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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: Dave D on October 18, 2016, 06:39:20 PM

Title: Ed Connors - Original Owner of Gold's Gym - Legend or Schmoe?
Post by: Dave D on October 18, 2016, 06:39:20 PM
Guys share any insight you might have on this legend.

I've never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I've heard good things from those who have had his influence on their careers, although they've said he's eccentric.

Ed I know you're reading this so please feel free to chime in.


* a couple of younger guys I know have had recent dealings with Ed and they didn't know what to make of him. I told them he's a legend in this industry and if he sees potential it's usually a good sign.
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: BB on October 18, 2016, 06:49:11 PM
For the younger guys, Paul DeMayo, Franco Santoriello, Jay Cutler, Mike Matarazzo, Lee Priest, Frank McGrath, Ben Pakulski, Dallas McCarver are some of the bigger names to fall under his spell, sometimes including being house guests for extended stays.

(http://i1.wp.com/risingmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/hhhhh.jpg?w=640).

Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: Powerlift66 on October 19, 2016, 01:11:36 AM
Loved him on "The Rifleman"...
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: Macrofitter on October 19, 2016, 02:46:33 AM
For the younger guys, Paul DeMayo, Franco Santoriello, Jay Cutler, Mike Matarazzo, Lee Priest, Frank McGrath, Ben Pakulski, Dallas McCarver are some of the bigger names to fall under his spell, sometimes including being house guests for extended stays.

Don't forget Big Dan Hill. Ed supported him big time for his breakthrough in the States :)

(http://www.bigdanhill.de/content/images/Ed%20Ich.jpg.jpg)
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: SilverSpoon on October 19, 2016, 03:26:08 AM
What about Bob Gruskin?
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: SaintAnger on October 19, 2016, 11:07:18 AM
Demayo said Bob never laid a hand on him.
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: 8 INCH not biceps on October 19, 2016, 11:12:19 AM
Guys share any insight you might have on this legend.

I've never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I've heard good things from those who have had his influence on their careers, although they've said he's eccentric.

Ed I know you're reading this so please feel free to chime in.


* a couple of younger guys I know have had recent dealings with Ed and they didn't know what to make of him. I told them he's a legend in this industry and if he sees potential it's usually a good sign.

I think you have it twisted schmoes are the good guys because they support bodybuilding.
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: Dave D on October 19, 2016, 02:41:00 PM
Thanks  guys,

I was curious if anyone had anything "negative" to say and I figured not.  Normally stuff like that leaks out. I know he's played a role in the lives of John Cena as well as the ultimate warrior, so if he was a creep it would have made the rounds.



Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: SaintAnger on October 19, 2016, 04:27:05 PM
Thanks  guys,

I was curious if anyone had anything "negative" to say and I figured not.  Normally stuff like that leaks out. I know he's played a role in the lives of John Cena as well as the ultimate warrior as well, so if he was a creep it'd would have made the rounds.

Would love to trash him since he's a power player, but no, haven't heard anything bad about Ed.
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: tommywishbone on October 20, 2016, 08:28:36 PM
Saw Ed on pretty much a daily basis from 1990-2000. He was totally cool. A man of his word. Golds Gym Venice never and I mean NEVER would have become what it became without Ed Connors.
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: doggler on October 21, 2016, 04:54:28 AM
Saw Ed on pretty much a daily basis from 1990-2000. He was totally cool. A man of his word. Golds Gym Venice never and I mean NEVER would have become what it became without Ed Connors.


So you are a bottom.
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: Simple Simon on October 21, 2016, 04:57:33 AM
Saw Ed on pretty much a daily basis from 1990-2000. He was totally cool. A man of his word. Golds Gym Venice never and I mean NEVER would have become what it became without Ed Connors.
uncomfortable reading between the lines of peace....
Title: Re: Ed Connors, good guy or schmoe?
Post by: 6 Reps on October 21, 2016, 06:50:36 AM
 To be fair, I never knew or met Ed Connors but, in the late 1990's I was at a contest prejudging and he was there running around.  He struck me as being major schmoe.
Title: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: NotMrAverage on September 15, 2017, 09:06:02 AM
Do anyone of you know Ed Connors?

He was the original owner of Golds and bodybuildings original schmoe.

A friend of mine went to train at Golds in the late 90:ies. He was in his late teens at the time. Looked like a barbarian brother with long hair but just abit smaller because of the agefactor. Ed Connors approached him in the gym and told him he could live at his place and train for free if he walked around in his underwear all day long. He accpted and stayed there for some time.

