JOE, You've been around long enough and damn well know enough to realize that the NPC/IFBB is a business ... And a damn profitable business now-a-days!
And it's good business for any successful business to retain and maintain those successful parts or endeavors of any business to maintain or increase the 'bottom line'!
The newest addition to his very successful organizaton is this so called "AMATEUR OLYMPIA" ... a two day event which drew hundreds of amateur contenders, their coaches, their family, and their fans from 'around' all parts of this flat planet that we reside upon filling up those $56 - $112 seats in the Orleans Theater two days running even before any of the Olympia Pro events or the Expo got underway.
What events within today's NPC/IFBB organization would you delete if you were to step into Jim Manion's moccasins? They all appear to be very profitable.
You appear to be a good businessman and my best bet is that you might even consider resurrecting the COUPLES COMPETITION .... ala the days of Jeff and Cory!
Whatz your "thinks" on this?
I totally agree with you that it is a business and those new/shit divisions are only there because they bring in more competitors and dollars. So from a business standpoint, it makes more sense to keep adding categories until there's a show every day of the year and every
'Joe and Jane' are up there showing off their wares.
But from a 'fan' and even journalist's standpoint, these divisions have watered down the industry so much that it has become unwatchable and that even has effected the 'real' divisions because some people have tapped out (folks who are only going to watch and have no vested interest such as a friend or family member competing.)
I despise the Amateur Olympia, Arnold Amateur, etc. and feel that those shows should carry their own title/weight regardless of where and when they are held.
I was unaware that Manion wore moccasins - LOL - but I would still keep the 'regular' people in their places with the beach body contests but have them pay to enter with incentives of a photo shoot for NPC News Online.
And perhaps I am in the minority, but I loved the couples' competitions. I would bring that back in a heartbeat, as well as a legit Masters Olympia where people can only enter if they have been inactive for at least 18 months. What they did in 2012 was stupid - you had Dexter and X-Man up against guys who hadn't taken the stage in a decade-plus.
