Getbig Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness Forums
Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: JAGO on February 14, 2020, 01:35:29 PM
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AMI sold the entire unit to the guy from Wings of Strength (Jake Woods?)
Added the Official Info (Ron)
NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark deal, American Media, LLC today announced it has reached an agreement on the sale of the iconic Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend as well as the Muscle & Fitness, FLEX and M&F Hers media brands. The prestigious Olympia Weekend, held annually in Las Vegas, is home to one of the global fitness industry's signature consumer tradeshows while also serving as the world championships of several professional physique sports, including the legendary title of Mr. Olympia.
The sale of the event and media assets marks the latest acquisition for Jake Wood, an Arizona-based fitness industry insider whose growing portfolio includes digital media and event properties. "My primary motivation for acquiring the Olympia is to bring the event back to the fans," explains Wood. "It's a dream come true to take ownership of some of the fitness industry's most celebrated brands. Our ability to also acquire a media portfolio that includes Muscle & Fitness allows us to reach one of the largest fitness-minded audiences in the world. This is a great day for everyone who shares a passion for fitness, nutrition, training and the bodybuilding lifestyle."
It was also announced today that Dan Solomon, hired in 2018 to oversee the overall Olympia property, has agreed to a five-year contract extension and will serve as President and Chief Olympia Officer under new ownership. In addition to his oversight of the Olympia, Solomon will also manage the integration and strategy for the newly acquired media portfolio, including Muscle & Fitness. Solomon explains, "We have achieved something incredibly powerful. The deal has been carefully crafted, clearing the way for us to offer sponsors and advertisers one of the largest combined audiences in the entire category. As we roll out a wide-reaching media and event integration, we also add key resources brought to the table by our new owner. Jake is a visionary and his track record for success speaks for itself. Our sponsors, exhibitors, athletes, readers and fans will be pleased by what the immediate future holds."
In addition to the Mr. Olympia, the inclusion of Muscle & Fitness, M&F HERS and FLEX creates a consolidated social media audience of nearly 17 million followers. As part of the deal, American Media has agreed to the ongoing coverage and promotion of the event, including support of sponsor commitments, through its popular entertainment-themed publications, both digital and print. American Media purchased Mr. Olympia in 2003 and has grown the event into one of the world's largest gatherings of fitness, strength, performance, and physique enthusiasts. In 2019, at the most recent Olympia Weekend, the event saw significant increases in sponsorship revenue and attendance. In addition to several upgrades in its arena stage production, the 2019 Olympia awarded a record total prize purse for both male and female competitors.
American Media Chairman and CEO David J. Pecker, adds, "It has been a privilege owning and developing these brands since we acquired them in 2003. I'm confident they will thrive under Jake's ownership and his forward-thinking plan to transition to a fully integrated online and social media strategy." Sanctioned by the IFBB Professional League, an Olympia title is the most coveted achievement in physique competition. Pro League President Jim Manion says, "I am proud to stand with Jake and his team as we usher in a new era. The Olympia is already our most valuable event partnership and the most anticipated event of the year, but I think we're about to see something amazing under a passionate and dedicated new owner. Jake's love of bodybuilding is authentic. He and his team have my full support."
The Olympia brand has expanded globally in recent years thanks to the success of various licensing initiatives, including its Amateur Olympia program, a series of events widely regarded as some of the most successful amateur competitions in the world. In 2019, nearly 5,000 competitors participated in Amateur Olympia events held in 11 different countries. Jake Wood has earned recognition for his decade-long advocacy of the women's side of bodybuilding & fitness as co-founder of Wings of Strength. He now becomes the 3rd owner in the storied history of the Joe Weider founded empire. This September Trifecta Presents Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend brought to you by Wings of Strength. For more information visit www.MrOlympia.com and www.MuscleandFitness.com .
About Muscle & Fitness and The Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend:
Created by bodybuilding and fitness pioneer Joe Weider, The Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend is a Las Vegas showcase event featuring the Olympia Fitness & Performance Expo, a business to consumer destination for the fitness industry's leading brands and enthusiasts, held across 700,000 square feet inside the Las Vegas Convention Center. A centerpiece of the event is the iconic Mr. Olympia, the most prestigious title in the world of professional physique competition. Held at the Orleans Arena, the event serves as the world championships across several IFBB Professional League sanctioned physique sports. – Muscle & Fitness, a signature media brand in the fitness category, is dedicated to covering the full fitness landscape, regularly introducing fans to trends in training, nutrition, gear, technology and celebrity content. Powered by a digital and social media portfolio that also includes FLEX and M&F HERS, the combined media and event reach across all channels is the largest fit focused audience in the world.
