How in the hell did 1999 advance the sport when the reality is that after 1999 bodybuilders just got worse and worse and worse and worse?
simple.
ronnie looked like this:
we are talking about individual physiques here that raised the bar. McGough acknowledges that Ronnie 99 took the sport to a new level as far as Mr. Olympia appearences go..
you misunderstood the article.
he is not saying that collectively the lineup of pros advanced the sport in 99, but rather that Ronnie's 99 olympia presentation did in terms of physique..and, must to the dismay of the nuthuggers, he advanced it to a level above that set by dorian 93..since the list is in cronological order, and of course, you cannot advance the sport by going backwards.
by definition, Peter's article shows that he felt that Ronnie 99> dorian 93.
and notice, that Ronnie 2003 didnt make the list..
the sport may have began to decline after that, but that has nothing to do with what Peter's article is about.