FLEX magazine's rationale for ignoring the role of AAS

[dearth]

why does SI not list football players cycles in their profiles and game reports? Or ways to beat the tests etc.

We have just chosen to portray the sport in a more positive light.

Officially we do accept that that they a part of the sport, but we won't give info related or associated with the exact usage etc.

Oh yeah, and by the way, they are illegal as well :-)

C

--------------
Chris
Creative Director
FLEX Magazine

[RC Money]

I agree with their method, just trying to protect the sport. bb will never be mainstream but certanly going the md, pro drugs, pro wierd ass shady side of bb, it would have even less of a chance. they try to cover up the dark side like anyone promoting anything would, now they should work on degaying it a little atleast, a photoshoot should never include a grunting man in daisy dukes and suspenders looking like a very gay lumber jack and flex loves this type of photography. i think the best ones are the real training photos anyway, that way you never get tricep contrations during curls and it looks real and not gay.

[Harley Buckshot]

short tan midgets dont appeal to most people.

[240 is Back]

Officially we do accept that that they a part of the sport--------------
Chris
Creative Director
FLEX Magazine

Wow.  I'm quite surprised he admitted that.

[dearth]

Wow.  I'm quite surprised he admitted that.

i'm surprised he even knows what steroids are, since its all genetics, flex training routines and weider's mega mass 2000 baby!

[Parker]

why does SI not list football players cycles in their profiles and game reports? Or ways to beat the tests etc.

We have just chosen to portray the sport in a more positive light.

Officially we do accept that that they a part of the sport, but we won't give info related or associated with the exact usage etc.

Oh yeah, and by the way, they are illegal as well :-)

C

--------------
Chris
Creative Director
FLEX Magazine

Have you ever read any Flex mags from the early to mid 90's, hell they were full of steroid articles, complete with the needle pics. Interviewing Mike Christian on his pathway of taking steriods, and  another bber on his pathway from them. What to take, when to take it, they didn't hide that shit.

[muscularny]

I agree with their method, just trying to protect the sport. bb will never be mainstream but certanly going the md, pro drugs, pro wierd ass shady side of bb, it would have even less of a chance. they try to cover up the dark side like anyone promoting anything would, now they should work on degaying it a little atleast, a photoshoot should never include a grunting man in daisy dukes and suspenders looking like a very gay lumber jack and flex loves this type of photography. i think the best ones are the real training photos anyway, that way you never get tricep contrations during curls and it looks real and not gay.

thats why MD will be around way longer end of story

[MCWAY]

Have you ever read any Flex mags from the early to mid 90's, hell they were full of steroid articles, complete with the needle pics. Interviewing Mike Christian on his pathway of taking steriods, and  another bber on his pathway from them. What to take, when to take it, they didn't hide that shit.

I wouldn't go that far.

When certain bodybuilders were having health problems or even dying, FLEX critics, especially those at rival MD, were blaming guys like Dorian Yates. They claimed that they were getting sick and croaking, trying to mimic Yates' allegedly monstrous drug regime.

thats why MD will be around way longer end of story

When their sales start slumping, MD will undergo another identity change. That ties in to what I said earlier. MD was one of FLEX's critics. When the folks there felt FLEX glorified drugs, they went "all-natural" in 1997. Steve Blechman promised that no steroid-using bodybuilder would ever be in his magazine again.

When FLEX kept beating them (and once Blechman left the then-family-owned Twinlab company), then MD couldn't stop talking about steroids.

If their sales slump again, Muscular Development may become "All-Natural Muscular Development" again, or they will start slapping silicone-stuffed hoochies on the covers, leaving the bodybuilders off.

[Wiggs]

WHAT A FUCKING JOKE!!!  Without their "little helper" this "sport's" base is cut over 50%.  Don't believe me?  See what happened the year everyone went natural in the Olympia (Don't remember the year but Lee Haney looked like shit compared to what we are used to seeing.) The IFBB needs drugs to survive, anyone that doesn't believe that is foolish.  