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Wow...looks like this is legit:
https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/20/02/n15340085/american-media-llc-announces-sale-of-mr-olympia-and-muscle-fitness
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I think it will be better under Jake Wood, maybe he'll let Rodan return!
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I think it will be better under Jake Wood, maybe he'll let Rodan return!
I wonder how much the Olympia sold for.
LOL...your post gave me flashbacks of an Ironage movie I watched as a kid:
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Hopefully a new MC too, can’t stand Bob Chic.....So tired of these old guys.
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I think it will be better under Jake Wood, maybe he'll let Rodan return!
what i thought too
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Hopefully a new MC too, can’t stand Bob Chic.....So tired of these old guys.
He’s probably a bit worried right now and should be. The new owner will be looking to make a splash and there’s not much else you can do but get another MC.
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Weinbergers grip might be loosening...
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AMI sold the entire unit to the guy from Wings of Strength (Jake Woods?)
J
Is wings of strength located in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area?
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WOW, they have already laid off a massive amount of staff.
I still love the magazines... especially when I take train/plane rides and rush to the concession stands to get a stack of magazines of all type to keep myself entertained during the journey.
I hope staff finds new jobs as writers/analysts etc as ... times are tough in all industries right now and people have little in the form of much needed patience to sit and enjoy some quiet time reading/contemplating/planning things in their lives.
thebarbell_com OLYMPIA & MUSCLE & FITNESS SOLD TO JAKE WOOD.
It had been rumored for years, but today it’s official. AMI and David Pecker sold Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend as well as the Muscle & Fitness, FLEX and M&F Hers media brands. The buyer is Jake Wood, an Arizona-based fitness industry insider whose growing portfolio includes digital media and event properties. Wood, long a supporter of female bodybuilding, owns DigitalMuscle.com and co-founded the Wings of Strength contests.
Our source says all of the New York magazine staffs were laid off today and there will no longer be print magazines. The iconic "Muscle & Fitness," once a colossus in this industry, will continue in an online version only. FLEX was previously, awkwardly, wrapped into M&F.
Having previously worked for FLEX for 20 years, I have mixed feelings about this. I'm very happy to hear the Olympia was sold to a bodybuilder and bodybuilding fan (and that Dan Solomon will be continuing as the promoter), but I'm saddened that so many of my previous coworkers lost their jobs (salute to all) and that the line of print mags Joe Weider began 80 years ago will no longer appear in paper form. But it was certainly inevitable. Print magazines are a dying medium. Long live digital. And onward and upward for the Olympia!
More at the barbell.com.
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Has Vince confirmed this?
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Bob Chick bashed female bodybuilding for years. This Jake guy loves female bodybuilding. My guess is Bob won't be MC'ing anymore for the Olympia. I'm sure Solomon will try to help keep his buddy employed but Bob has to be a bit worried imop.
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Is wings of strength located in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area?
yes its here in Scottsdale
Schmoe fest ;D
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“Wings of Strength” such a queer name
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Should be interesting to see how and what changes are going to occur this year, now that this deal is done. Looking forward as usual to the Olympia, been going since 1997 (the one here in Long Beach), and always have a lot of fun. I have known Dan Solomon for a very long time, so I know he really cares about the event.
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Let's hope this is the end of the line for Ice Machine Bobby.
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WOW, they have already laid off a massive amount of staff.
I still love the magazines... especially when I take train/plane rides and rush to the concession stands to get a stack of magazines of all type to keep myself entertained during the journey.
I hope staff finds new jobs as writers/analysts etc as ... times are tough in all industries right now and people have little in the form of much needed patience to sit and enjoy some quiet time reading/contemplating/planning things in their lives.
Where I am, we have no trains for civilian transportation. I did enjoy the two times I was on a train, when I was army training in Kingston, ON [2000, 2003].
If there is one thing I will miss about the magazines, it's having them to use for exactly what you said - entertainment for travel via planes, trains, and automobiles.
I do hope everyone lands on their feet, after the layoffs...I remember this happened to MUSCLEMAG in 2013, and it was sad.
