First off, I am not out to offend anyone with this post. I want to have a legit conversation about this.
The fact is bb takes hard work, dedication, genetics and drugs. There is no athleticism involved imo. You eat, sleep, tan, lift and shit. You then step on stage and flex. What a bb does is no different then a women who is training for, and competing in beauty pageants. Obviously bb has become a freak show so the beauty part does not apply, but the main idea is the same. Yes, a lot of bb's are former athletes. But most where not good enough to make it into a pro leauge of some type, or stopped playing sports due to injury. You could be the most god awful athlete in the world, but if you have the right genetics, and response to drugs, you could be a world champion bb.
Let me see a single bb do something like in the link I posted below. While bodybuilder's are very dedicated they are not athletes imo. No more then a chick who diets, trains , tans and stands on stage competing in a pageant. No disrespect meant by this post. Chick would lead you to believe bb's are among the worlds top athletes

You have to admire the dedication pro bb's show, just cannot see how they would be classified along side pro athletes.