I understand both sides of the argument, so I'm not trying to throw gasoline on a fire here...BUT...
It seems to me that what Priest did, while it was a violation of the rules, was more of an issue because the IFBB regarded it as Disrespect. I know, the MD boards have the patent on the godfather jargon, but I think it's okay to use it here!
Masino (and many of the female BBers on her site/ in her mag) are breaking the rules, but it's not taking business away from the IFBB. Same with Kai, same with any BBer doing porn etc... I DO feel, however, that such behavior is far more detrimental to the sport than Priest competing in a rival federation.
I'm not naiive, and I know BBing will NEVER be more than a fringe, cult "sport", and to call something 'dmamging' to bodybuilding's image is kind of like spitting into the ocean.
All things being equal, I would think that the IFBB would be a bit more concerned about image. I'm not saying Lee shouldn't have been suspended, he sould have. But he took his medicine and now the IFBB is unduly penalizing him to make a point.
I had a point when I started this pose, but I lost it somewhere!
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the IFBB's unwillingness to punish the beavior of Masino, Kai etc, and to over-punish Priest smacks of selective ethics and an overall disingenuous policy of rule enforcement.
Imagine if Greene and Masino won their respective Olympias. You talk about a PR nightmare in the making.