As for the comments about Bob as the MC...Bob is a good MC, and I think it's the sort of position where you want to keep the incumbent guy if he is good at it. I remember one contest with something like 300 competitors - Lonnie Teper was the MC, and managed to get everything finished by midnight. Probably one of the Nationals, or the USA. If you have a bad MC, you could end up being there to 1-3am. Not good, when you have such a circus of people who want to get to sleep, or have tight travel schedules or what have you.
I don't really see any reason to fire Bob. He may be a holdout from bodybuilding's Ironage, but just because he's been around for a while doesn't mean he's bad.
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Jake Wood -
“My Primary Motivation For Acquiring The Olympia Is To Bring The Event Back To The Fans,” Said Wood. “It’s A Dream Come True To Take Ownership Of Some Of The Fitness Industry’s Most Celebrated Brands. Our Ability To Also Acquire A Media Portfolio That Includes Muscle & Fitness Allows Us To Reach One Of The Largest Fitness-Minded Audiences In The World. This Is A Great Day For Everyone Who Shares A Passion For Fitness, Nutrition, Training And The Bodybuilding Lifestyle.”
As for Bob, no reason to change him - he does a good job, and with all the technical changes and movements, he is steady there. And don't forger, that Bob and Dan are good friends, who started the PBW Radio together.
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Anybody know the sale price?
When AMI bought Weider I think they paid $400M. I bet this sale was nowhere near that.
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Anybody know the sale price?
When AMI bought Weider I think they paid $400M. I bet this sale was nowhere near that.
I was wondering the same thing - and thinking the same thing about its current valuation.
Gaspari Nutrition did $85 million in sales in 2010, and when it was purchased in bankruptcy court by an Irish company ["Glanbia"? I may have remembered that wrong], it sold for $10.5 million. :-\ :-X
It wouldn't surprise me if the Mr. Olympia sold for under $50 million.
Also, I thought Lord Jacob Rothschild was the ultimate owner of the Mr. Olympia? Doesn't he control Jake Wood, behind the scenes?
After all, he owns "my news" [including the Getbig G&O, which is probably 50% of the news I consume], and "my oil".
This meme isn't inaccurate, is it?:
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The Olympia is farcical. Bodybuilding is farcical. Talk about Schmoetopia?
If held at Disneyland the theme park would have to change it's name and tagline to "Jizzneyland - The Fappiest Place on Earth".
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Anybody know the sale price?
When AMI bought Weider I think they paid $400M. I bet this sale was nowhere near that.
very curious too
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Hopefully a new MC too, can’t stand Bob Chic.....So tired of these old guys.
Yep the whole shit pile needs a good cleanup....
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time to bring back the wbf. :D :D :D :D
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Hopefully a new MC too, can’t stand Bob Chic.....So tired of these old guys.
He’s probably a bit worried right now and should be. The new owner will be looking to make a splash and there’s not much else you can do but get another MC.
Nothing against the Chick, but this crazy bastard took the mic at a British GP once and the crowd loved him (is he even still with us..?)
(https://www.greatestphysiques.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Mike-Quinn.14.jpg)
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Nothing against the Chick, but this crazy bastard took the mic at a British GP once and the crowd loved him (is he even still with us..?)
(https://www.greatestphysiques.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Mike-Quinn.14.jpg)
I believe so. He was a few months ago, at least [last I checked was then].
I thought for a second that the writing on the bottom of his photo said "Dead Pool"! Rather than "Old school".
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Let's hope this is the end of the line for Ice Machine Bobby.
Huzzah, indeed brother!
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Nothing against the Chick, but this crazy bastard took the mic at a British GP once and the crowd loved him (is he even still with us..?)
(https://www.greatestphysiques.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Mike-Quinn.14.jpg)
..."the Chick".
Nearly spewed my Cherrios and Raisin Bran with that one, lad! ;D ;D
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“Wings of Strength” such a queer name
I bet this new owner of the Olympia is into men with muscles
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strange, can't remember approving this transaction
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Jake Woods' Digitalmuscle.com averages only 6000-7000 visitors a month, except for September when they did the Olympia webcast.
Their DigitalmuscleTV Youtube channel isn't exactly tearing it up either, only 18,500 subs. Nicks Strength and Power has 805,000 by comparison.
Wow, some media empire the guy has. He must have paid a small pittance for these properties. It just shows how far bodybuilding has fallen.
They needed a real media savvy company like IMG to buy it for the TV potential. This Woods guy a small time two-bit player who will never take it to that level.
A dark day for bodybuilding.
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Jake Woods' Digitalmuscle.com averages only 6000-7000 visitors a month, except for September when they did the Olympia webcast.
