Much of the discussion about Chris Benoit, in my view, is misguided in that it’s demanding that people take sides on an explanation. Drugs? Concussions? The punishing travel and mental stress? Independent domestic issues? Few of life’s mysteries can be clarified by a single magic bullet.
Michael Benoit, Chris’s father, is pushing the concussion research that he believes is the key to the irrational behavior of his life after friend Eddie Guerrero died, and to why Chris snapped in June 2007. Considering everything the Benoit family has gone through, and how committed and public-spirited Mike Benoit is about spreading the word on this problem, I believe his viewpoint deserves due deference.
Yesterday wrestling websites had this link – www.tracysmothers.biz/ – to a terrifying account by Tracy Smothers’ ex-girlfriend of his descent into madness, almost certainly the result of serial concussions. I passed it along to Mike, who wrote back:
“This is so sad. I will try with all my contacts to reach Tracy. Perhaps we can save him. This is only the tip of the iceberg. I believe that there are a number of active wrestlers that have various degrees of brain damage. Without regulation this will only continue.”
Irv Muchnick