Chris Benoit and Family Found Dead

[Eelementary]

I think at that time Benoit couldn't bring himself to admit what he'd done, and was totally confused and threw the coughing up blood thing as an excuse to not be at the show.
Actually it's probably what happened when he strangled his wife and that's why he said it.

Christ this screwed up.

Again Chavo saying how quiet Benoit was and never letting anyone in.
Dammit Chris.

Someone being quiet and reserved doesn't necessarily equate to a tortured soul...

 

[Game_Breaker]

Hey so yeah - at what point did you walk a mile in his shoes? At what point did you become the overlord of the universe and experience every little thing there is to experience in this universe?

I think he was just saying that nothing justifies what he did

 

[Eelementary]

That's just it. There's no manual on how we should feel. To the best of my knowledge nothing even remotely similar to this has ever happened before.

A hero to literally millions committing such a crime is not even imaginable.
We never heard of Benoit ever being in trouble or backstage trouble. He seemed to be almost like one of us regular people, except he had an incredible talent for wrestling.

I agree.

Look, if people want to crucify and hate him - go right ahead. But why have you got to try and get everyone onto that bandwagon and piss on those who don't?

Chris Benoit wasn't even one of my favourite wrestlers, but I loved watching him. Regardless of that, despite all the evidence, I still find it unreal...It's like a bad movie. It's so hard to imagine someone you admire doing something so heinous.

Can you imagine (as I'm an Eels fan) how I would feel if I found out Nathan Cayless murdered his wife and kid? Part of me would be in denial because of what a hero he was to me, and the other part would be disgusted. But the mixture exists.

 

[Eelementary]

I think he was just saying that nothing justifies what he did

It's not about justification - he's claiming that nothing in the world can drive a man to kill his own son.

Let me tell you right now - someone who is severely mentally ill could do anything. And given what happened, it's safe to assume Benoit was not mentally sane.

 

[Game_Breaker]

It's not about justification - he's claiming that nothing in the world can drive a man to kill his own son.

Let me tell you right now - someone who is severely mentally ill could do anything. And given what happened, it's safe to assume Benoit was not mentally sane.

Ofcourse, anyone who commits such a crime is not mentally stable.

 

[Eelectrica]

Someone being quiet and reserved doesn't necessarily equate to a tortured soul...

No certainly not. What I meant was if he'd just said something and been a little open that all this could and probably would have been avoided.

 

[Eelementary]

Ofcourse, anyone who commits such a crime is not mentally stable.

I know. It's just from the way that other dude spoke (ie: "there is nothing you can say that will give it perspective")...He's acting like he's lived through exactly what Chris did. I don't think killing anyone - regardless of age or gender - is a great feat. But there are certainly extenuating circumstances - of you're that ill that you just lose it...

 

[Eelementary]

No certainly not. What I meant was if he'd just said something and been a little open that all this could and probably would have been avoided.

True.

 

[Eelementary]

Someone from the GameFAQs forum posted this and it sums up what I've been trying to say:

"http://youtube.com/watch?v=F8RjLTEMHTc

Yes, it's in several topics already. Still, I feel that's a video that everyone should watch.

Tragedies far greater in scope than this one happen every day, but that does not mean that this one should be ignored. Or worse, reduced to senseless and stupid statements on both sides of the equation. You may still believe Benoit is innocent of his actions, but it's still completely stupid to do so. You might think that saying "BENOIT IS POOPFACE BURN SCUM" is right but it makes you look completely stupid and ignorant to say so. People react to situations such as this involving people they revered in many different ways. Lashing out like an idiot is one of the worst.

What Chris Benoit did to his wife and son cannot be defended. His actions were horrible, inexcusable. They were those of a man who was very, very broken in some way. In which way, I cannot say, and neither can any of you, at least as of yet.

What I can say though, is that I think the video above shows that whatever Chris Benoit was, he was not some deranged sociopath, someone who cackled with glee as he killed his family and then tried to move on as if nothing had happened. He wasn't a guy who killed people over the course of years and buried them on his pig farm. He wasn't some genocidal dictator or terrorist madman trying to inflict chaos on the world of large. He was a man who broke, and chose the absolute worst action he could have possibly taken.