Their DigitalmuscleTV Youtube channel isn't exactly tearing it up either, only 18,500 subs. Nicks Strength and Power has 805,000 by comparison.
Wow, some media empire the guy has. He must have paid a small pittance for these properties. It just shows how far bodybuilding has fallen.
They needed a real media savvy company like IMG to buy it for the TV potential. This Woods guy a small time two-bit player who will never take it to that level.
A dark day for bodybuilding.
Schmoes, by virtue of Mother Nature's wisdom, don't usually reproduce. Ergo, the pool has dwindled down to more of a puddle. This goes for either of the two types of schmoes. Both kinds of Schmoemosexuals, i.e., the ones that prefer sweaty menz and their "hetero" version that prefers feMales. The former don't make babies and the latter don't because getting plowed with a strap-on by hirsute woMan pretty much guarantees the same results. No offspring.
The world knows the truth and outside of some weirdo fetishists like the Gayor of Bodybuilding and the few family members willing to put up with their relatives drug habits (and worse), no one really gives a poo about this stuff.
Bodybuilding began it's death spiral around 1984 or so. It's been something of a "floater" for a few decades now but the Tidy Bowl swirl is inevitable. Good riddance. Perhaps it can make a comeback instead of a cumback. It's not about health and hasn't been for decades.
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i would be willing to bet he did not pay a ton for the rights to the olympia, ami never made money on this shit and decided to get out.
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SCOTT, I find it difficult to agree with ya.
Bodybuilding events or whatever you choose to call those events ..... and the participants within them .... are undergoing a world-wide expansion.
I'm not an Olympia fan nor even a fan of 'less esteemed' bodybuilding events .... so I cannot say that these individual events have been improving nor un-improving these past few years .... but the number of individuals who lift or want to lift heavy things ... and see improvements when they look in a mirror ... has increased by anyone's imagination.
And now the NPC is taking full advantage of those 'heavy thing - mirror looking' lifters and has initiated the new NPC INTERNATIONAL which by definition means that the NPC will accept world-wide membership from a small percentage of heavy lifters who have a desire to show what they have accomplished in a Speedo looking uniform.
That new membership could possibly increase the NPC 'club' by 1,220,014 (estimated figure), yearly dues paying heavy lifters ... some of whom will get a pro card and pay yearly membership fees to the IFB Pro League!
And all that cash flows up-hill!
So you can call it what you want to call it ... but I'd call it one hell of a profitable venture for 'Schmoes' (respectfully stated) throughout the universe!
Can you name any other amateur, international, organization outside of this new International NPC which has the eyes of the world upon it and a potential dues-paying world-wide membership of many millions?
Someone up that has been thinking very wisely!
And the mere fact that Jake is now associated ..... is a very wise move on Jake's part.
The train has left the station ... but to be more appropriate .. the jet has left the runway!
And Jake is aboard .... sitting in the co-pilot's chair!
Wise move, Jake! Wise move!
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OLDSCHOOL, A while back I 'think' I read someplace that Mr. Pecker was 'somehow' associated with Mr. Epstein as friend of some sort, but not as a pedo of any sort.
Do you think that that association had anything to do with this Olympia sale?
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OLDSCHOOL, A while back I 'think' I read someplace that Mr. Pecker was 'somehow' associated with Mr. Epstein as friend of some sort, but not as a pedo of any sort. Do you think that that association had anything to do with this Olympia sale?
I think the fact that the magazine sales have been declining tremendously, which was AMI's main push into this, and that AMI didn't want to put anymore effort into the passion of bodybuilding and the events anymore. Jake and his team does, and will put a tremendous push into making the Olympia and everything around it (amateurs around the world) into keep it the premier event of all of us to go to Vegas each year.
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OLDSCHOOL, A while back I 'think' I read someplace that Mr. Pecker was 'somehow' associated with Mr. Epstein as friend of some sort, but not as a pedo of any sort.
Do you think that that association had anything to do with this Olympia sale?
that could be, also didnt bezos threaten him with a huge lawsuit as well. bezos has the pull the hurt "pecker" if he wanted to. maybe pecker has some legal battles coming up as well. and needed some fast easy cash
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SCOTT, I find it difficult to agree with ya.
Bodybuilding events or whatever you choose to call those events ..... and the participants within them .... are undergoing a world-wide expansion.
