[“It’s a fun business,” McMahon tells Congressional investigators.]
It was Rep. Henry Waxman last year who brought us Roger Clemens’ star turn before Congress, and 2009 shows the man with the gavel off to an auspicious start. Lots of wrestling sites covered the release of Vince McMahon’s testimony before Congress,including dirt sheets like The Atlantic, Time, and lots more. Read The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder for insight into how the WWE puts its shows together and Time for Stephanie McMahon on Hulk Hogan as a “lousy wrestler,” but a phd in ring psychology. Finally, it’s in the Congressional Record. The nation once again regains its world credibility. The committee’s entire findings can be viewed, via your tax dollars, here. My favorite highlights from the Vince McMahon interview include this account of how he entertains national media figures, like Mr. and Mrs. Frank Deford.
BY MR. LEVISS:
Q a list of 60 or over 60 former professional wrestlers
who in his assessment had died early. Are you familiar with
A I’m not familiar with anything Dave Meltzer writes.
He’s a gossip columnist. I don’t read what he has to write. Like
I say, he’s a dirt monger. There are a number of those. We call
them dirt sheets and they have very little credibility.
BY MR. COHEN:
Q What about some of his work received coverage in a
number of other more mainstream outlets, for example, Sports
Illustrated. I believe Frank Deford did a story on the Meltzer
numbers. Are you familiar with that?
A Look, I’ve borrowed one of Frank Deford’s shoes one
night. He doesn’t like me.
Q Are you familiar with his story?
A No. Other than Frank Deford wrote something derogatory.
But, you know, he has no sense of humor and he doesn’t like me.
We were bowling one night and I borrowed one of his shoes and he
never found it. And so he had to walk home in a bowling shoe and
one of his others, and he was upset about that I understand. But, you know, he has no sense of humor and he doesn’t like me.
We were bowling one night and I borrowed one of his shoes and he
never found it. And so he had to walk home in a bowling shoe and
one of his others, and he was upset about that I understand.
Mr. Leviss: I’m going to have to note that would be upsetting too.
Mr. O’Neil: Now we know the rest of the story.
Mr. McDevitt: You’re hearing something for the first time,
too. I never heard that one.
Mr. McMahon: Well, actually I also borrowed one of his
wife’s shoes, too.
Mr. McDevitt: That’s a whole different story.
Mr. McMahon: I left that part out.
Mr. Leviss: I take it she was not your size.