Anyone got more stories of Ed Connors?
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: SOMEPARTS on September 15, 2017, 09:17:27 AM
Joe Gold was the original owner of Golds.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Dave D on September 15, 2017, 09:23:06 AM
Lol Ed is making the rounds

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=620722.0

I know a few people who've dealt with him and no one has ever said anything bad about him (he's "eccentric")which is rare in any area of life.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: NotMrAverage on September 20, 2017, 07:07:15 AM
I have heard lots of rumours about him having guys like arnold, france, paul demayo etc walking his house in underwear to train for free. Dont know if those were true though. But my friend actually went there and got the same schmoe treatment. He just had to walk around is his underwear and there was no touching or sexualar activity involved. Guess thats why he kinda stayed of radar so to say.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Vince G, CSN MFT on September 20, 2017, 07:26:36 AM
Do anyone of you know Ed Connors?

He was the original owner of Golds and bodybuildings original schmoe.

A friend of mine went to train at Golds in the late 90:ies. He was in his late teens at the time. Looked like a barbarian brother with long hair but just abit smaller because of the agefactor. Ed Connors approached him in the gym and told him he could live at his place and train for free if he walked around in his underwear all day long. He accpted and stayed there for some time.

Anyone got more stories of Ed Connors?


Yes.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Howard on September 20, 2017, 07:44:50 AM
Joe Gold was the original owner of Golds.

Yup and that all started in the 1960's across the street from Venice Beach.
The original GOLD's was sold to Ken Sprague in the early 1970's where he was an active manager.
Pumping Iron was filmed there and Ken sold the place within 2 years of filming.
The gym building was converted to a restaurant before 1980.

That's when Gold's gym moved to it's (new) current location and Pete Grymkoski was manager.
Shortly after that, the gym chain we know today grew worldwide.
 Sadly ,in recent years the number of actual GOLD's gyms has declined.

Ed Connors?
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: ESFitness on September 20, 2017, 10:13:27 AM
Yup and that all started in the 1960's across the street from Venice Beach.
The original GOLD's was sold to Ken Sprague in the early 1970's where he was an active manager.
Pumping Iron was filmed there and Ken sold the place within 2 years of filming.
The gym building was converted to a restaurant before 1980.

That's when Gold's gym moved to it's (new) current location and Pete Grymkoski was manager.
Shortly after that, the gym chain we know today grew worldwide.
 Sadly ,in recent years the number of actual GOLD's gyms has declined.

Ed Connors?

the owner of the most the west coast (inc Nevada and az) was going to sell 20% of his gyms to EOS Fitness (with whom i was the Personal Training Coordinator for a while), but instead ended up selling about 60% of his gyms. so now most west coast Golds are now EOS.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Dan-O on September 20, 2017, 07:56:58 PM
A lot of former Gold's franchisees in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area have taken on the name VASA Fitness--they're the same physical gyms but they don't pay the Gold's licensing fee anymore.

EDIT:  P.S. Yes, I've heard of Ed Connors but have no amusing stories to share.  Sorry.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: AbrahamG on September 20, 2017, 08:22:13 PM
the owner of the most the west coast (inc Nevada and az) was going to sell 20% of his gyms to EOS Fitness (with whom i was the Personal Training Coordinator for a while), but instead ended up selling about 60% of his gyms. so now most west coast Golds are now EOS.

You are my man and all, but you know damn well that this is going to take on a life of it's own.  LOL.

Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Desolate on September 20, 2017, 08:24:00 PM
Joe Gold was the original owner of Golds.

Ironically, Joe Gold was a cock-smoking homo.

FACT.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: tommywishbone on September 20, 2017, 08:33:21 PM
Ed Connors is an absolute gentlemen. More successful NPC and IFBB bodybuilders owe their success to Ed Connors than any other single person.
 
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: 6 Reps on September 20, 2017, 08:51:16 PM
Ed Connors; with Jay Cutler, then Paulo Almeida:
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: SOMEPARTS on September 20, 2017, 08:56:21 PM
Ironically, Joe Gold was a cock-smoking homo.

FACT.