I'm not an Olympia fan nor even a fan of 'less esteemed' bodybuilding events .... so I cannot say that these individual events have been improving nor un-improving these past few years .... but the number of individuals who lift or want to lift heavy things ... and see improvements when they look in a mirror ... has increased by anyone's imagination.
And now the NPC is taking full advantage of hose 'heavy thing - mirror looking' lifters and has initiated the new NPC INTERNATIONAL which by definition means that the NPC will accept world-wide membership from a small percentage of heavy lifters who have a desire to show what they have accomplished in a Speedo looking uniform.
That new membership could possibly increase the NPC 'club' by 1,220,014 (estimated figure), yearly dues paying heavy lifters ... some of whom will get a pro card and pay yearly membership fees to the IFB Pro League!
And all that cash flows up-hill!
So you can call it what you want to call it ... but I'd call it one hell of a profitable venture for 'Schmoes' (respectfully stated) throughout the universe!
Can you name any other amateur, international, organization outside of this new International NPC which has the eyes of the world upon it and a potential dues-paying world-wide membership of many millions?
Someone up that has been thinking very wisely!
And the mere fact that Jake is now associated ..... is a very wise move on Jake's part.
The train has left the station ... but to be more appropriate .. the jet has left the runway!
And Jake is aboard .... sitting in the co-pilot's chair!
Wise move, Jake! Wise move!
It's okay not to agree with me. But I find what bodybuilding has become to be incredibly disgusting. In plain talk.
All DRUGS all the time. I want no part of that. Like you, I remember the 40s through the 70s with a great deal of not only fondness but (a nod to Urethra Franklinz) R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
So called "Classic" Physique is not even close and not just because I'm seeing the photos in color. I'm seeing it without the schmose colored glasses.
Gad, I crack myself up lately.
I look forward to your thoughts as we are of a like time.
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It's okay not to agree with me. But I find what bodybuilding has become to be incredibly disgusting. In plain talk.
All DRUGS all the time. I want no part of that. Like you, I remember the 40s through the 70s with a great deal of not only fondness but (a nod to Urethra Franklinz) R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
So called "Classic" Physique is not even close and not just because I'm seeing the photos in color. I'm seeing it without the schmose colored glasses.
Gad, I crack myself up lately.
I look forward to your thoughts as we are of a like time.
mr scott imagine if this beast showed up on the classic physique stage that clown bumstead would go back to canada, and never come back to the states again
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mr scott imagine if this beast showed up on the classic physique stage that clown bumstead would go back to canada, and never come back to the states again
Well said. Mike Mentzer had a superb physique and a mind to match. Alas that his ego, fed by amphetamines, overpowered his mind and ruined a career that should have gone on at least five or more years.
I don't understand the need for a "classic physique" division. There are physiques and there are blobs. The blobs have long ruled the dais but that's due entirely to the size-queen judges and schmoes with fetid fetishes. Mentzer, Zane, Padilla, Paris, etc. These were bodybuilders.
The chumps of today are OCD Tupperware stuffers. If they're not shooting up a variety of enhancers, they're filling their Tupperware containers with chicken and rice or stuffing their gaping maws with it. Muscularly obese caricatures to be fapped to by the aforementioned schmoes.
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Well said. Mike Mentzer had a superb physique and a mind to match. Alas that his ego, fed by amphetamines, overpowered his mind and ruined a career that should have gone on at least five or more years.
I don't understand the need for a "classic physique" division. There are physiques and there are blobs. The blobs have long ruled the dais but that's due entirely to the size-queen judges and schmoes with fetid fetishes. Mentzer, Zane, Padilla, Paris, etc. These were bodybuilders.
The chumps of today are OCD Tupperware stuffers. If they're not shooting up a variety of enhancers, they're filling their Tupperware containers with chicken and rice or stuffing their gaping maws with it. Muscularly obese caricatures to be fapped to by the aforementioned schmoes.
Great post the 83 version on bannut would smoke any of these classic physique guys as well
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Great post the 83 version on bannut would smoke any of these classic physique guys as well
Without question, Samir was superb in his win of the Olympia. ;D
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I think the fact that the magazine sales have been declining tremendously, which was AMI's main push into this, and that AMI didn't want to put anymore effort into the passion of bodybuilding and the events anymore.
Jake and his team does, and will put a tremendous push into making the Olympia and everything around it (amateurs around the world) into keep it the premier event of all of us to go to Vegas each year.
