Runners-up: Tank Johnson and Chris Benoit
Runners-up for top story of the month:
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson, terminated by the Bears after his fourth arrest in two years, this time for DUI. After his third arrest last December, sports journalists won the “Enabler of the Month” award in the January ’07 issue of TAR, where I wrote:
“Journalists have euphemized Johnson’s ‘problems’ with words and phrases such as a ‘history of questionable decisions,’ ‘poor decisions,’ ‘his latest display of questionable decision-making,’ ‘latest indiscretion,’ ‘a pattern of off-the-field mistakes,’ the Bears’ reputations ‘could be sullied by Johnson’s actions,’ and the Bears request that Johnson ‘provide them with a list of lifestyle alterations he needs to make.’ How about …[admitting] that his serial poor judgment is most likely rooted in alcoholism?”
The DUI says it all.
Pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who strangled his wife, suffocated his 7-year-old son and hung himself with a weight-machine pulley. Reporters are suspecting “roid rage,” which results from the overuse of anabolic steroids. Yet, there are few if any such incidents that do not involve the addictive use of other drugs. While this is a tough call–Benoit is said to have been, overall, a good family man–he was previously arrested for DUI and a “lot of prescription medication” was found in the home. In addition, his wife got a temporary restraining order in 2003 and sought a divorce, alleging “cruel treatment.” Based on the available evidence, it would not be unreasonable to suspect he was a “periodic” drunk. Still, Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer, said “It’s like if you watched ‘Rocky,’ and in the end it comes out that Rocky killed his wife and his son.” If Benoit was an addict–toxicology reports won’t be available for a few weeks–it wouldn’t be the first in wrestling. Other pro-wrestlers who have died due at least in part to addiction have included Eddie Guerrero, Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig, Road Warrior Hawk, the Von Erich brothers–David, Mike and Kerry, Bruce “Buzz Sawyer” Woyan, Art Barr, Eddie Gilbert, Brian Pillman, Louie Spicolli, Rich Rude, Bobby Duncum, Jr., and Lyle Alzado. Roddy Piper and Del “The Patriot” Wilkes are still alive to explain that pro-wrestlers eat pain pills like candy in order to find relief from pain–Wilkes, who’s been arrested 20 times, admitting to taking somewhere near 100 pills a day during the peak of his use. Other heavy drug addict wrestlers include Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Lex Lugar. Yet, not every pro-wrestler uses drugs addictively, including Ric Flair and Mick Foley–it’s only the addicts, which the wrestling world has more than its share of.
Note to family, friends and fans of the above: the benefit of the doubt is given by assuming alcoholism (they are either idiots and fundamentally rotten, or they are alcoholic/other drug addicts–which would explain the misbehaviors). If alcoholic, there is zero chance that behaviors, in the long run, will improve without sobriety. An essential prerequisite to sobriety is the cessation of enabling, allowing pain and crises to build. Thus far, many have done everything they can to protect the addict from the requisite pain, making these news events possible. The cure for alcoholism, consequential bad behaviors and, ultimately, tragedy, is simple: stop protecting the addict from the logical consequences of misbehaviors and proactively intervene.