Theoretical Behavior: Team Foxcatcher

The topic I chose is Team Foxcatcher, Foxcatcher was a team of wrestlers put together by a man by the name of John du Pont for the 1988 Olympics. John du Pont was a multimillionaire that liked the sport of wrestling but was never any good at it but, he did have a lot of money which allowed him to put together a team of great wrestlers from all over the U.S.. One of these wrestlers being Mark Schultz a great wrestler that unfortunately lived in the shadow of his brother Dave Schultz, Dave and Mark Schultz were both Olympic gold medalists but Dave got more attention from the media. The fact that Mark lived in Dave's shadow made him jump at duPont's offer to join his team at his 880 acre estate where he was going to build a 14,000sq ft training center for the team.
In the beginning things seemed to go fine they had a nice facility, they were getting paid very well, and they were pretty good. None of the wrestlers suspected anything of duPont at first, nor did they care as long as they were living in luxury and getting paid as well as they were. DuPont treated the team very well and gave them what they asked for, although the guy was kind of a goofball the team listened to duPont and sort

of respected him as their coach although he never taught them anything since he knew nothing about wrestling. DuPont also supplied clothing, a place to sleep, and food for the wrestlers on the team but the problem was that those weren't the only things he supplied the wrestlers with.
A lot happened when they were on Team Foxcatcher and by that I mean a lot of drug usage which started to deteriorate Marks and the others mental health. Due to all the drug use amongst all the wrestlers they began to become very frustrated and angry causing them to lose matches due to their temper getting out of hand. Mark was one who suffered from these mood swings causing him to lose matches he never should have lost with his type of skill. Once Dave began to notice his brothers mental health quickly deteriorating he talked his brother into quitting the team but, it wasn't going to be that easy since duPont had serious mental issues. Therefor Dave offered to take his brothers spot on the team putting him in a dangerous situation.
Once on the team he began to notice that duPont was a little off in the head which began to worry him but, he put it off since he got his brother out. He began to get the team back on track and they began to listen to him more then duPont. Once duPont began to notice this it began to push him over the edge making him more unstable than he already was but he didn't snap yet. Dave still defended duPont showing him compasion urging understanding for the millionaires wild behavior. DuPont craved for the attention in the wrestling world, duPont poured in $3 million in the wrestling world he flew wrestlers to tournament in his Learjet. It wasn't until duPont's mother died that his mental health began to get super unstable making him delusional. His butler reported him saying he seen Disney characters in the fields outside the window along with trees uprooting themselves and walking around the estate.
Once these delusions started to happen he thought he was being watched by the government, he began carrying around loaded weapons and even firing them on in the gymnasium during practice, he also injured a road maintenance worker in a hit-and- run incident, at one point it was reported that he shot a nest of geese because he thought they were casting spells on him. The team stated that the smell of alcohol and and evidence of cocaine and pill use caused him to think irrationally and aggressively. He even started removing everything on the farm that was black because he associated black with death, such as black gym equipment and one of the coaches was told he could no longer drive his black SUV. He would also carry a gun with him while at the dinner table while eating and would often fire it off. Often times he would confront the wrestlers because he thought they were f***ing with him while holding them at gunpoint saying he wanted them off the farm, one of these wrestlers being Chaid a member of the team for 9 years.
The problem occured on January 26, 1996 duPonts security assistant Patrick Goodale drove to the mansion for a 2pm meeting, duPont then asked him the tour the estate with him to asses the damages done from recent winter storms and he took along his long barrel .44 magnum revolver.

They ended up a Dave Schultz house, where Dave was tinkering with his radio in his Toyota Tercel, he then stopped turned to his boss with a smile then duPont pulled his gun pointed in Goodales face before pointing it at dave and pulled the trigger. “ I said John what are you doing?” Goodale testified at the trial “David screamed after the first shot then fell.” Goodale then leapt from the car with his weapon and pointed it a duPont once their barrels met John threw his gun on the seat then backed the car

up.
Just inside Dave's wife Nancy( of 14 Years) had been clearing dishes from the table after a family lunch when she heard her husband scream. She would later have to break the news of their father's death to her son Alexander 9, and her daughter Danielle 6. DuPont fled to his mansion, reloaded his gun and locked himself inside, outside 70 police officers and SWAT team members laid siege for two days. The finally caught him when they turned of his heat to his house driving him out, during a five week trial psychiatric experts concluded that duPont was a paranoid schizophrenic that though Schultz had a plot to kill him. He was found guilty for 3rd degree murder and mentally ill and sentenced to 13.5 to 30 years. Dupont wanted people to credit him for creating champions but, in the end he ended up destroying one of the best wrestlers of his time.
In all Dave left a legacy no other wrestler can follow he was a very aggressive talented wrestler with a flow that was wicked crazy. To this day they still hold a memorial tournament in honor of Dave every year of his death. Dave and his brother were both really great wrestlers, Mark however lived in Dave's shadow, dave was just someone that when he wrestled everyone watched even when he spoke everyone listened. John du Pont struck sadness into the hearts of everyone who knew dave weather it was personally or through wrestling, his memory and his style of wrestling will never be forgotten. A great wrestler, father, husband, and friend was lost on January 26, 1996. No wrestler will compare to the type of skill, flow, and sheer determination of the great Dave Schultz may he rest in peace.