Crowd attendance and support when Bodybuilders were Smaller

[The True Adonis]

After watching the 1989 videos,  You can see the crowd, a full venue, people actually interested with decent commentary and smaller bodybuilders.

Sure has changed and taken a turn for the worse.  The 89 NPC nationals were more popular than this years Mr. Olympia.  Mr. Olympia attendance was 500 at prejudging and 7000 max at its most crowded.  Very poor.

Perhaps one day, people will see, that the bigger and uglier the physiques get, the less attendance and credibility the "sport" is getting.

Very interesting.

[sarcasm]

the bodies on stage were just better to look at, i think that people figure if they want to see 50 inch waists and heads the size of fire hydrants they'll go to the local Ponderosa followed by shopping for Nascar t shirts at Wal-Mart.

[knny187]

After watching the 1989 videos,  You can see the crowd, a full venue, people actually interested with decent commentary and smaller bodybuilders.


Sure has changed and taken a turn for the worse.  The 89 NPC nationals were more popular than this years Mr. Olympia.  Mr. Olympia attendance was 500 at prejudging and 7000 max at its most crowded.  Very poor.

Perhaps one day, people will see, that the bigger and uglier the physiques get, the less attendance and credibility the "sport" is getting.

Very interesting.

doubt it...seriously

 

funny how an offseason Pro....can do guest posing...& still sell seats

 

[jem123]

This is why, when asked on a different thread which Olympia competitor most people would want to resemble, most went for Rockel.

I agree that the 280-300lbs look is not appealing to most people.

[gordiano]

After watching the 1989 videos,  You can see the crowd, a full venue, people actually interested with decent commentary and smaller bodybuilders.


Sure has changed and taken a turn for the worse.  The 89 NPC nationals were more popular than this years Mr. Olympia.  Mr. Olympia attendance was 500 at prejudging and 7000 max at its most crowded.  Very poor.

Perhaps one day, people will see, that the bigger and uglier the physiques get, the less attendance and credibility the "sport" is getting.

Very interesting.

I know what you mean.


And while bbing will never be mainstream, it could at least return to where the shit was at least on TV!

But the drug abuse has reached new levels, and sadly its not going back.

[haider]

Yea it seems bodybuilding has lost its popularity over the years tremendously. Ofcourse I have no other way to tell other than what I hear. Maybe I'm wrong but...

Maybe people have a hard time relating to someone 10 times their size?

[Rammer]

I don't think there were as many people at the '89 Nationals as you think TA.  It was held in the ballroom of the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami and it didn't even have tiered seating only folding chairs on the floor.  When I promoted a natural show in Florida in the 90's I was lucky to get 700 in attendance and the biggest untested shows would get maybe 2500-3000 in attendance.

[Powerlift66]

the bodies on stage were just better to look at, i think that people figure if they want to see 50 inch waists and heads the size of fire hydrants they'll go to the local Ponderosa followed by shopping for Nascar t shirts at Wal-Mart.

LOL !!!!

[BuffD]

I don't know all the shows I go to there are always tons of people there and I'm sure seats cost alot more now as well.  TA just has to try to knock bodybuilding as often as he can.  I doubt he could look like one of todays bodybuilders even if he was all juiced up.  Ok lets see how long his "attached at the hip" boyfriend Sarcasm takes to come to stick up for him.  Never fails, TA posts and sure enough Sarc is there to back him up.  SOOOOO GAY!

[Cleanest Natural]

totally agree with u adonis on this one

[GoneAway]

It's funny how alot of BBing fans still remember guys from the 50's, 60's, 70's who had bodies we would still love to have and consider genetic marvels. It shows that people's frames haven't changed much, or how much muscle one can pack on, so if BBing isn't as popular now as it was 30 or so years ago, what's the difference?

