back)

I haven't read Foley's latest book so this might be out of context but, after reading the above, that sounds pretty sick. I don't remember the angle in question but if it was as bad as it sounds (deliberately hitting someone by 'accident') then I'd love to see McMahon questioned over that when he is defending how the Wellness Policy exists to protect the talents' Wellness. What could make the owner of any multi-million dollar company think "I've got an employee (sorry, 'independent contractor') who's throwing up after matches due to head trauma so I'll crack him on the head with a chair, lol"?

[Bix]

http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/h...t.asp?aID=20635

9/5/2007 11:42:00 AMBrain examination finds Benoit with massive damageby Dave MeltzerDave@wrestlingobserver.comThe results of a brain examination of Chris Benoit found significant damage from both repeated concussions and sub-concussive blows that may have played a part in his killing of himself, his wife and son in late June.Dr. Julian Bailes of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University of Dr. Robert Cantu, the Chief of Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA, presented their findings at a press conference this morning in New York. Also speaking were Chris' father Michael Benoit, and Benoit family lawyer Cary Ichter of Atlanta.Cantu noted that out of the five athletes they have diagnosed with similar problems, including football stars Andre Waters, Terry Long and Mike Webster, the former two of whom committed suicide at a young age, that Benoit's brain showed the highest level of Tao protiens, indicating damage."Chris had, by far, the greatest amount of brain damage of the five," Cantu said.Bailes said the level of damage was enough to explain the suicide and homicidesNeither Michael Benoit nor Ichter would comment on potential litigation. Ichter said the family is still in mourning and has given no thought about, "what steps are appropriate in the legal arena."The only hint came in a statement by Michael Benoit who said he worked for a company where the top priority was the health and safety of its workers, and only wished his son had worked for a company with those same priorities.Bailes and Cantu are the leading doctors in the Sports Legacy Institute, which became an official charitable corporation in June. The president of SLI is former WWE wrestler Chris Nowinski, who was not present at the press conference. Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit for the rights to examine Chris' brain. The WWE was not consulted or made aware of any of these findings ahead of time.In questioning, the doctors downplayed the role of steroids in the case, but couldn't rule it out, only saying there is no medical evidence long-term steroid use causes the damage to the brain Chris Benoit had.They portrayed the brain examination as the only tangible evidence that has come to light to explain why Chris Benoit may have done what he did, They noted his level of damage would lead to cognitive impairment, major depression and heightened aggression.Michael Benoit also noted he had read Chris' diary and said it gave the impression of an extremely disturbed person, but that in his limited contact with Chris, a few minute phone call every week or two, he had no indication anything was wrong.

[Psygnosis]

You know I never took the untreated concussion thing seriously, but now I might pick up Chris Nowinskis book on this, as its really opened my eyes.

[FLips]

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but does this mean that WWE for example may start showing clips or bringing his name up again, most possibly in the long run, since we've found he didn't do what he did because he was a bad person or evil or anything?.Obviously what he did is still horrible, but at least we know he didn't do it with a right mind.