I am did found two of sentence having strange. ;D
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IF AMI has sold off the whole Weider franchise, does that mean Wings of Strength will bring back FLEX magazine, instead of making it a small leaflet of Muscle & Fitness? Heck, if they brought back "female" bodybuilding, why not bring back FLEX?
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Mc, As Ron himself and many others have already stated .... Printed material is swiftly disappearing due to immediate coverage on this here internet thing.
When is the last time you saw a telephone book or a Sears catalog, this morning's newspaper or an IronMan magazine??
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Mc, As Ron himself and many others have already stated .... Printed material is swiftly disappearing due to immediate coverage on this here internet thing.
When is the last time you saw a telephone book or a Sears catalog, this morning's newspaper or an IronMan magazine??
stunt you have a great point , the only magazine i would still pay for is national geographic something about holding it in my hands and the pictures. we are now a instant gratification society.patience is no more. thus the death of magazines
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OLDSCHOOL, I betcha that even National Geographic will soon complete its long and historical run.
Not sure about this but .... don't you have to be a subscriber to get a copy? I don't recall seeing NG on the racks, but that may be because I just ain't looking.
BUT .... I can find stacks and stacks of National Geographics at the local library on sale for 25 cents each and the most recent copy I bought was years ago and had a photo of a rope-free mountain climber standing on an 8 inch ledge with his back to the wall many hundreds of feet higher than the valley below.
I'll try to find that photo and post it here as it is an amazing shot!
And I should say that National Geographic TV series are very popula among my family members and I once had a friend who owned every print copy since the beginning .... but his subscription ended when he died.
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Mc, As Ron himself and many others have already stated .... Printed material is swiftly disappearing due to immediate coverage on this here internet thing.
When is the last time you saw a telephone book or a Sears catalog, this morning's newspaper or an IronMan magazine??
We had immediate coverage 10 years ago. Yet, Flex, MD, and MuscleMag were on the shelves. MD was 2-3 times as thick as it is now.
I think it has more to do with the supplement companies, kicking the bodybuilders to the curb. MuscleTech had THREE Mr. Os on the payroll (Heath, Jackson, Cutler). Gaspari, BSN, VPX, and others employed the top stars of the day, too.
Once MuscleTech scaled back, MuscleMag went belly up. IronMan has been reduced to a quarterly magazine, covering natural bodybuilding federations. MD is hanging by a thread (they might go back to being "All Natural" Muscular Development, at this rate).
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Sale price below $90M, and estimated at $70M by NY Post - https://nypost.com/2020/02/18/american-media-looking-to-sell-other-mags-amid-national-enquirer-deal-limbo/
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Sale price below $90M, and estimated at $70M by NY Post - https://nypost.com/2020/02/18/american-media-looking-to-sell-other-mags-amid-national-enquirer-deal-limbo/
The Olympia is gonna fold. They can not even market ticket sales to previous VIP patrons.
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Hey, Jarhead (respectfully stated), You could possibly be correct when it comes to the Olympia contest attendance numbers ... but overall it's gonna be a successful weekend (+ 3) when the bucks are tabulated.
Here's why I'm saying what I'm saying .... and it's possible that you may agree what I'm saying after I've said it.
The OLYMPIA is now a five day event starting on a Wednesday and collapsing on that following Sunday.
It's an important five day period for this town because it fills the Orleans and some of the other surrounding hotels and it causes long buffet lines.
Those Olympia week room rates are doubled (sometimes tripled) and no one (including us locals) gets a free fine-dining (buffet) pass during that 5-day period.
Then there's the Jr. Olympia event in the Orleans showroom from 8 to 8 in which hundreds of worldwide contenders do their best for a 'plastic' trophy after paying a large amount of US dineros to stand up there on that stage and do what they gotta do as directed by that judge down front.
And all those showroom seats are filled on a rotating basis .... meaning that those seats are sat-in by more than one event fan who pays a minimum of $50 each time that seat is occupied.
And the better seats are $100 each but 'sold' more than once over those 12+ battle-field hours.
In addition all those hundreds of amateur contenders pay for their amateur NPC membership fee and then an impressive Jr. Olympia entry fee.
And add that all together they also gotta pay for the plane-ride, traine-ride, bus-ride or whatever ride it took to get here ... plus a 5 day hotel room fee of just about one-thou plus!
That a lot of money being spent by a lot of money for this five day Olympia event .... and a lot of those dineros go to those who bring it here.
And then there is the Oly Expo where exhibitors pay a thou ($$) or so in order for us to become familiar with what they have to offer.
