Minneapolis/st. Paul Blog

Mr. Kennedy, AKA Kenneth Anderson, was born in Minneapolis and went to high school in Wisconsin. He worked his way through smaller wrestling promotions before getting his shot at the big time in the WWE. He was a popular heel with excellent mic skills and an arrogant persona who paid homage to his upbringing with two of his finishing moves, "the Green Bay Meatpacker" and the "Green Bay Plunge." But last year he was suspended for 30 days after testing positive for steroids. Here's how Wikipedia summarizes Mr. Kennedy's involvement in the scandal:

On August 18, 2007, Anderson gave an interview where he admitted to using steroids when he was on the independent wrestling scene, saying he quit the steroids in November 2005 because of the WWE Wellness Policy and that his job in WWE was worth more than an extra ten pounds of muscle mass. Twelve days later, on August 30, Anderson's statements were shown to be factually incorrect when he, along with nine other WWE superstars, were named in a Sports Illustrated article for being given illegal steroids not in compliance with the WWE Talent Wellness Program. Kennedy received anastrozole, somatropin, and testosterone between October 2006 and February 2007. Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Brian Adams were also discovered to have been given steroids prior to their death during this investigation, as well as former superstar Sylvain Grenier. Anderson later claimed that the steroids were for a legitimate medical reason, saying that they were from when he tore his lat muscle in 2005

Here is Mr. Kennedy in his own words claiming the steroids were for a legitimate medical reason:

I had been receiving medication because I had been injured," he says. "I went to the doctor and my levels of testosterone were low, so he prescribed medication. At no point did I ever go out and buy drugs on an Internet pharmacy. My doctor went on the Internet. I had no idea where they were coming from."

(It is abnormal for a man Kennedy's age to have low testosterone).

"Look at me. I'm not a big jacked-up guy. In small doses, they can be good for you. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I will never make that mistake again. It was a rough part in my life. It sucked being suspended."

We left several messages with MSP 2008 spokeswoman Teresa McFarland on Wednesday, but did not hear back. We wanted to know: Was the host committee aware of Mr. Kennedy's history of steroid use at the time he was asked to do the PSA? And were they concerned it might send the wrong message to kids? We'll update this post if we get the answers.