Your thoughts on marijuana in professional wrestling?

[slik]

Personally I don't care if a wrestler smokes pot. I don't think they should smoke prior to a match though. Seems like an after-match activity.

IIRC, WWE's Wellness Policy treats marijuana the same as it does alcohol, with the same amount of fine, rather than as serious violation.

What are your thoughts on this?

[Fignuts]

I don't see why there should be any sort of problem with it.

[dronepool]

Personally I don't care if a wrestler smokes pot. I don't think they should smoke prior to a match though. Seems like an after-match activity.

I agree.

[Lux]

if the man and/or woman smokes in their free time and it doesn't interfere with the job. let it be.

[#1-norm-fan]

IIRC, WWE's Wellness Policy treats marijuana the same as it does alcohol, with the same amount of fine, rather than as serious violation.

That can't be right.

[The Whole F'n Show]

Seems like a much lesser evil than all of the opiates that get popped "legally" in pro wrestling for pain. No problems with it here.

[Wake Up Call]

Isn't it illegal in most of North America?

[ron the dial]

road dogg 4:20

[voncouch]

I have no problem with weed. I think any adult should be able to put whatever they want into their body.

That being said, it's still a federal crime. So until it's legal on a federal level (no time soon), I think it should be considered a violation on par with whatever other illegal substances there are. Especially if you're going for a PG, family-friendly product. What message does it send to kids if their heroes are doing drugs and breaking the law?

In short, smoke if you want. I don't give a shit. But don't be shocked when the consequences happen.

[The Condor]

No problems but it is the corporate policy. If you want to work there don't light up. If you do want to blaze, go to TNA.

[loopydate]

it's still a federal crime. So until it's legal on a federal level (no time soon), I think it should be considered a violation on par with whatever other illegal substances there are.

In short, smoke if you want. I don't give a shit. But don't be shocked when the consequences happen.

Nail on head.

[Ol Dirty Dastard]

No problems but it is the corporate policy. If you want to work there don't light up. If you do want to blaze, go to TNA.

It drives me nuts to admit this, but you're right. Honestly, if I myself hypothetically were a wrestler in the WWE it'd be a MASSIVE struggle to pass the wellness test just based on the weed alone... I think it's a bullshit policy and I would be burning on the reg, but it'd be my god damned fault for getting booked. It's the rules not to smoke, so the boys' hands are tied. If they really "need" it, maybe talk to the higher ups about medical exemptions which seem to be going out like hot cakes in the states. Other than that, if it's pressing, and you need to blaze up like Edgar said, go to TNA if you're viable enough to get signed there.

[whiteyford]

If you want to work there don't light up. If you do want to blaze, go to TNA.

TNA has a drug policy, it's lol TNA in that I don't think they did more than test once but they still have one. But yeah, it's against the rules, if you want to be a stoner work elsewhere or get a legends deal.

[Innovator]

Well if you get pulled over by the cops, you won't get in trouble with TNA, just title pushes.

[whiteyford]

If even that.

[Emperor Smeat]

IIRC, WWE's Wellness Policy treats marijuana the same as it does alcohol, with the same amount of fine, rather than as serious violation.


Believe that is only the case for regular weed and not if its synthetic which is what R-Truth, Bourne, and a few others got suspended for.


Personally don't care if they use it or not but no sympathy if they were dumb enough to get busted while getting a push (ex. Swagger recently).

[Heisenberg]

Curtis Axel could use some pot to improve his promos.

Wrestlers imo deserve to do whatever they want with their bodies, and deserve to choose the green, especially if they got chokeslammed in their match, or drop kicked in the fuckin' face.

Now with pot being the gateway drug supposedly and mixing in the celebrity of being a traveling star, other devastating drugs come into play, and that is where the danger is.

[MoFo]

Really not caring about this at all.

[Next Big Thing]

I thought about this when they signed RVD. Maybe RVD is abstaining for the duration of his WWE tenure, but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if the higher ups are willing to overlook him pissing hot in exchange for the talent he brings.

[Innovator]

Or he just forks over the $1000 fine every month.

[whiteyford]

Thought guys on 'Legend' deals like RVD/Brock/Rock etc were exempt from piss tests since they aren't full timers.

