THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS
The excuse-making and rationalizing when it comes to the erratic behavior displayed by Jeff Hardy backstage at Sunday’s TNA PPV is LAUGHABLE.
“Jeff was tired.” “Jeff had a brutal travel schedule.” ABSOLUTE NONSENSE.
Hardy has a drug problem, one verified by the authorities. Drug addicts behave erratically. That’s the fallout. It’s what they do.
It’s enabling, yeah, but that’s what wrestling does. It enables. It’s the island of misfit toys, a fringe counterculture, a business of outcasts. Hardy couldn’t last in a real job. But he’s made a comfortable living in wrestling, becoming idolized in the process. Heck, Hardy was a kids’ hero during his last WWE run.
It’s a shame those kids weren’t backstage Sunday night. They might have been scared straight. Hardy, too. Kind of like the David Hasselhoff burger video.
I am not suggesting TNA should let Hardy go, or get him help. Why bother? TNA should just get whatever use they can out of Hardy before he dies. Have a memorial PPV. Squeeze out extra bucks that way. Have Matt sing “Heaven Needed a Champion” drunk and off-key. Do the whole Von Erich thing.
Maybe Jeff will slip through the cracks and survive long-term. Keith Richards did. Maybe Jeff can.
But probably not. At any rate, who cares? His family and friends clearly don’t. TNA clearly doesn’t. The worst place Jeff Hardy could possibly be is on the road wrestling. But he is, and no one seems inclined to stop him. So, seriously, why should I care?
The fans don’t care. When Jeff dies, the marks will weep. His value to the business will be inflated many times over (good career move). Meltzer will do one of those great obits. (Meltzer is AWESOME when somebody croaks. I’m just sorry I’m not significant enough within the context of wrestling to deserve the full Meltzer obit treatment when I die. If I thought getting back in the biz would merit that, I’d wrestle independents.) There will be a 10-bell salute on Impact. WWE will act like he never existed.
Then, in a couple weeks…the fans will act like he never existed. If dozens of dead wrestlers won’t stop marks from watching, what’s one more?
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