The IFBB awarded Jay first place by a wide margin. He received all the votes for first place in some rounds. That means anyone who deviates from this consensus is not a good judge. To keep insisting that Ronnie was the best is bolting the door after the stallions have escaped.
I can understand that some guys are Ronnie fans and admire the size of the guy. That is nice, we all have bodybuilders we look up to and respect. However, judging is not totally a subjective process and when all the judges agree then you have to justify placing someone else first.
If people suggest the judges did a bad job this year then others can say the same thing about last year and so on. I think the consensus last year was that Ronnie had an edge even though many did not actually like his physique. Bodybuilding is mostly about being the biggest and most defined in the lineup and Ronnie surely pushed the boundaries of what is possible re muscle on the human frame.
This year there was no controversy among the judges. From where they sat it was clear Jay Cutler was the best man on stage and that is how they all voted. To see Special Ed and others lamenting away suggests they would not be objective if given the duty to actually judge a contest with Ronnie it it. I have always tried to see who was the best in the line up and often I do not agree with the judges. That can happen but this year my inspection of hundreds of photos and some videos all told the same story. Jay was superior and definitely from the back. Haney, Yates and Coleman all established that Mr Olympia has to be the best all round and especially from the back. This year, suprisingly, Jay stole the show when they did the double biceps from the back. He was leaning too far backwards in some photos but the flash image clearly shows he was the best man there.
I guess this board is a place to vent and that is exactly what some are doing. Ed must be feeling a sense of personal loss and my condolences are extended to him and others who are crying on this board.