They just enjoy pulling the wool over people's eyes portraying the IFBB as some corperation that gives a crap about health and fitness when the very "athletes" that make the IFBB their money (guys and dolls) are walking pharmacies.  What's just as bad is the sick supplement companies that get away with selling their shit and use pros to sell their garbage and the uninformed public believes these assholes get they way they do because of their garbage.  This whole industry is a fucking sick, sick joke and only a handful of people make real money from it while the dumbasses struggle to get by.  Only in the IFBB.

[Chick]

WHAT A FUCKING JOKE!!!  Without their "little helper" this "sport's" base is cut over 50%.  Don't believe me?  See what happened the year everyone went natural in the Olympia (Don't remember the year but Lee Haney looked like shit compared to what we are used to seeing.) The IFBB needs drugs to survive, anyone that doesn't believe that is foolish.  

They just enjoy pulling the wool over people's eyes portraying the IFBB as some corperation that gives a crap about health and fitness when the very "athletes" that make the IFBB their money (guys and dolls) are walking pharmacies.  What's just as bad is the sick supplement companies that get away with selling their shit and use pros to sell their garbage and the uninformed public believes these assholes get they way they do because of their garbage.  This whole industry is a fucking sick, sick joke and only a handful of people make real money from it while the dumbasses struggle to get by.  Only in the IFBB.

Yep...only in the IFBB....and the NFL, and MLB, and NBA, and just about every sport you can name....welcome to 2008

[scribbler]

I agree with their method, just trying to protect the sport. bb will never be mainstream but certanly going the md, pro drugs, pro wierd ass shady side of bb, it would have even less of a chance. they try to cover up the dark side like anyone promoting anything would, now they should work on degaying it a little atleast, a photoshoot should never include a grunting man in daisy dukes and suspenders looking like a very gay lumber jack and flex loves this type of photography. i think the best ones are the real training photos anyway, that way you never get tricep contrations during curls and it looks real and not gay.

Flex hasn't had the daisy duke suspender look for a while unless it is in "classic" photos which are a representation of that time period. In fact, we are the ones that feature the "real" photoshoots more than any other mag does.

As has been my personal view all along, if you prefer the way other mags portray the sport, then you will buy those mags, if you like things a little more positive, you will buy Flex or one of the other positive mags, and if you don't like any mags you will be here or at other boards/sites. As long as people continue to support the sport in one way or the other, it will hopefully continue to grow. If we continue to focus on everything negative though, I don't think it will help to do anything but force it more underground and less acceptable to gaining new fans. In a perfect world, a BB fan will do several of the above.

I won't say anything negative about other mags or sites as it is isn't my place and I don't think it helps the industry as a whole to have this supposed feud between the mags be popularized. Let's focus on the competitors themselves (men and women) and their respective personalities/struggles etc and maybe we can generate some interest in the sport among more people.

Now I'm sure I'll get crapped on and called whatever names anyone can think of, but I would hope that at least some of the people that are on this site would partially agree with me, since I hope some people on GB are actually fans.

C

[RC Money]

Yep...only in the IFBB....and the NFL, and MLB, and NBA, and just about every sport you can name....welcome to 2008

Excactly, and none of those organizations glorify either, its there and you know it but it would be stupid to promote and say all that is negative about the organization or sport you are affiliated with and are trying to expand( even though it wont happen either way)

[scribbler]

Excactly, and none of those organizations glorify either, its there and you know it but it would be stupid to promote and say all that is negative about the organization or sport you are affiliated with and are trying to expand( even though it wont happen either way)

at least we can try LOL

C

[RC Money]

Flex hasn't had the daisy duke suspender look for a while unless it is in "classic" photos which are a representation of that time period. In fact, we are the ones that feature the "real" photoshoots more than any other mag does.

As has been my personal view all along, if you prefer the way other mags portray the sport, then you will buy those mags, if you like things a little more positive, you will buy Flex or one of the other positive mags, and if you don't like any mags you will be here or at other boards/sites. As long as people continue to support the sport in one way or the other, it will hopefully continue to grow. If we continue to focus on everything negative though, I don't think it will help to do anything but force it more underground and less acceptable to gaining new fans. In a perfect world, a BB fan will do several of the above.

