Sports
Wrestling with the scourge of steroids
Professional wrestling is fake.
The anger, the violence, the rivalries, the betrayals, all are carefully scripted.
The athletic ability of the wrestlers, however, is very real. These huge men must be highly skilled athletes to avoid being seriously hurt as they crash and thrash around the ring.
The wrestlers’ muscles likewise are real, though they may be artificially inflated through the use of anabolic steroids, since professional wrestling has not banned the use of those drugs causing so much controversy in legitimate sports.
The problems caused by steroids also are very real, including so-called “roid rage,” fits of anger apparently triggered by use of these body-altering substances.
Chris Benoit, a star in the WWE, was found dead Monday in his Atlanta home, along with his wife and 7-year-old son.
Police now say Benoit strangled his wife and child before hanging himself.
Whether Benoit had steroids in his system at the time of the killings will not be known until blood toxicology reports become available, but prescription anabolic steroids were found in the wrestler’s home.
If Benoit did have steroids in his system at the time of the double murder-suicide, he will join the ranks of several other professional wrestlers whose deaths have been linked to steroids, like Davey Boy Smith, Ravishing Rick Rude and Curt Henning.
Many young people are attracted to the glitz, the pageantry and the athleticism of professional wrestling. It is time for the industry to ban steroids, and to test its athletes for the substance, as well as to launch a campaign against their use by its young fans.
Professional wrestling needs to acknowledge that steroids can, and have, killed many of its former stars. In the case of Chris Benoit, these drugs might just have helped end a pair of innocent lives, as well.
Mullin is the News & Eagle senior writer.
- Sports
-
-
EHS boys risk league lead
Enid’s boys will put their Centennial Conference lead on the line tonight when they travel to Stillwater for the second half of a basketball doubleheader at 8. The girls tip off at 6:30.
The Plainsmen, 10-7 overall and 4-1 in conference, will be trying to end a three-game losing streak after a controversial 66-57 loss to Harding Charter Prep Friday. - Sports briefs for 2-9-10
- Local scores for 2-9-10
- DCLA girls peaking at right time
- OBA cagers visit Mooreland
- Radio-TV for 2-9-10
-
2 OU basketball players cited for shoplifting
Oklahoma basketball players Steven Pledger and Andrew Fitzgerald were cited for petty larceny Saturday night at the Dillard’s department store in Sooner Mall.
-
Griffin to reunite with Sooners
After becoming the first Oklahoma player to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, the start of Blake Griffin’s professional career has been delayed by injuries.
-
Drummond, Pioneer test win streaks tonight
-
NOC Enid's game changer changes his game
- More Sports Headlines
-
EHS boys risk league lead