In regards to whether Chris Benoit can be "forgiven", I have nothing to forgive him for. Those who knew his family must make that decision on their own, and no one can make it for them. But his actions have rightfully tainted his name, irreparably tarnished his legacy. Murder can do no less. What he did does not deserve to have his memory be one of reverence. I cannot revere Chris Benoit anymore.

But I can pity him. Chris Benoit did a horrible thing, and I can and will be incredibly sad that such a man had such problems as drove him to do so. I am sorry he never got help for whatever was torturing him. I pity that something, whatever it was, turned the man we see in the video above, a man mourning the loss of his great friend and hoping to see him again someday, into the man who tied a cable around his neck on Sunday. For that, I am so sorry. And I do feel that sadness is a far more conductive feeling that useless hatred is.

Chris Benoit was one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He's a man I've talked with, if for only five minutes, a man I've shaken hands with and called one of the greatest. He still is that man. Unfortunately, he's also something else. Something far worse. And I pity him. But I cannot forget both sides of who he was.

I don't believe in God or Heaven or Hell. I can hope that, whether I believe or not, whatever the case may be, Nancy and Daniel have found some peace. And maybe someday, some time, Chris Benoit will as well."

 

[Ari Gold]

Being a wrestler would just feed your depression... being on the road for so long, having the massive highs in the ring then crashing back down to earth backstage.

 

[Eelectrica]

Great find Eelementary. It about sums up my thoughts as well.

 

[Game_Breaker]

Yeh, that guy articulated alot of peoples thoughts perfectly

 

[Big_Bad_Shark_Fan]

I cant look at it in any other way to even remotely give Benoit any benefit, even if he was in a fragile state. The fact that his wife had filed for divorce or whatever cause she felt unsafe in 2003, much before Eddie and other tragedies happened, suggests this has happened for a while as she was fearing for there safety. he would of had a while to try and get out of the place hes in, but hasnt.

Everyone will come here and say they respect him as a wrestler and everyone agrees on that. But this sort of thing happens alot throughout the world, people killing people, family too, obviously not getting the coverage of this, but because everyones seen Benoit,
'the babyface' for so long its like everyone knows him and what type of person he was. But when someone else does it who isnt famous, everyone would just simply say 'What an idiot' , and wouldnt think twice about it. But because everyones come so accustomed to Benoit, people are trying to give him the benefit. Truth be told, we dont no a thing about him, nor do we know a thing about Bret Hart to be honest, or Shawn Michaels or Steve Austin. Turns out Benoit was a bit of an idiot, even before whats happened last weekend.

 

[Parra_Eels]

Yeah it's strange to think that no matter how much WWE we watch or how many dirtsheets we read we never have any idea of what they're like. Is it possible that Benoit could be possibly a little emotionally immature to deal with things in his life because I liken the path he took to joining the army straght out of school. He's been wrestling since he was like 16 and that was his whole life and so I guess what I'm saying is that he never went out into the real world and had normal life experiences. I guess thats why people like Cena and Batista seem to have a better grip on what the real world is like. Does this make sense or am I babbling?

 

[Eelementary]

It's not a great lifestyle.

 

[Eelementary]

I don't think people are trying to defend him or excuse him. The thing is that many, many, many people the world over admired the man. They respected him. And it is so hard to let go of that, even when such heinous acts are committed.

It's true - this stuff happens all over the world and every day. But what sets this out as different? The fact he's famous? No, not really. It's the fact he was admired.

Think about it - if George W. Bush (knock on wood he doesn't) did the same thing, would it have quite the same effect on people? I don't want to open a can of worms, but I don't quite think George is respected and admired in the same light. A lot of people dislike the man intensely. Whereas practically everyone who likes wrestling admired Benoit.