[Juan]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xlvO_NfS85w/Tq7k6gJ5QuI/AAAAAAAAANc/vH7vF6CFaGM/s400/the-brian-kendrick_3.jpg

[ron the dial]

:(

[Curtis Anderson]

If there's grass on the field, smoke it.

[Nark Order]

Marijuana should never be treated like other drugs, IMO. it isn't like other drugs. Really irritates me when it gets lumped in with meth and actual dangerous substances. The lack of education on marijuana is pretty astounding.

[road doggy dogg]

Pretty much the same as my thoughts on marijuana in all professional sports:


They will always way over-react to the use of it, BUT them's the rules and every athlete knows them so they're completely idiotic if they get caught using. Pretty simple, really. You want to have your chance at being a multi-millionaire celebrity/athlete? Then sometimes sacrifices have to be made.

The use of it itself at face value I could care less one way or another about.

[ministrychick77]

honestly, i'd rather have them smoking than taking pain pills. there are states where it's legal, and pot helps with a lot of different things.

[Kane Knight]

Believe that is only the case for regular weed and not if its synthetic which is what R-Truth, Bourne, and a few others got suspended for.

Which is hilarious, when you think about it. The penalty for pot is a fine, so they switch to something harder to detect in general (but that WWE does test for), but which gets you fired instead of fined.

Pretty much the same as my thoughts on marijuana in all professional sports:


They will always way over-react to the use of it, BUT them's the rules and every athlete knows them so they're completely idiotic if they get caught using. Pretty simple, really. You want to have your chance at being a multi-millionaire celebrity/athlete? Then sometimes sacrifices have to be made.

The use of it itself at face value I could care less one way or another about.

Indeed. I don't even care if people smoke pot, really, but it's fucking idiotic to take an awesome job and piss it away because you want to get high.

honestly, i'd rather have them smoking than taking pain pills. there are states where it's legal, and pot helps with a lot of different things.

It's still illegal federally, and pain pills and pot aren't mutually exclusive.

[Shadrick]

I'm Edge, and I don't have a problem with it.

But I take no issue with their being consequences being that it's still you breaking a law.

[whiteyford]

Marijuana should never be treated like other drugs, IMO. it isn't like other drugs. Really irritates me when it gets lumped in with meth and actual dangerous substances. The lack of education on marijuana is pretty astounding.

They are all illegal, impair judgement/coordination so they should all be lumped together.

[Nark Order]

That is ridiculously ignorant. Marijuana is completely different than something like meth. There is no comparison. I don't mind them doing the "its all illegal" thing but pot is nothing some of the other drugs it is lumped together with. People that think that typically don't smoke pot very much. Smoke pot and then do meth and tell me they impair you in the same way or are even remotely similar. The lack of education on marijuana is pretty staggering. Don't get me wrong, I used to think the same way because I was lied to about pot for my entire life. Once I got into it a bit, I realized that everyone was full of shit. You can be completely functional on marijuana, especially somebody like RVD who does it everyday.

Once again, if we do the "its illegal" thing, then fine. But don't compare it to other actually harmful drugs. That's somewhat irresponsible.

[Volare]

Quit drinking completely and smoke maybe 2 bowls a day and a little more when watching wrestling, I spend way less and I don't feel like shit.

Once the majority of people are smartened up on Marijuana, this won't be a topic of debate. Times are changing with states legalizing it and more state are voting (Minnesota here included) on the medicinal legalization, which will more than likely pass here. It's all just a matter of time.

[whiteyford]

Hows it irresponsible? Does it impair you? Yes. You can be as liberal as you like but it impairs you and to try and defend it because "its not as bad as meth" is fucking ridiculous.

[Volare]

Yeah it does, and I take responsibility for that, by staying home and not wandering out in public. Not everyone in this world is going to make correct choices, and even correct choices have consequences.

[road doggy dogg]

That's a pretty slippery-slope argument, same as someone who swears they are just fine driving "while a little buzzed" because they're used to it.

[road doggy dogg]

Don't think that "legalizing it" will make a difference. Srsly? Alcohol is totally legal but you think your company wants you operating under the influence? Listen, I love weed as much as the next guy but saying it doesn't impair your ability to do your job (much more so such a physically demanding job where if you're fucking around you WILL hurt yourself or somebody else) is the irresponsible thing to say here.

