July 11, 2007

BENOIT TRAGEDY PROOF THAT SPORTS CANNOT SELF-GOVERN

      Through the seemingly endless performance enhancing drug problem sports leagues and organizations have so far been successful, for the most part, in keeping the government out of their businesses.  As long as the tragedies involve present-day and former athletes either committing suicide or perishing from disease (they reaped what they sowed) then the authorities were willing to accede to these associations and leave them to self-govern.  But professional wrestler Chris Benoit’s final horrifying decisions prove once and for all that these associations fail badly in the area of drug control and cannot be left to their own devices.  It’s time for government agencies to ignore the wishes of these organizations and perform its due diligence.

       While professional wrestling bills itself as sports entertainment, its promotional and sensational style has pushed the individuals involved beyond common sense as wrestlers seek the reward of being a public star.   Hulk Hogan revolutionized wrestling in the eighties and, along with Vince McMahon, turned it into a fantasy spectacle that starred bigger than life athletes with cartoon-like bodies.  Since then steroids have played a major role in wrestling’s growth as others, desiring the gold at the end of the rainbow turned to performance enhancing drugs to create their own sculpted cartoon figure.  Those involved have tried vainly to ignore the downside.

       Experts believe that steroids can cause depression, paranoia, and violent outbursts.  These are accurate assessments.  Drugs change moods--serious drugs change moods seriously.  To think otherwise is both ignorant and dangerous.

       The wrestling federation was quick to respond to the tragedy and attempted to deflect any query about drug abuse.  Their attempt at spin control failed quickly as information that Benoit had a serious steroid addiction was made public.  The wrestling federation slithered away to lick its own wounds. 

      Wrestling is not alone, however, as sports in general try to gain even the slightest bit of control over steroids while keeping the government at arm’s length. For their part the authorities simply look at each individual case and decide upon a course of action—“we can arrest and prosecute users”, said Drug Enforcement Agency spokesman Rusty Payne, “but they are not the target or focus of most investigations.”   The focus of those investigations is to attack and destroy large drug organizations—users are merely pawns in the war on drugs.  Chris Benoit was a pawn—the DEA was investigating the wrestler at the time of the tragedy, but decided not to arrest.  They wanted to know where his drugs came from and who supplied them.  Traffickers are the targets, not users—the pawns are expendable.

      But now instead of simply harming himself one of those pawns exploded like a cluster bomb and took out those around him when he blew.  The issue of athletes and steroid abuse has now taken a step up in importance.  No longer can authorities simply stake out users and hope they lead to the center of drug organizations—they are going to have to act a lot sooner and begin to recognize when users are close to blowing up and when they need to be taken off the field of battle.   

      The sports leagues and organizations have similar intentions if for different reasons.  Their greater good is the organization itself.  They are more concerned about how it affects them—the result is that they are far less likely to have the individual’s best interests at heart.  The Benoit tragedy pushed this issue far beyond that of a simple turf war.  Authorities can’t afford to wait anymore, and they certainly can’t afford the time needed to circumvent the wishes of each sports organization.   It is a matter of public importance—and public safety.  Next time the explosion might take several lives—or might even result in a public massacre.  There’s no telling.      

      “It’s ridiculous for anyone to think we could have known that anything like that could have happened.” 

       Payne’s statement is one that can never be uttered again.  Now they know it can happen.

QUICK HITS…The reason Barry Bonds is so despised throughout major league baseball cities is not just because he cheated—it’s more because he’s such an ass.   There he was, at his own team’s all-star festivities, thumbing his nose at the only fans that support him by passing up on the home run derby, and then blaming all others for the vitriol that accompanies him everywhere he travels.  Just makes you want to have him over for dinner, doesn’t it?

 …Raptor GM Bryan Colangelo obviously concluded that he wasn’t going to find his one desirable commodity, a wing player that could break down defences and draw fouls, either on the free agent market or though trades so he decided upon the next best thing.   He would add a shooter and open the floor even more for his post players, namely Chris Bosh, and the only penetraters the Raptors possess—their point guards.  I hope it works.

 …And I can see why Colangelo was in such a hurry to leave Phoenix.  Poor Steve Kerr had to move his first round draft choice, Rudy Fernandez, and a rotation player, James Jones, to Portland to get his owner some more cash. 

…I have no problems with J.P. Ricciardi’s comments about A.J. Burnett.  It’s not like anyone associated with the Jays hasn’t questioned Burnett’s toughness, or has expressed regret over the large contract.  I think JP has a bigger regret right now though.  Troy Glaus is obviously past the point of being able to contribute anything defensively and is due a huge chunk of change next year.  Unless he can move Glaus Ricciardi will have two big and slow, and very expensive, designated hitters next season in Glaus and Frank Thomas on his roster. 

…NHL commissioner Gary Bettman can’t possibly believe that he is going to be able to maintain his stance of denying future franchises from attempting to move to Canada.  The solid Canadian dollar has changed the landscape.  There are now a few cities that likely would turn a handsome profit for any ownership group resourceful enough, and stubborn enough to move into these large, and relatively untapped areas.  My money, if I had any, would be on Jim Balsillie eventually owning and operating a franchise north of the border.  

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