Good to see that you got your interest up, but how is that ironic?
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: SOMEPARTS on September 20, 2017, 08:56:59 PM
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0e/9b/fd/0e9bfd54668b94db029859d8319f7dca.jpg)


Hijacking this Ed Connors thread for Joe Gold.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Coach is Back! on September 20, 2017, 09:22:34 PM
Do anyone of you know Ed Connors?

He was the original owner of Golds and bodybuildings original schmoe.

A friend of mine went to train at Golds in the late 90:ies. He was in his late teens at the time. Looked like a barbarian brother with long hair but just abit smaller because of the agefactor. Ed Connors approached him in the gym and told him he could live at his place and train for free if he walked around in his underwear all day long. He accpted and stayed there for some time.

Anyone got more stories of Ed Connors?

Right off the bat you didn't even relay that Joe GOLD was the original of GOLDS gym. That being said, that discredited you. Try again.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Coach is Back! on September 20, 2017, 09:23:51 PM

Yes.

Quiet on this one Vince. This is out of your league.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: ESFitness on September 20, 2017, 09:42:05 PM
btw, ed conners is super nice and polite... and just fucking nice to everybody, even if youre a nobody. Ed Conners was the first Rich Piana, without the muscles and ink.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Coach is Back! on September 20, 2017, 09:49:20 PM
Ironically, Joe Gold was a cock-smoking homo.

FACT.

Serious question. How old are you?
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Desolate on September 20, 2017, 10:24:33 PM

Good to see that you got your interest up, but how is that ironic?

Because the guy who is being called a schmoe and founder of Gold's Gym was neither a schmoe, nor the founder of said gym, whereas the actual founder of the business did indeed love smelly man ass.

The best definition of irony is simply stated as "when the actual meaning is the direct opposite of the literal meaning."

But there are other definitions as well.

My post best describes this definition:

"An incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result; an event or result marked by such incongruity."



Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Desolate on September 20, 2017, 10:26:51 PM
Serious question. How old are you?

Old enough to know all the truths hidden inside all of the lies.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: tommywishbone on September 20, 2017, 11:26:42 PM
 :)

http://bluemoonfitness.com

Ed is one of the founders of this company.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: SOMEPARTS on September 20, 2017, 11:41:47 PM
Old enough to know all the truths hidden inside all of the lies.


What a dork!
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: NotMrAverage on September 21, 2017, 06:23:29 AM
I might have gotten it wrong. But dude was still a big figure at golds around 80-90:ies. Also joe gold sold the francaise and later started world gym. Maybe connors arrived and took over around this time? He sure was more than a schmoe training there.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Howard on September 21, 2017, 07:49:39 AM
Ironically, Joe Gold was a cock-smoking homo.

FACT.

I'm old school and prefer cock SUCKER over smoker
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: honest on September 21, 2017, 11:23:56 AM
Ed Connors was a good guy, plenty of rumours about the two way mirrors at his house where bodybuilders  used to stay, but from all accounts he kept his hands to himself and was just happy to be around the guys.  Was always a super nice guy back at golds, plenty of guys stayed with him to get their start,  Lee Priest was one of note when I was training there in the 90s,
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: dknole on September 21, 2017, 11:32:46 AM
Great philosophy. Nice clean website.

:)

http://bluemoonfitness.com

Ed is one of the founders of this company.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: sync pulse on September 21, 2017, 11:42:00 AM
:)

http://bluemoonfitness.com

Ed is one of the founders of this company.

Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: NotMrAverage on September 21, 2017, 12:56:43 PM
From whatever i was heard he was a closet wanking dude that got of of big guys walking around in their undies. I guess thats not really that bad. Still he actually made it for alot of guys to come out to california. Kinda wish those days were around in a bit  :)

Now it's way more dirty...
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Desolate on September 21, 2017, 06:27:28 PM
What a dork!

You know you love me. :-*
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Ronnie Rep on September 22, 2017, 05:28:29 AM
Joe Gold was the original owner of Golds.
This. Hence the name Golds Gym.
Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: Fortress on September 22, 2017, 03:06:15 PM
Homo.

Not saying he wasn't a pleasant fellow, but he was a homo all the same.

Title: Re: Ed Connors - the ultimate schmoe (original owner of Golds gym)
Post by: mphgrove on September 23, 2017, 07:19:16 AM
homo.

Not saying he wasn't a pleasant fellow, but he was a homo all the same.



No need to make unwanted advances most likely. Being miles away from girlfriends, just wait for the occasional house guest to request service (maybe rare but often enough).