[Curtis]

2013.

Still thinking its cool to smoke the herbal jew.

:nono:

And yes, any wrestler who smokes pot needs to be fired.

[bigslimjj]

2013.

Still thinking its cool to smoke the herbal jew.

:nono:

And yes, any wrestler who smokes pot needs to be fired.GO AWAY YOU RACIST RETARD

[Nark Order]

Well, I don't think they should take it before they go to the ring or anything but testing for it is kind of silly, IMO. It doesn't really change anything, tbh. You could not tell the difference between somebody who regularly smokes pot and somebody who doesn't by their in-ring work. It being illegal doesn't change that it's relatively harmless. Now, I understand that it is still illegal and people should act accordingly but I will not act like marijuana is harmful. Its just not and it is not in any sort of class with other hard drugs.

[Nark Order]

Obviously I'm not condoning somebody slamming a gravity bong load before they go out to wrestle. Even if it didn't effect the matxh, its unprofessional. Somebody smoking pot in their off time isn't a big deal to me and it never will be.

[Nark Order]

Hows it irresponsible? Does it impair you? Yes. You can be as liberal as you like but it impairs you and to try and defend it because "its not as bad as meth" is fucking ridiculous.

It's not that it isn't as harmful as meth. It isn't harmful at all. Like not one bit. At least not enough to matter in any significant way. I already said you probably shouldn't do it before a match or something but regular users are no different than non-regular users other than they just like to smoke in their offtime.

[whiteyford]

It isn't harmful at all. Like not one bit. .

Some of the common side effects of marijuana are:

Trouble remembering things
Sleepiness
Anxiety
Paranoia
Altered time perception

Neuropsychiatric Adverse Effects of Marijuana

Anxiety and panic
Paranoia
Confusion
Aggressiveness
Hallucinations
Sedation
Altered libido Possible suicidal ideation
Depersonalization
Derealization
Poor sense of time
Worsened short-term memory
Addictive behaviors
Amotivational syndrome


Nope, not harmful at all

[Volare]

Some of the common side effects of marijuana are:

Trouble remembering things
Sleepiness
Anxiety
Paranoia
Altered time perception

Neuropsychiatric Adverse Effects of Marijuana

Anxiety and panic
Paranoia
Confusion
Aggressiveness
Hallucinations
Sedation
Altered libido Possible suicidal ideation
Depersonalization
Derealization
Poor sense of time
Worsened short-term memory
Addictive behaviors
Amotivational syndrome


Nope, not harmful at all



And walking downstairs is death.

[whiteyford]

I'm not saying everyone who smokes suffers all or any of those things but they are proven effects of marijuana usage so to turn around and say its not harmful one bit is bollocks.

[Nark Order]

It isn't harmful when used responsibly. I'm willing to bet that those symptoms are probably from people that do absolutely nothing but smoke pot all day everyday for years. If you drank alcohol that much you'd die or your liver would explode. Moderation is important for anything. You're being kind of silly. Responsible recreational use of marijuana is not only mostly harmless, but in many ways it is beneficial. Had not figured you for one of those people that was irrational about pot use.

[Nark Order]

This past year I have smoked a lot. A lot. A lot a lot. Like sometimes for entire days. Seriously laughing aloud at reading some of those symptoms right now. Imagining severe confusion.

[whiteyford]

You said it's not harmful at all, it's medically proven to be harmful, yes moderation is important for everything but you categorically stated it was "not harmful at all, not one bit" which is bollocks. You want to smoke fine, couldn't give a fuck less, but to spout pish like that is silly. Yes marijuana has benefits, as does alcohol, in moderation, as do a lot of things, but they all have side effects and can be harmful if abused and reactions vary from person to person. I'm not being irrational at all, you're the one who can't seem to grasp that it isn't this harmless superdrug you're touting it to be.

[whiteyford]

Good for you.

[Mooияakeя™]

I have no problem with weed. I think any adult should be able to put whatever they want into their body.

That being said, it's still a federal crime. So until it's legal on a federal level (no time soon), I think it should be considered a violation on par with whatever other illegal substances there are. Especially if you're going for a PG, family-friendly product. What message does it send to kids if their heroes are doing drugs and breaking the law?

In short, smoke if you want. I don't give a shit. But don't be shocked when the consequences happen.

