SCOTT HALL IS NOT THE BAD GUY
By Doug Brown on 10/15/2008 2:08 PM
We've been reading the last few days about the incident that occurred at the Iron Sheik's roast. An unfunny comedian made a joke about the death of Owen Hart, and Scott Hall charged the stage to beat the crap out of him. The thing that bugs me is that so many people are actually making Hall out to be the bad guy in this situation. I think Hall was absolutely justified, and my only regret is that he was pulled off of the comedian too soon.
In this week's column, we are going to examine the situation.
Let's start with the "joke" itself. Jokes are usually made about something that is funny. Since when is an accident that sends a man, in the prime of his career, plunging a long distance to his death funny? The comedian then has the nerve to say that he thought Owen would have found it funny. I don't think so. Those that know Owen best talk about how close he was to his wife and children, and I doubt seriously that he wanted to leave his wife a widow, and his children fatherless. I know we live in a society that has no boundaries anymore. We have TV shows like Family Guy for instance that constantly make jokes about spouse abuse, rape, child molesting, terminal illness, and people's religious beliefs. To paraphrase a conversation Jim Cornette once had with Ed Ferrara back when WWE did the Terri Runnels miscarriage angle, things like this don't sell tickets, they just make you want to find the guy that wrote it, and punch his lights out.
Now, let's discuss Hall's attack. Yes, I know reports indicate that he was drunk. It's been well documented that Hall and alcohol are no strangers to one another. Owen Hart was a popular guy in the locker room. Hall worked with him on several occasions in the WWF. Owen's tragic death was mourned by the entire industry. The Owen Hart Tribute Show that aired on Raw the night after his death was one of the most tearjerking nights of my life. In the thick of the Monday Night Wars, we were reminded that the men and women who perform for our entertainment are in fact real people, with real feelings, and it was quite an experience to be apart of the grieving process with them. Then, you have this idiot making a joke out of that. He better be glad that he was not at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony when he made that remark, because I guarantee that over half the audience would probably charge the stage wanting a piece of the guy. Steve Austin, the Rock, Chris Jericho, Triple H, Mick Foley, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, and others thought the world of Owen. He makes a remark like that in front of those guys, and it would not be a question of if a beating was coming, but when and for how long.
Wrestling has had more than enough tragedy. Owen Hart, the Von Erichs, the Benoits, Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Road Warrior Hawk, Brian Pillman, Eddie Guerrero, and many more names comprise a list that is way too long. There are plenty of things in the wrestling industry to make a joke out of, but the list of those that left us way too soon is not one of them. Scott Hall worked with a lot of those guys, called many of them friend, and I'm sure much like he did in this instance with Owen Hart, took exception to a jerk mocking their deaths. Hall's done quite a bit to be ridiculed for, but this time he stood up for what's right.