Those exhibitors also have to pay that old time, out of contest shape, competitor who stands there and shakes your hand or who smiles with you for a $20 photo.
What I think I'm trying to say is that ..... The Olympia brings in a ton of money to this town and...... a hell of lot of that money goes into the pockets of those who bring it here.
So the Olympia ain't going nowhere! You may want it to .... but as sure as Chesty once said...."We ain't retreating nowhere!" (Or something like that.)
Today's fans who enjoy the 'bulk and blunder' part of today's pro Olympia extravaganza may surely and slowly fade away but they'll all be replaced by a newer, insaner generation which will keep the action going.
The Oly itself will never fade away.
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I bet this new owner of the Olympia is into men with muscles
And hopefully women with muscles as well. :)
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Sale price below $90M, and estimated at $70M by NY Post - https://nypost.com/2020/02/18/american-media-looking-to-sell-other-mags-amid-national-enquirer-deal-limbo/
What's really interesting in this article is that they're going to drop the printing of the magazines and they'll only be online.
I looked it up, AMI bought Weider in late 2002 for $350M. If AMI has now sold it for $70M, that's a $280M loss, unless, in the past 17 years AMI made $280M from the magazines, Mr. Olympia, etc. Is that possible? What say you, OneMoreRep, aren't you a finance guy? As an aside, AMI has been in financial trouble the past several years.
As for Mr. Olympia's future, I think it depends greatly on what the new owner does with it. I don't believe it will ever fold, but on the downside it may lose it's rank as the crown jewel of bodybuilding contests. It may become one of a "triple crown" of contests; the other two being the Arnold Ohio and The Rock's new Athleticon. Again, I think the O's future is what the new owner makes of it.
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I'm far beyond caring but with the AMI sale, bodybuilding on a professional level will go back to the relative obscurity it had before the days of Arnold. Some people will care but it will become as much an oddity as it was then. Magazines have been going downhill since the teams during the Magazine Wars traded sides.
That Vlad guy behind the Generation Iron series should have made an attempt to buy the rights. He does digital right.
The king is dead, yadda yadda shaddafakap.
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You guys gotta think deeper than what you're think'en here!
Open your brain and let it absorb the bodybuilding surroundings.
And that includes think'en outside the 'box' .... and in this case that 'box' just so happens to be the present-day NPC and the IFBB wrapped together as a great big package.
If those organizations offered stock investments, I'd include you in ... and you'd be a damn fool to turn it down!
And your option to be a fool just might happen soon!
Sit back and think a bit more and a bit smarter than you usually think whenever you think about "Lifting Heavy Things 101". (Possibly a future Harvard business course for under-graduates who think business thoughts way beyond the normal.)
Haters love to hate successful people .... which is so damn evident on this GetBig board.
We hate those who win (Heath for instance ) and we hate those who lose (Palumbo for instance).
We hate the officials who call the shots which determines who wins the trophy. (Place official names see if you know any, but names are not important for most haters.)
We hate the millionaires who become too damn rich selling what we feel are bogus products ... supplements for instance. (Insert names here.)
This hate-list could go on forever ... but that list simply hides the fact that something bigger is hidden within the hate-list-mist.
And that 'something bigger' is the immense growth throughout this planet regarding the lifting of heavy things and all that it entails.
And there are those among us (include me out) who are in a position to take advantage of that worldwide phenomena.
But they sure as hell ..... ain't the haters!
More to follow......
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If you’re knowledgeable enough to add to or make corrections to any of te following … please feel free to do so ….
Not too many years ago Joe Weider was alive and owned outright (along with his brother Ben?) the IFBB and all that it included such as the Olympia contest.
That caused him to have many haters such as the Hoffman guys (Bob included) and Dan Louri (spelling) , and may others within the lifting game.
But over the years Joe persists and Joe prevailes.
Joe had lots of help (but not too much) within the USA and outside of it …. and what was called the IFBB eventually and actually became an “International” federation.
But it was Joe’s desire to keep that federation small.
But Joe and Ben eventually met officially with some former AAU/NPC guys (include me in) and almost everyone at that Santa Monica meeting agreed that the IFBB would be recognized as the sanctioning body for professional bodybuilders within the USA and the NPC would be recognized as the sanctioning body for amateur bodybuilders within the USA and its possessions.
But even then there were haters (include me out)… and those haters objected loudly … but were eventually never heard from again and the AAU (bodybuilding) slowly drifted away while the NPC and the IFBB continued onward .