Nail on head.

And the box/bag it came in.

[Juan]

Not gonna lie, I'm a little disappointed to see what whiteyford's stance on marijuana is.

[Juan]

I've seen first hand how people with cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis have benefited from the use of cannabis, so there is no way I'm ever gonna accept the notion that marijuana should be in the same category as meth.

[whiteyford]

Don't have any issue with medical marijuana at all, I'm in favour of legislation for it, but to say that there is no harm at all from smoking it is just ridiculous, of course there is, there's side effects with any drug no matter what it is.

[snakeboss]

This past year I have smoked a lot. A lot. A lot a lot. Like sometimes for entire days. Seriously laughing aloud at reading some of those symptoms right now. Imagining severe confusion.

Geez, not addictive stuff then?

The difference between marijuana and alcohol is that if you posted that you had been drinking alcohol for days, people would be concerned you've developed a problem, where as with weed, it's perfectly acceptable to be high for days.

Is reality that grim that people need to escape from it that often? Now a good friend of mine took weed a lot and she ended up screwing up her entire life. I'd go visit her and she'd be smoking all day, calling sick from work, paranoid about all sorts of shit, anxious, just really freaking out, she was addicted. Eventually she got off it and started taking care of herself, doing something productive and now she's happier. I'm not saying weed affects everyone like that, but people can not say it's harmless, especially when they show how addictive it is by revealing they take it for days and days.

[DAMN iNATOR]

I’m not high on it...:shifty:

[Nark Order]

Marijuana is not addictive.

[bigslimjj]

Some of the common side effects of marijuana are:

Trouble remembering things
Sleepiness
Anxiety
Paranoia
Altered time perception

Neuropsychiatric Adverse Effects of Marijuana

Anxiety and panic
Paranoia
Confusion
Aggressiveness
Hallucinations
Sedation
Altered libido Possible suicidal ideation
Depersonalization
Derealization
Poor sense of time
Worsened short-term memory
Addictive behaviors
Amotivational syndrome


I'm in...who's passing it?

[whiteyford]

That's right, it's not harmful, not one bit....

[ron the dial]

Marijuana is not addictive.
ANYTHING can be addictive, mentally speaking. no, it's not addictive physically. but i certainly have a mental addiction to it that i'm fighting with.

[Rollermacka]

Marijuana should never be treated like other drugs, IMO. it isn't like other drugs. Really irritates me when it gets lumped in with meth and actual dangerous substances. The lack of education on marijuana is pretty astounding.

It isn't harmful when used responsibly. I'm willing to bet that those symptoms are probably from people that do absolutely nothing but smoke pot all day everyday for years. If you drank alcohol that much you'd die or your liver would explode. Moderation is important for anything. You're being kind of silly. Responsible recreational use of marijuana is not only mostly harmless, but in many ways it is beneficial. Had not figured you for one of those people that was irrational about pot use.

I agree with a lot of what you say, I would actually classify weed with steroids. When used safely and responsibly, can be very beneficial to the user. On the other side of that coin, who gets to decide what a "safe" amount of a controlled substance is? Especially, when your going out in front of a crowd and the slightest thing (I've already seen it happen) can put the person your in there with in the hospital. The only way you can say for sure is none.

[Nark Order]

ANYTHING can be addictive, mentally speaking. no, it's not addictive physically. but i certainly have a mental addiction to it that i'm fighting with.

Well, the substance isn't addictive. If people just sit around and don't stop doing it, that's more on the person than anything else. Don't get me wrong, I've seen it happen but it has little to do with the marijuana itself.

[ron the dial]

addction is addiction. you can excuse it any way you like.

[whiteyford]

Narcs whole reasoning seems to be 'I smoke it without any problems so it's harmless' and the fact that I'm saying that there are in fact proven side effects from smoking is me being silly. I'm not debating the whole 'moderation' argument or even saying its on the same 'level' as meth because that's discussion forum territory, all I'm saying is that there are proven negative side effects, the same with any drug and Narc is being silly for saying otherwise.

[Nark Order]

I agree with a lot of what you say, I would actually classify weed with steroids. When used safely and responsibly, can be very beneficial to the user. On the other side of that coin, who gets to decide what a "safe" amount of a controlled substance is? Especially, when your going out in front of a crowd and the slightest thing (I've already seen it happen) can put the person your in there with in the hospital. The only way you can say for sure is none.

