His track record? What track record?
Compare how much the NPC struggled in its early days back in the 80s to how well it is thriving today. The growth hasn't always been as rapid as it is right now, but the reality is that the organization IS growing.
The NPC does nothing for their athletes just as the IFBB does nothing. They collect sanctioning fees from promoters and membership fees from athletes.
Those fees are pretty reasonable, though, aren't they? That's one reason why I'm in favor of the NPC having its own professional division separate and apart from the IFBB.
And you of all people should have issues with their press policy. When was the last time you had a press pass or was treated with any kind of dignity from them?
You're kidding, right? I'm treated well (or at least fairly!) pretty much wherever I go. I'm able to do my thing, a few people benefit, and no one is hurt by it.
The press issue was settled some 4 years ago and I've considered that chapter closed since that time. Even though I obviously disagreed with the need for such a policy, what it forced me to do was to get into the game on the business side.
Some might consider it misfortune, but it was one of the greatest things to happen to me in the past decade as my gross receipts now are greater than they ever would've been had I continued business as usual from that time onward.
That being said, your 'kneepad' comment is so far off-base, it's not even funny. I've been appropriately critical of the NPC whenever I've seen inconsistency with judging or a policy that was unfair or unreasonable. Few people have given the NPC judges more grief than I have in the past 5 years, but the NPC judging - without question - is FAR superior to what we see in the IFBB. But at the same time, I've always given credit where it was due. The reason you don't often see me griping about the NPC judging is that they usually do a darn good job.
There will always be folks who don't like the NPC and that's fine. But at the end of the day, the federation has provided employment and income opportunities for thousands of people throughout the years, and I don't see that as a bad thing at all.