So Joe/Ben owned the IFBB and Jim Manion oversaw the administration and growth of the NPC which was at that time was a tax exempt organization.
But Joe still wanted to keep his part small while it was apparent that Jim wanted to make his part larger.
Very wise on the part of Jim.
More to follow …
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On the news at present .... AMI RUNS A BLACKMAIL OPERATION.
Google it and it may give you a slight idea why Mr. Pecker sold the Oly at a sizable loss,
It also mentions Arnold, Bezos, Trump, and a few other un-usual suspects!
Has any GetBigger ever bought a copy of the National Enquirer or maybe subscribe on a yearly basis??
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Has any GetBigger ever bought a copy of the National Enquirer or maybe subscribe on a yearly basis??
Not even my IQ is that low. Perhaps Straw Man or Prime are subscribers...
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Doesn't anyone else wonder where the fawk this Jake Wood got that kind of money??????
First order of business should include:
1) Fire Bob Chick.
2) Fire Weinberger and all the old guard of IFBB Olympia judges.
3) New head judge must be a former Olympia winner himself and the rest of panel should be made up of retired IFBB pros
4) Anyone with a gut on stage is relegated to last place regardless of "who" it is!!!
5) Relegate the Bikini Olympia to a side stage on a separate day from the big show!
6) Hire a professional film crew for once in the Olympia history and upgrade the webcast quality x 1000!!!
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Doesn't anyone else wonder where the fawk this Jake Wood got that kind of money??????
First order of business should include:
1) Fire Bob Chick.
2) Fire Weinberger and all the old guard of IFBB Olympia judges.
3) New head judge must be a former Olympia winner himself and the rest of panel should be made up of retired IFBB pros
4) Anyone with a gut on stage is relegated to last place regardless of "who" it is!!!
5) Relegate the Bikini Olympia to a side stage on a separate day from the big show!
6) Hire a professional film crew for once in the Olympia history and upgrade the webcast quality x 1000!!!
Good suggestions.
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MILONE / SCOTT, I almost also agree ... but it ain't gonna happen!
But isn't the Bikini event already contested within the Expo?
And I think that Bob does a good job except for those extra long delays announcing the winners.
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OK, without your permission I will proceed ....
So back then sometime (I'm bad at recalling dates) ... Joe drove the IFBB bus with relatively few passengers on board ... but each passenger bought and paid for an IFBB card to hop on that bus.
During that IFBB-bus-ride a few passengers would win and receive cash awards which did not amount to much back then but if they were well known enough a few could receive guest posing offers to appear at NPC events throughout the USA and receive a $600 - $2,000 paycheck (in cash for obvious reasons) for their name upon the contest poster and a 90 second posing routine while the judges did their tabulations.
Big Lou's dad took care of Big Lou's business and set a $5,000 guest posing fee for Loui ... so Big Lou was not in great demand by those who paid the bills.
On the other "bus' ... Jim Manion was the NPC driver and that bus was much more 'fuller' and required bus drivers throughout the US tuo load those buses and keep them moving.
There were many bus wrecks along the way ... but the NPC continued to grow regardless.
Jim, as well as many others, prove to be a damn good drivers and the NPC grows by 'leaps and pounds' with many riders, while Joe placed limits on his bus-rider capacity.
And a lot of stuff happens that all GetBiggers are experts on ... such as Pecker's buy-out and all that that entailed ... yada ... yada .. yada!
And then Joe dies! ......
Oh, .... Shit!
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MILONE / SCOTT, I almost also agree ... but it ain't gonna happen!
But isn't the Bikini event already contested within the Expo?
And I think that Bob does a good job except for those extra long delays announcing the winners.
Bodybuilding needs a Matrix/Zion level reset. It is nothing but disgusting now. Being built now means being drugged to the maximum and dying early. Nothing but a temporary facade. John used to tell me about how in D.C. they would destroy an old building leaving the "front" just standing there and build anew behind it. I never saw it but I don't see how he would make that up!
Not even a set piece that can be used over and over on different movie sets. Think of how many times a certain hallway/staircase was used in the original TV series, "The Wild, Wild, West". I can't count the number of times I saw that same stage on the show. Different but still the same thing underneath the paint and furniture.
Come to think of it, Bodybuilding is like the film industry. All CGI now for movies and ALL drugs for "bodybuilding".
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Got to wonder about the Olympia. I hope Dave at RX can please interview Dan.
J