suddenly a sport?

[mat1419]

this isn't about chris benoit as much as it's about why espn doesn't recognize wrestling as a sport (as they shouldn't) but decides to give this story front page coverage? wrestling is going to have a huge black eye, and potentially never really recover from this issue and the cause of it (steroids), but does it fall to espn to cover this story merely because it covers steroids and because it's bad news? i just see this as them jumping on a witch hunt, and though i think pro wrestling is in desperate need of a soul and regulatory measures, i don't see where espn sees value in jumping in the fray with only this type of story.

to me, espn's credibility has been slipping over the past few years and this is just another case of them being inconsistent, somewhat baised in what they report, and not very informed of their subject matter.

[CarlMonday]

they reported on owen harts death, and eddie guerreros death.

[FondestMemory]

wrestling isn't a real sport, but wrestlers are without a doubt athletes.

not surprising at all to see espn cover this. they'd do the same if any athlete did the same thing.

[StuGrimson]

Any sport or event that isnt football or baseball or even basketball they will jump all over it to make it look bad, no surprise here.

[CarlMonday]

they arent trying to make this look bad, it was fucking bad what do you expect them to make a fucking hero out of the guy?

[Broken Parachute]

Wrestling used to be a sport. Back in the 70's and 80's it was less scripted and wrestlers were able to do what they wanted because it was under control. Now it's totally scripted and the storylines are worse because of how times have changed. The guys who wrestle are athletes for sure, but the federation itself is only for entertainment.

[StuGrimson]

they arent trying to make this look bad, it was fucking bad what do you expect them to make a fucking hero out of the guy?

True, I guess I am speaking more directly about how they treat hockey. I agree this is a terrible event but I think they are using the steroids angle as a way to justify why they need to cover it so much.

[CarlMonday]

well if its going to possibly uncover a huge steroids operation then it makes sense for them to report it, you dont just let other people scoop you on that shit

[StuGrimson]

Agreed, I dont get ESPN so my thoughts on this are pretty irrelevent....and really I think the only coverage it is getting on sports channels up here is due to the Canadian angle of it.

[Broken Parachute]

Did you guys see the thing about Benoit's wikipedia page?

[CarlMonday]

what thing?!

[mat1419]

they arent trying to make this look bad, it was fucking bad what do you expect them to make a fucking hero out of the guy?

no i expect them to leave it alone like they'd leave any other murder/suicide. the steroids started coming out and suddenly that makes it pertainent to the athletic world? that either says something about espn or something much more about sports...or maybe more accurately, what they consider sports news at this point.

[Broken Parachute]

wikipedia reported that his wikipedia page was updated 14 hours before the bodies were reported found and said that his wife Nancy was dead and that's why he left the house show early.

[mat1419]

wikipedia reported that his wikipedia page was updated 14 hours before the bodies were reported found and said that his wife Nancy was dead and that's why he left the house show early.

On June 28, FOXNews.com reported that news of Nancy Daus' death was posted on Wikipedia half a day before the police discovered the bodies. The phrase "stemming from the death of his wife Nancy" was added to the English Wikipedia's "Chris Benoit" article at 12:01 a.m. EDT on June 25,[103] whereas the Fayette County police reportedly discovered the bodies of the Benoit family at 2:30 p.m. EDT (14 hours, 29 minutes later). The IP address of the editor was traced to Stamford, Connecticut, which is also the location of WWE headquarters.[104]


the way this story is unfolding is absolutely incredible

[jaimej]

Haha, I'm going to be in Stamford in about an hour and a half.

[CarlMonday]

no i expect them to leave it alone like they'd leave any other murder/suicide. the steroids started coming out and suddenly that makes it pertainent to the athletic world? that either says something about espn or something much more about sports...or maybe more accurately, what they consider sports news at this point.

it is a sports story, like i said before they reported on the death of owen hart when it happened, and also on eddie guererro.

and that wikipedia thing is fucking ridic.

[FondestMemory]

no i expect them to leave it alone like they'd leave any other murder/suicide. the steroids started coming out and suddenly that makes it pertainent to the athletic world? that either says something about espn or something much more about sports...or maybe more accurately, what they consider sports news at this point.

they wouldn't leave it alone if another athlete committed murder suicide.

espn was covering it the night it happened, before the steroid angle even came in to play.

i just really don't see what you're complaining about here.

[CarlMonday]

he has no point, he is reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaching

[STSakaTRUTH]

ESPN has covered all recent wrestling deaths. Steroids has nothing to do with them covering this.

[Brownpants06]

ESPN is a business. Benoit is a huge story, of course they are going to report it, 100% relevant to sports or not.

[EnderDove]

Wrestling used to be a sport. Back in the 70's and 80's it was less scripted and wrestlers were able to do what they wanted because it was under control. Now it's totally scripted and the storylines are worse because of how times have changed. The guys who wrestle are athletes for sure, but the federation itself is only for entertainment.

Easy there son. Wrestling was just as scripted in the 70's and 80's as it is right now. The last time Pro Wrestling was really a sport was in the early 1900's through about the 1930's or so, when the matches actually were real. It was basically like amatuer wrestling in a pro wrestling ring, matches would last for at least an hour each time and as people started to find it more and more boring, that is when the theatrics really started to come in.

Pro wrestling in this day and age isn't anything close to a sport, however they are some of the best athletes in the world, however that doesn't make it a sport and I've been a fan my entire life.

I do understand why ESPN is covering it and I must say they've done a better job from what I have sene than Fox News, CNN and MSNBC who simply have wannabe radio hosts spit out speculation mixed with facts, although there are exceptions such as AC 360.