That's what I, personally, am struggling with - it's unreal. It's horrible. And I am facing a reality of a world where the very mention of the name "Chris Benoit" will be met by disgust, even in a discussion of wrestling. It's just so out there and unlike anything else that dealing with is rationally is difficult.

 

[Blade]

Hey so yeah - at what point did you walk a mile in his shoes? At what point did you become the overlord of the universe and experience every little thing there is to experience in this universe?

Let me get this right before I tear you a new one... so you're backing his actions of strangling his wife and suffocating his child, correct?

 

[Misanthrope]

Let me get this right before I tear you a new one... so you're backing his actions of strangling his wife and suffocating his child, correct?

At no point has he said that. If you want to start an argument, go to the Fight Club with the rest of the clowns. He's simply said that nobody has the right to tell somebody else how they should feel with regards to this situation. There is nobody left on this earth who knows what made Benoit do what he did, and there's no 'rule' that dictates how somebody should feel when a person they've respected and idolised for so long does something so inhuman.

You may believe that there is no reason for what Benoit did, but it's clear that there was something very wrong in his head. Not just because of what he did, but because of the ritualistic, methodical manner in which he did it. This in no way excuses him for what he did, but if he was suffering from a severe mental disorder not brought on by his own actions (such as steroid abuse) - it at least excuses him from the ridicule and scorn of people who, despite what they may like to believe, know sweet f**k all about what he was going through and why he decided to do what he did.

And I'm not saying I in any way forgive what Chris Benoit has done. It's an atrocious, low, cowardly act. But I also hate to think that a man who meant so much to so many people (in both a broad 'fandom' sense and the fact that he clearly meant a great deal to everyone who encountered him) got to a point in his life where that was his only option. It screams of an untreated and possibly undiagnosed psychological condition - and that's sad to me.

Chris Benoit is to blame for his actions. But the cause of his state of mind needs to be looked at as well. The professional wrestling industry is already one rife with suicides, drug overdoses, and steroid related deaths. Now it's gone a step further with one of its brightest stars taking not only his own life, but the lives of two innocent people. Nothing can be done to bring Nancy, Daniel, or Chris back. But steps can be made to address the underlying issues. What drives a man to that state of mind? Why did he feel that he had no option outside of murder and suicide?

 

[ParraDude_Jay]

Chris Benoit is to blame for his actions. But the cause of his state of mind needs to be looked at as well. The professional wrestling industry is already one rife with suicides, drug overdoses, and steroid related deaths. Now it's gone a step further with one of its brightest stars taking not only his own life, but the lives of two innocent people. Nothing can be done to bring Nancy, Daniel, or Chris back. But steps can be made to address the underlying issues. What drives a man to that state of mind? Why did he feel that he had no option outside of murder and suicide?

Personally I would be more inclined to say it was a problem with Chris Benoit and not the industry. I watched that video of his tribute to Eddie, this is obviously a man who had problems and only had one person who ever truly understood him, who he completely trusted and could get through to him. That person was taken from him, almost two years of having nobody to reach out to and talk to obviously drove him to this.

But that is not the fault of WWE or wrestling, just thinking about my own friends I know some who always talk to me for every minor problem they have, some who only reach out when they hit rock bottom and some who, like Benoit, refuse to reach out at all. This man needed help and couldn't find it but I'm sure if he actually looked that WWE and it's employees would have done everything in their power to get him that help.

Everyone is unique and deals with things in their own way, you can see that just by reading this thread. Benoit felt like he had no way out, it's truly sad that it was allowed to get to that point but it could prove to be a very harsh lesson on the importance of communication and friendship for everyone who knew, or just knew of, Chris Benoit.

 

[Big_Bad_Shark_Fan]

watched that video of his tribute to Eddie, this is obviously a man who had problems and only had one person who ever truly understood him, who he completely trusted and could get through to him. That person was taken from him, almost two years of having nobody to reach out to and talk to obviously drove him to this.

100% Disagree.

His wife apparently filed for divorce in 2003 cause she feared for her safety and her childs. So even when Eddie was around, this stuff was happening a while before it.