Even if you overuse it, it's still not all that terrible. You can't say the same for most other drugs. I think people like to make excuses against marijuana because they want to believe that they've been staying away from it for a reason. There is no reason. The reason is that everyone was lied to about it at a young age. Most people could benefit from marijuana. And also, I'm having trouble following you. I already said multiple times you shouldn't do it before a match/ while in the ring. Marijuana doesn't really affect you when you aren't "high" much at all. Using it on your off time will not effect matches/ringwork etc.

People like getting on high horses about it a whole lot. It's really weird. I guess I understand cause I used to be the same way, but it sure is a bit annoying now that I'm on the side.

[Nark Order]

Narcs whole reasoning seems to be 'I smoke it without any problems so it's harmless' and the fact that I'm saying that there are in fact proven side effects from smoking is me being silly. I'm not debating the whole 'moderation' argument or even saying its on the same 'level' as meth because that's discussion forum territory, all I'm saying is that there are proven negative side effects, the same with any drug and Narc is being silly for saying otherwise.

My problem is that you are making those side effects seem like they are common or happen a whole lot. They don't. Weed is relatively harmless when compared to all of the drugs that you lumped it in with earlier. And you said that it should be lumped in with those drugs. THAT is what is irresponsible. And like I said, anything can be dangerous if used incorrectly or if you have allergies/personal afflictions to it. As a general rule, it's relatively harmless if used correctly.

[Nark Order]

People get so angry and flustered about marijuana sometimes. Ironically, those people could probably really benefit from smoking it every once in awhile.

[whiteyford]

A lot of those are common side effects, you stated its not harmful one bit, not every drug affects everyone in the same way obviously but those are all proven effects of marijuana use. And yes I'd lump it in with meth because they are both illegal drugs, my stance on drugs isn't a secret but I am all in favour of medicinal usage. I really don't give a fuck what any one smokes/pops/snorts/shoots but it's pretty fucking stupid saying its not harmful at all, which is exactly what you said.

[whiteyford]

http://i.imgur.com/cBrFw4b.jpg

[whiteyford]

Just bought that, figured I'd share since this is getting soooooper serious.

[ron the dial]

just for clarification, do you mean lumped in as far as wwe's policy or the law?

[whiteyford]

just for clarification, do you mean lumped in as far as wwe's policy or the law?

Here there are different classifications for drugs, Weed is a class C drug, which is the lowest band, Meth is the highest in A, and that makes sense to me, its an on the spot for possession I believe unless you're caught driving or whatever. As far as the wellness policy, yeah, if they are actually against the guys using it, and guys like Swagger getting caught driving baked doesn't help, then it should be a strike not a fine.

[Nark Order]

It can be harmful under certain circumstances stated before but as a general rule, it's not really that harmful at all. I don't know why that makes you so angry. You could smoke for 10 years, quit, and experience very little withdrawal symptoms and very little health detriments, if any at all. Try doing that with meth. You would die before the 10 years was even up. My main problem is that you're being very ignorant with putting it in a category with other actual very harmful substances. Marijuana should be treated different than other drugs because it is different an other drugs. Other hard drugs are extremely harmful to the body and can cause extreme health concerns, while for the most part pot doesn't really do much. Prolonged THC exposure over a long period of time has shown to cause some problems but just use things moderately and everything should be fine.

[whiteyford]

Your entire argument is 'for the most part' though. And it doesn't make me angry, you saying it isn't harmful in the slightest makes me think you're a tit but not angry, and that is my point, it is harmful, just like everything you put into your system there are side effects, these effects are proven and yes, they vary from person to person and some people won't suffer any and some will suffer the most extreme variations.

[Nark Order]

Whiteyford, you seem to be most angry over my language of saying "not harmful one bit." Would you have been happier had I said "generally not harmful?" You're very hung up on my words right now.

[whiteyford]

Yes, that's whats bugging me, the not harmful at all part because that's clearly bollocks.

[whiteyford]

That seemed sarcastic but wasn't.

