Don't pin sport of wrestling for Benoit tragedy

...Why is everyone so quick to blame professional wrestling? I don't remember anyone asking if football made a "monster" of O.J. Simpson. When Brandon Lee was accidentally killed on the set of "The Crow," no one blamed the film industry.

The media are quick to vilify professional wrestling and not solely steroid abuse, because the profession has never been truly respected. Ever since McMahon re-dubbed it "sports entertainment" - a virtual admission that the matches were staged and the finishes predetermined - wrestling has been rejected as a sport. But since wrestling also presents itself as a competition, it's never been accepted on its own terms.

Even as new details surrounding this tragedy unfold, professional wrestling deserves to be appreciated as a wonderful form of entertainment. Every show is a ballistic ballet, combing the holds and counter-holds originated by the ancient Greeks and Romans, the daredevil athleticism of the high-fliers, and an occasional chair shot to the head. We cheer the larger-than-life heroes, boo the sinister villains, and everyday emotions are stirred up in rousing fashion.

Chris Benoit's legacy is forever tarnished. Whatever the outcome of the investigation, the public should look at this as both a tragedy and a cautionary tale against the damages of steroid abuse. But it's not a reason to attack wrestling. We should blame the man, not the business.

source: www.newsday.com