Steve Blechman does great things for the athletes. He does features on all of the top amateurs and pros who would otherwise remain unknown
Kai Greene is a perfect example. W/out MD, Kai would not have had the exposure that landed him such acclaim and supplement contracts. When Blechman signed him to the magazine, it gave him the financial stability he needed to take his physique to the level it's at today
And what about Silvio? MD was the first magazine to do a feature on him right after his pro debut.
The list goes on and on. MD and Steve Blechman are/were the only people to actually pay bbers for photoshoots; shoots by PER BERNAL, the best physique photographer HANDS DOWN.
If MD were to drop their athletes, it would be out of genuine concern for the athlete's career. Many people on the boards love to speculate about politics regarding Weider/Muscletech athletes vs. MD athletes and their placings at major contests. John Romano is proposing dropping their biggest athletes so that they can avoid being unfairly judged. If anything, that's an incredibly selfless act!
It's like the saying "If you love someone, let them go"