That article talks about the injuries sustained by professional sportsmen and women. But it made me think of another thing that is technically not a sport but ‘choreographed combat’, I believe is the word wikipedia uses. Yes of course I’m talking about the WWF/WWE as it’s now called. Of which I was a big fan for a while back when I was 10 or so. I always knew it was ‘scripted’ but nonetheless enjoyed the show these (sometimes, borderline suicidal) ‘performers’ put on.

Discussing one of the first matches I saw. Can’t believe his concussion was real. It was supposed to be just ‘kayfabe’.

I only recently, due to the wealth of info out here on the web, took another look at what happened to some of the people I remembered from 2000-01 WWF to see what had happened to them. Wrestling’s Dirty Secret

Eddie Gurrero – dead

Chris Benoit – dead and murdered his family, officially (although now I reckon he was framed and him, his family and Eddie were murdered)

http://www.pwinsider.com/article/45988/wwe-bans-chair-shots-to-the-head.html?p=1

Test – dead

Crash Holly – dead

Mike Awesome – only read today he died in 2007

Steve Austin – retired after neck injury in 2002

Jeff Hardy – can’t believe he didn’t do something just a little too nutty and end up paralysed or something. Recently got sentenced for drug offences. Can’t blame him for wanting pain killers.

Kurt Angle – still wrestling though judging by the photos from around 2002-6 he seems to have had problems with steroids. Clean now though, I hear.

(Except, if you heard the interview linked above, it wasn’t ‘breakable’ glass but regular glass.)

The Rock – very smart to stay away from the ring for years, only very recently making a comeback.

I think even at 10 yo I found it a little morbid watching these people essentially shorten each others’ careers and possibly lives, harming each other for the purposes of putting on a show.

So where am I rambling with this? Here will do. Although some may not appreciate the connection, I think it’s a lot like the way I see the troops.

“I really respect all the risks you’re taking but…you honestly don’t have to.”

“It’s because everyone else in society is sick, that you are where you are.”

“Even if you really want to, I’m not going to encourage it.”

That’s why I “don’t support the troops”, except really I do but not in the way the neocons define that term. If you see what I mean. For the same reasons I can’t watch ‘sports entertainment’ or for that matter most actual sports of this type. It’s all part of the broader Jackass type phenomenon, which to me just shows how sick society has become.