Maybe more people are buying the web streams. Has anyone looked into that? Could be a number of things, but personally, as an inspiring future competitor, I don't want my waist to get any thicker than it is right now (which isn't thick at all), but I guess if you gotta get a certain way to win (e.g. bigger muscles at the sake of wider waist) then you have to decide what's worth it in the end. I don't speak for anyone but myself, but I'm sure the general audience that goes to see a show want to see physiques they like to look at. Maybe BBers thesedays have changed in a way that it's not pleasing anymore. I mean, look at the GetBiggers. Ronnie Rockell is no bigger than the average BBer 30 years ago, and half the people here prefer his physique over Cutlers, even if they think Cutler should win. It's a very double-edged sword about who you want to *look at*, and who you want to *win* a contest.

Overall it comes down to the judging. You can have the biggest overall musculature structure on stage, but if the judges want a smaller, more "pleasing" physique, then that's who will win. That wasn't the case this year, though and may never be unless the actual BBers are given/set a standard where they keep their bodyweight down to try to improve that X-Frame or overall aesthetical appeal, which is extremely doubtful.

[adipo8]

After watching the 1989 videos,  You can see the crowd, a full venue, people actually interested with decent commentary and smaller bodybuilders.


Sure has changed and taken a turn for the worse.  The 89 NPC nationals were more popular than this years Mr. Olympia.  Mr. Olympia attendance was 500 at prejudging and 7000 max at its most crowded.  Very poor.

Perhaps one day, people will see, that the bigger and uglier the physiques get, the less attendance and credibility the "sport" is getting.

Very interesting.

Love to see you promote a show. Or come up with the changes that need to be made.

[SteelePegasus]

Love to see you promote a show. Or come up with the changes that need to be made.

lol, listen ok,  TA only speaks about theory. When asked for a practical application his response is

1. later
2. more will come
3. I am busy right now
4. it is all relative

remember this is the guy that for months harped about the Adonis principles, yet we have no fucking clue as to what it is.

the best that I can extrapolate is:
eat icecream, pizza cake and you will lose weight , most of it muscle

[Ron]

It was a different time back then. But at his years Olympia, the crowd for Friday night's show (including prejuding) was over 3,500, and the finals were close to 6,500, maybe more.... and it was a good crowd, one that cheered, and the shows were good too.

However, back then, ticket prices were a lot cheaper, as were the prizes given to the men. The expos were non-existent, there were only a few supplement companies willing to come, and none of the bodybuilders had contracts, or very few.

Yes, maybe more people, but a lot less money involved.

True - the biggest issues facing bodybuilding today is how to get teenagers, and younger people back involved in the sport, in which at one time, had many teenagers competing. I think Shawn Ray, and a myriad of other bodybuilders turned pro in their early 20s, not their late 30's which is what is happening more often now. How to change it or market it differently is a big question many of us have asked.

[TheAnimal]

What kind of teenage boy doesn't want big muscles!!!!
Its too easy to market to them

[GoneAway]

What kind of teenage boy doesn't want big muscles!!!!
Its too easy to market to them

Contests or supplements/training? Two different things IMO as far as marketability and drumming up interest.

[SteelePegasus]

It was a different time back then. But at his years Olympia, the crowd for Friday night's show (including prejuding) was over 3,500, and the finals were close to 6,500, maybe more.... and it was a good crowd, one that cheered, and the shows were good too.

However, back then, ticket prices were a lot cheaper, as were the prizes given to the men. The expos were non-existent, there were only a few supplement companies willing to come, and none of the bodybuilders had contracts, or very few.

Yes, maybe more people, but a lot less money involved.

True - the biggest issues facing bodybuilding today is how to get teenagers, and younger people back involved in the sport, in which at one time, had many teenagers competing. I think Shawn Ray, and a myriad of other bodybuilders turned pro in their early 20s, not their late 30's which is what is happening more often now. How to change it or market it differently is a big question many of us have asked.

Ron, back then boys looked at those builds are being attainable (naturally) maybe we were naive. But today no is thinking "I want to look like coleman or Jay"

[davidpaul]

Ron, back then boys looked at those builds are being attainable (naturally) maybe we were naive. But today no is thinking "I want to look like coleman or Jay"

very good point, those guys definately had a more attainable look.