RAW color commentator Jim Ross released the following comments concerning the Chris Benoit Tragedy, the media, and this past Monday's RAW on his web site:
The senseless and tragic death of the 3 people in the double murder-suicide that occurred over the weekend in the Benoit's home in an Atlanta suburb is a nightmare that one still wants to awake from. For those of us that knew Chris, Nancy, and Daniel on a personal level it is still hard to believe that this horrific event could even occur much less why.
The last time I saw the three of them together was at Wrestlemania 23 and my wife and I had a long visit with the Benoits and at no time could one detect that there were any issues whatsoever. I even had the occasion to speak at length privately to Nancy and she said things were fine at home. As well as Nancy and I knew each other, if that had not been the case, she would have inferred otherwise I assure you. Like so many others who attended the event on that night, the Benoit family was happy and enjoying the moment.
So what happened? I do not know. No one knows. We will hopefully know more when the toxicology reports are completed. Until then all anyone has, including the media, is supposition based on speculation. To garner ratings, the media will continue to make this as huge a story as possible, even without all the facts. That’s the business in which they are involved. Remember when the media, without all the facts, essentially convicted the Duke Lacrosse team several months ago only to find out that there was no case but in the spirit of ratings and to scoop the competition, the three young men from the Duke Lacrosse team were in essence ruled guilty by the media?
I know this damn sure isn’t a Duke Lacrosse matter or even remotely close, because two innocent people are dead. But again we hear the media rush to judgment about why and how this horrific chain of events came to pass, but still without the evidence or a valid motive. So then why are three people dead? What caused this irrational and totally uncharacteristic behavior from an individual who hereto for had never demonstrated such tendencies in his workplace, not even once? I don’t know and neither does anyone else until the medical examiner can provide more information and then there will be most likely questions in this matter than may never be answered. I know this, God knows and he will deal with this matter accordingly.
Plus, some of those who have or are loosely associated with wrestling and who are making statements with little or no background of the facts of this matter or who simply want another 15 minutes are in a large sense pathetic.