[Nark Order]

Well. That was my fault for dealing in absolutes. My main point was that you can't lump all of those drugs in with one another because it sends the wrong message and it makes marijuana seem far more dangerous than it actually is. Like if you use meth for too long, you'll either die or you'll just become a disgusting shell of a person. If you use marijuana for too long, you'll probably have some short term memory loss, maybe paranoia every now and then, and you'll get addicted to eating gummy bears. There's a difference. That's what I was stuck on. Weed should never even be mentioned with things like meth, IMO. Or even cocaine, etc. Its a different animal.

Not going to sit here and spit venom at you or anything, I think we know where each other are coming from.

[whiteyford]

Go listen to the Grateful Dead, hippy?

[Nark Order]

What a thoughtful recommendation. I think I'll do that right this instant.

[whiteyford]

I'm gonna go watch Reefer Madness and nod along to it.

[ron the dial]

i'm going to go touch myself in the bathroom stalls at work.

[ron the dial]

that post may or may not have been influenced by the use of marijuana.

[Nark Order]

I know the work of marijuana when I see it.

[whiteyford]

Not sure who RTD just helped there.

[ron the dial]

everybody :D

[whiteyford]

You made Poit's day at least.

[whiteyford]

This is what the discussion forum should have been, a heated passionate exchange of ideas followed by the king indulging in some hand love in the bathroom.

[Lux]

I too am a little displeased with whiteyfords stance on the matter.

[whiteyford]

I'm sorry?

[Lux]

you state you've done research, I would like to know your thoughts on Sativas, Indicas and hybrids. because the side effects you've posted don't link up directly to all marijuana itself, depending on the THC content and the aforementioned 'strains' that play a big deal in the whole matter.

[whiteyford]

No, I said there has been research done. All the different strains will have side effects, like I've said each person is affected differently as they are with everything and not all or any would manifest, as is the same with all drugs prescription or otherwise.

[Lux]

I'm sure this research was done without any bias. I wouldn't compare it to a drug prescription which is intended to get you addicted, legally, because while the THC is in theory a 'drug', marijuana is plant. a part of nature.

there was some unbiased research done and proved our brain has small little nodes that accept THC, no these were not man made either. :D

[ron the dial]

mushrooms are natural and they can fuck you up big time.

[Lux]

other than "it is a part of nature." that is irrelevant to what I mentioned. if you moderate those boomers however, you can have on hell of a trip both enlightening and spiritual.

[whiteyford]

Pro/anti marijuana research is invariably done with an agenda. Drug prescriptions are not intended to get you addicted. Opium and cocaine are also plants. Part of nature.

[whiteyford]

Yes, moderation is wonderful, we've covered this.

[Lux]

Pro/anti marijuana research is invariably done with an agenda. Drug prescriptions are not intended to get you addicted. Opium and cocaine are also plants. Part of nature.

minus the fact that you need to alter both of those items with chemicals and other science like things that I've not the knowledge about dear friend. difference is both of those were MAN MADE from a plant.

oh really narcotics were never meant to keep the user needing more because our bodies build up a tolerance. I take it you don't have a PHD, neither do I but a person doesn't need one to know that there is a cycle humans have created that is currently spiraling out of control simply because we wanted to 'manage' pain.

[ron the dial]

other than "it is a part of nature." that is irrelevant to what I mentioned. if you moderate those boomers however, you can have on hell of a trip both enlightening and spiritual.
i'm not anti any of this so you're not telling me anything i don't know. but to ignore the negatives, no matter how you can control them, is silly.

[whiteyford]

Maybe we just go to different doctors, mine have never wanted me to keep using anything longer than necessary, can't say I've heard of anyone else experiencing that either. I'd maybe continue this further but your usage of 'spiritual trip' in a post earlier just makes me shake my head and I can't take you seriously at all now.

[whiteyford]

Hugs not drugs people.

[DAMN iNATOR]

Hugs not drugs people.
http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/comicsalliance.com/files/2011/06/gordondrugs.jpg

[Volare]

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wNLxoEz2tE4?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Tom Guycott]

http://whatistheexcel.com/wooobooru/_images/f30e0cb4ffa1b77a60b380cf4d3944ae/5761%20-%20ecw%20hat%20microphone%20one_night_stand%20paul_heyman%20smiling%20wwe.png
"I want you to know that... that I'm not crying... I was just in the back smoking a joint with Van Dam!"