Bomz,
In as much as I find myself respecting most of your comments regarding bodybuilding matters and even though I also tend to agree with your comments about “Evan should have been the winner” when I look at the contest photos …. I have to side with the official judging panel who were present and close enough to the posing platform to make a tough but valid decision.
Judging an outcome based on photographs simply determines which photos we liked best, but photos present a different “picture’ than the judges see …. without exception.
I’ve participated as an official in more contests than most GetBiggers will ever see and I can only recall two events in which someone tried to interfer with the scoreing process.
(Only one was successful.)
Some cheating alligations may be valid but I have never been a personal witness to such since the early 70’s.
During my tenure I would ask those who doubted the validity and honesty of a judging panel to participate in future contests as a Test Judge which would allow them to sit up front directly behind the official judging panel and commit their opinions/placings in writing on an unofficial score sheet and compare those placings with the overall results….. And then accompany the Head Judge and witness how he computes the overall results.
In the majority of cases that would end any suspicions, allegations and disputes.
Depending on where you sit, you see a different contest than the judges see.
And it’s an entirely different ‘contest’ when you make photo comparisons.
I do realize that you are into competitive bodybuilding and its outcome, so I do recommend that you seek permission to sit in as a Test Judge within NPC events in and around the Northern California area.
Sit in as a Test Judge three or four times and you’ll understand competitive bodybuilding results more thoroughly.
And you might even be able to suggest procedural improvements that will alleviated controversy once the decision has been made.
Politely submitted, Stunt