1. The playing of the American national anthem at what is supposedly an international sporting event is, I think, in bad taste. Of course, it is unrealistic to play the national anthems of all the countries represented by the competitors so the most logical thing to do is to not play any anthem. At the very least, it would give the impression that the non-American bodybuilders are not facing an uphill battle for recognition or that the IFBB is not just a little boys club. After, it is the International Federation of Bodybuilders, right?
2. If the amateur talent pool seems limited, then bodybuilding needs to appear more inspirational if participation is to increase. Promoting a freak show is all good and well and the number of fans (re, gawkers) may very well increase (thankyou internet) but unless people are actually participating in the sport, then ultimately bodybuilding will collapse upon its own illusions of success. IFBB management need to be careful not to be deluded by the success of the Olympia and the Arnold.
3. Whether or not Heath is a legitimate Mr. Olympia is a nice discussion for fans but unless the judging is accountable and transparent, such discussion will ultimately lead nowhere. Clear and unambiguous guidelines for what the judges are looking for - and having those guidelines expressed in the scoresheet - will go a long way to making bodybuilding at least appear as a sport. At the moment, all one gets is a result but no details.
4. A sense of tradition and respect for the sport's history goes a long way in establishing a sense of legitimacy for bodybuilding as a whole. The incremental chipping away at the value of things like posing, lines and presentation for competition only add to the freak show mentality. Bigger is not always better when you start to make yourself look stupid. Understanding this helps to understand why someone like Frank Zane was not just a 'swimmer' and why Chris Dickerson, despite only winning one Olympia, was probably the best physique competitors in bodybuilding history. Many fans, however, cannot see past 'awesome' and their approach to the sport suffers accordingly.
5. Ultimately, bodybuilding needs to present itself more as a sport than as a business (which it obviously has to be) or as a 'jobs for the boys' club.
Hope this helps.
