I've noticed a trend from the so called Ronnie fans of this and other boards. Ronnie has one bad contest showing and everyone is ready to jump ship and give up on the guy. I've seen some morons that put him out of the top 6 this year! Keep the following things in mind...these should be obvious but I guess I should point them out to the slower amongst us.
1. Ronnie lost the contest because of his conditioning, not because (insert whatever is torn or injured).
Bob and Shawn have even said the same thing. That had he came in on Friday the way he looked on Saturday things might have been different. Matter of fact if you looked at some of the Euro shows, Ronnie should have won some of them.
2. Ronnie has looked better when the odds are against him or when he comes off a bad (what is bad for Ronnie) showing.
3. Even if Ronnie has a the atrophied tricep and lat and comes in good condition it will be better than whatever condition Jay can bring thus giving Ronnie his 9th and final Olympia win. Jay has improved his back, yes. But Jay's improved back wasn't just the reason he won. Jay won because Ronnie was off, not because Jay is a better bodybuilder. That's nothing against Jay because IMO he should have won in 2001 also. But it just seems like that since Ronnie lost, everyone is ready to take him out to the field and shoot him like "ol' yeller" because he's "too old".
Ronnie will never be able to regain the look of the 98/99 or 2003 O. or the 2001 Mr. O. but everytime he's been doubted he always comesback and makes up for it.....This will be the most rewarding yet.