I won't say anything negative about other mags or sites as it is isn't my place and I don't think it helps the industry as a whole to have this supposed feud between the mags be popularized. Let's focus on the competitors themselves (men and women) and their respective personalities/struggles etc and maybe we can generate some interest in the sport among more people.

Now I'm sure I'll get crapped on and called whatever names anyone can think of, but I would hope that at least some of the people that are on this site would partially agree with me, since I hope some people on GB are actually fans.

C

its good that flex tries to stay possitive, if a bit too infantile. and yes the real shoots i was refering are those in flex, but there are still plenty of old and recycled lumberjack photos. i havent bought a mag in like a year but i bet there is still one really gay photo per magazine, which normal people would be embarresed to be seem looking at those types of photos in the grocery store lines.
i'm not saying the 400 ad stack is better at all.

[RC Money]

at least we can try LOL

C

haha right on

[Wiggs]

Yep...only in the IFBB....and the NFL, and MLB, and NBA, and just about every sport you can name....welcome to 2008

Please Chick. those other sports would still be around without the drugs. The IFBB would be a shadow of itself within five years if that athletes weren't using drugs.  I'm not saying glorify drugs but the IFBB is one big lie and people tell themselves whatever makes them feel better.  At least in real sports you need a skill and not just genetics, discipline, drugs and a guru.

[Chick]

Please Chick. those other sports would still be around without the drugs. The IFBB would be a shadow of itself within five years if that athletes weren't using drugs.

The NFL linemen were a shadow of their former selves some years back, and dropping like flies from injuries.....amazingly.. .the testing became buried and is only brought up here and there with a lame example.

BB would be around too....a little smaller, and a little less freakier...just as other athletes are a little slower, a little more supceptable to injury, etc...

[scribbler]

Please Chick. those other sports would still be around without the drugs. The IFBB would be a shadow of itself within five years if that athletes weren't using drugs.

Actually, hasn't it been pretty much accepted that the homerun race after the baseball strike is a big part of why it was able to recover the fans it had lost during that strike? and drugs were a big part of the players abilities to hit those home runs.

I've even heard arguments that baseball would not have recovered or we would at least see a significantly smaller league had it not been for that.

Of course it is just speculation, but I still don't see the major sports mags saying that the guys are performing that way due to drug use and treating that like a positive thing. (So and so hit 3 homeruns the other night, hey, it must be because of this particular cycle he's been doing, hey new teen getting into baseball, why don't you run out and try it yourself. Somehow that doesn't seem like something you would see on Sportsdesk) The players that are involved are for the most part treated as a disgrace when banned substance use is brought to the public attention, even though people know full well that a lot of their favorite players are also doing it (out of sight out of mind). An athlete is certainly not looked upon as a positive role model after their drug use has been made public.

Why would anyone who wants a sport to grow/prosper want to promote something that puts the sport and the specific competitors in a negative light? We have to remember that young people now may want to see BB as something they potentially want to pursue, along with other sports etc, and to blatantly hit them with "but don't even bother unless you want to do ... " doesn't seem like the way to go about it.

C

[Wiggs]

The NFL linemen were a shadow of their former selves some years back, and dropping like flies from injuries.....amazingly.. .the testing became buried and is only brought up here and there with a lame example.

BB would be around too....a little smaller, and a little less freakier...just as other athletes are a little slower, a little more supceptable to injury, etc...

I have nothing against bodybuilding.  I have something against the IFBB.  
Is that your best example?  Lineman?

A "little" smaller and "freakier"?  You can say that about the current crop of pros that would go natural but what about lifetime natural pros?  Have a look at the natural pros if you believe they are natural.  A true natural pro would be ALOT smaller and ALOT less freaky.  The IFBB makes its money from the freak show aspect without it is no better than any other natural pro federation.

[Wiggs]

Actually, hasn't it been pretty much accepted that the homerun race after the baseball strike is a big part of why it was able to recover the fans it had lost during that strike? and drugs were a big part of the players abilities to hit those home runs.

