Getting back to the topic at hand. I have read accounts of Ben Weider travelling around the world signing up new countries under the IFBB banner. Yes, he was successful in this enterprise. What a pity the structure he left behind is so rigid. I honestly believe that he was too concerned about conquering other federations instead of doing what was best for bodybuilding. I remember the lengthy feud between York Barbell and Weider. The magazines would be against each other and I must say that Weider was the bad guy in the early years. I lived in Montreal when I attended McGill University but never thought about looking up Ben. I did look up Leo Robert a former Mr Universe who ran a gym there. I also visited Tony Lanza at his home as I respected his photography, especially the photos of Steve Reeves taken in 1947 on the St Lawrence River. Tony said the best time to take physique photos was about 5 pm so the sun is warm and the shadows not as harsh.
In August 1965 I visited York, Pa. to try to get a job writing for the Hoffman magazines. Dr. Terry Todd read my articles and suggested they were more suitable for the Weider magazines. That was not an option I ever considered. In 1980 I took several hundred photos of the Mr Olympia contestants. On the harbour cruise after the contest I told Joe Weider I had lots of shots. He told me to send him the contact sheets. I sent the photos to Ironman, MuscleMag and a German magazine. I didn't want to present anything to Joe. I guess, in retrospect, I made a decision that Joe wasn't the trainer of champions he claimed to be. Neither was Bob Hoffman the guru he presented to be. I think the only publisher I respected in those days was Peary Rader of Ironman. Now that man was a gentleman.
What bothered me was that most of these publishers didn't even lift weights. Oh, Joe had a go in the good old days so he qualifies as a bodybuilder. I don't think the others dared pose on a stage in briefs! Bob Hoffman used to boast about his strength and sexual prowess to anyone who would listen in his company gym.
Ben had a vision that was noble. Get bodybuilding into the Olympic Games. That would get the world's attention for sure. However, the scars from the old Hoffman-Lurie-Weider battles were still there and Joe and Ben never risked losing the monopoly they finally achieved in the sport. Ben diligently composed a thorough rule book and constitution for the IFBB. There must be no banned substances. When they didn't strictly and universally enforce those rules the IFBB lost credibility as a sporting organization. It joined the professional ones similar to boxing and wrestling that were basically companies and not organizations per se. Ben was a bit like Napoleon and didn't relinquish control of his platform until illness prevented him from carrying on. To his credit, Ben gave a speech at the Olympia thanking all those who were loyal contributors to his organization. That really was his final statement concerning what had been achieved.
The monument called the Mr Olympia contest reigns supreme in the minds of musclemen. It is the ultimate title and all dream of holding the Sandow statue as the winner. If only the drugs were eliminated from all contests. If only the injected oils were detected and forbidden. If only the augmentation of breasts disallowed from all female beauty and figure contests. The formula is simple, afterall. Reward the best natural physiques and figures on stage. Had that been Ben's mission then the sport might be a great pastime instead of an underground, embarrassing one. We are all tarred by what Ben failed to enforce. We have argued about this issue often on Getbig and elsewhere and the question remains. Why did the IFBB abandon drug testing? Why weren't the rules followed? When Ben lost the vision and chose to dominate the sport and enforce his virtual monopoly he lost his mission and the sport suffered for it. I doubt things can easily be addressed to undo the damage created by sweeping the health issues under the carpet. It will take a very brave organization to return bodybuilding to a sport that will be respected by gym owners, PE teachers, the medical community, and the general public.
