Mr 1derful. I am not the problem in this sport. I finally read his name right. Mr Wonderful.
Problems with bodybuilding? Too many drugs and too much politics. Not enough competent judges. Obscure judging criteria for both sexes. Too many in the admin who are not bodybuilders. The list goes on.
A question. How many bodybuilders would go to the beach in the posing trunks they wear on stage? Yes, it is a circus and the costumes are way too brief. Lots of stuff happened over the years that is now accepted. Ronnie pulling his trunks up his crack led to that being commonplace among the pros.
Solutions? Well, they are simple but not easy to implement. We need new people starting at the top. We need a constitution that is going to be one that is followed because it is what bodybuilders want.
Once we get the organization straightened out we can clean up the sport. Rigorous drug testing and out of comp, too. It can be done but the IFBB are so afraid the pros will migrate elsewhere that they dare not do it. We need a proper medical committee to advise the organization. Research is also something that can be stimulated.
Bob and Manion have had their day and it is more patch up than providing what the bodybuilders want. They have no vision and what they offer is more of the same.
Why shouldn't the top winners be earning over $1,000,000/year for prize money? Well, what sponsors other than supplement companies will touch these athletes? No credibility because of the drugs that even Bob tolerates. Arnold could offer that at his show but the IFBB has a rule that no other contest can offer more than the Mr Olympia.
Vince, posts such as the one above I can respect, as it at least touches upon some areas in a manner more befitting of constructive dialogue. And you are right, there are aspects of the sport that may have previously not been accepted, that are now considered the norm. The trouble, perhaps partly based on that fact, is that for someone like Bob to initiate change, it first has to come from the competitors themselves. By in large, it doesn't seem as though there is very strong motivation on their part to act as a catalyst for change. How should one interpret that? That they are content with the status quo? Or, that they wish not to rock the boat? Or a combination of the two?
Could things be improved? Perhaps. But, positive change tends to be a work in progress and the IFBB isn't likely to recreate itself overnight. For dramatic change to occur, there have to be enough people driving that change, with it being viable to do so. One could create an incarnation of the IFBB that they perceive to be the ideal, but would it be financially viable? If not, the IFBB would cease to exist and any so called utopia of bodybuilding would prove meaningless.