I've even heard arguments that baseball would not have recovered or we would at least see a significantly smaller league had it not been for that.

Of course it is just speculation, but I still don't see the major sports mags saying that the guys are performing that way due to drug use and treating that like a positive thing. (So and so hit 3 homeruns the other night, hey, it must be because of this particular cycle he's been doing, hey new teen getting into baseball, why don't you run out and try it yourself. Somehow that doesn't seem like something you would see on Sportsdesk) The players that are involved are for the most part treated as a disgrace when banned substance use is brought to the public attention, even though people know full well that a lot of their favorite players are also doing it (out of sight out of mind). An athlete is certainly not looked upon as a positive role model after their drug use has been made public.

Why would anyone who wants a sport to grow/prosper want to promote something that puts the sport and the specific competitors in a negative light? We have to remember that young people now may want to see BB as something they potentially want to pursue, along with other sports etc, and to blatantly hit them with "but don't even bother unless you want to do ... " doesn't seem like the way to go about it.

C

You are correct, steriods saved baseball you'll get no arguement from me.  Why were the fans gone?  The strike.  Not lack of homeruns.   The excitement of breaking the record brought the fans back.  Now that the fans are back and testing has resumed attendance is still great without the drugs.

[scribbler]

You are correct, steriods saved baseball you'll get no arguement from me.  Why were the fans gone?  The strike.  Not lack of homeruns.   The excitement of breaking the record brought the fans back.  Now that the fans are back and testing has resumed attendance is still great without the drugs.

seriously? You think there are no more drugs in baseball?

C

[Wiggs]

seriously? You think there are no more drugs in baseball?

C

I think after all that has gone on baseball is as close to zero as they are going to get.  Kind of like natural for a pro means only under 1gram of test and only GH

[Chick]

I have nothing against bodybuilding.  I have something against the IFBB.  
Is that your best example?  Lineman?

A "little" smaller and "freakier"?  You can say that about the current crop of pros that would go natural but what about lifetime natural pros?  Have a look at the natural pros if you believe they are natural.  A true natural pro would be ALOT smaller and ALOT less freaky.  The IFBB makes its money from the freak show aspect without it is no better than any other natural pro federation.

Whats your point? If steroids never exsisted...it would be reletive...the freaks would still be the freaks, just not AS freaky....and BB would still be a nitche sport, just as it has always been, and will always be.

And using linemen as an example is as correct as it gets, but you can insert any athlete from just about any sport....if you believe most of them are clean...i've got some good property in New Orleans to sell to you

[scribbler]

I think after all that has gone on baseball is as close to zero as they are going to get.  Kind of like natural for a pro means only under 1gram of test and only GH

My favorite sport is football, and I watch as much as I can. I couldn't care less what guys are doing stuff and what guys aren't. As long as the game is entertaining and they aren't killing themselves I am willing to turn a blind eye, they really have no bearing on the game for me (even though in the back of my head I know that some of the guys PROBABLY couldn't do the things they do without them).

I actually can't watch a baseball game as I find them very slow, but I can respect the athletes ability, whether enhanced or not.

BTW, I'm pretty sure a bunch of millionaires can figure out a way around some tests :-)

C

[RC Money]

bb needs roids, if the ifbb makes their money off the freak factor of the "athletes" compared to nat feds then this only shows that bb needs roids to make money/fans. it would still be irresposible for flex(the ifbb mag) to glorify the roid usage especialy when kids can read this shit, being decitful in this aspect is still better than having a bunch of dumbasses megadosing on juice cause flex said thats how the pros do it. and after a while you would have to be an idiot to believe that a jay physique is naturaly achiavable so it would not be so much as the mag being misleading as the reader being a naive idiot when you have sites like getbig to learn about the dark side of bb. a little white lie(lies) is better for the "sport" cause dont nobody(figurelatively speaking ofcourse), casual fan or hardcore(or the possible outside mainstreamer), want to see a bunch of gym physiques posing down.