Eric Bischoff’s latest blog entry is a doozy, and here is just an excerpt:
Perhaps congress hasn’t heard about the immigration problem, or issues like Katrina. Perhaps the fact that government funded and administered programs that allow astronauts to fly space shuttles while legally under the influence of alcohol is just not newsworthy enough. Maybe the fact that members of their own body like U.S. Representative William Jefferson is accused of soliciting bribes, laundering money, obstructing justice and hiding pay offs in his freezer is just too mundane and doesn’t equate to votes. Or how about the esteemed member of congress from the state of Florida (Bob Allen) that was recently arrested for offering to polish the knob of an undercover police officer in a men’s room in exchange for a $20.00 bill? Congress feels the need/opportunity to stand up (get face time) and investigate professional wrestling. I’ve got a better idea. Hey Congress: investigate thyself.
Here’s a news flash: a disproportionate number of people who a drawn to the entertainment business appear to be predisposed to drug/alcohol use and abuse.
Go investigate that.
Hey Mero, go compile a list of musicians who have died prematurely of drug/alcohol abuse. Why is there no drug testing by the record labels that have these musicians under contract? Keller, dig into the fact that approximately 300 professional athletes in the NFL/NBA have been arrested on charges ranging from public urination to murder over the past 7 years. Find out if there is a drug/alcohol connection. Meltzer, why don’t you do the state of California a favor and find out why movie studios (many of which are public companies) don’t require drug testing of any kind yet we are deluged with reports of drug and alcohol inspired havoc on our highways by people that influence large segments of our society?
For all of you that think I am some kind of apologist for WWE: Your wrong. I am not under contract with them and do not expect to ever be again. I simply resent the fact that people have exploited a tragedy to promote themselves, their wrestling tabloids, their talk shows camouflaged as news, and in many cases, their need for attention.
While I am no longer a part of the wrestling industry, I do care what happens to the wrestling business. I have friends that work behind the scenes in the industry and feed their families, pay their bills and pay their taxes with the income they make in the wrestling business. I agree that too many people have died as a result of drug and alcohol abuse (including steroids). But to suggest that some kind of government oversight of professional wrestling is going to solve a problem that in my opinion is rooted within the fact that there are members of the medical community (already highly regulated by the government) willing to unethically and illegally provide addictive/dangerous controlled substances that are produced by drug companies (also highly regulated by the government) is wrong. As long as there are celebrities in the entertainment business that are determined to get their hands on and abuse prescription drugs, there will be doctors like Anna Nicole Smith’s and Chris Benoit’s that will be willing to supply them.
The proposed congressional hearings are not a criminal investigation. It is simply a way for politicians to get face time and try to convince their constituents that they are looking out for the publics’ interest by flogging professional wrestling. Because of the Benoit tragedy, professional wrestling is an easy target right now.
Definitely read the full entry here. Note: Bischoff is indeed no longer under WWE contract, as he states in his blog, with the contract expiring last week, according to PWInsiderElite.com.
