What would it take to get bodybuilding back on ESPN?

[drkaje]

Generation Iron is on ESPN Classic right now.

[The Scott]

Generation Iron is on ESPN Classic right now.

Makes one wonder what the commercials for said showing might be.

E-SchmoeMe.com...?

[drkaje]

Makes one wonder what the commercials for said showing might be.

E-SchmoeMe.com...?

I'm watching football but will guess lube.

[Never1AShow]

Bodybuilding is not comparable to any regular sports, not even to table games which still provide that expectation factor that causes excitement and interest that keeps people watching as it happens with regular sports.

Blaming drugs as the cause for bodybuilding not being on TV is a bit unconvincing given that in regular sports athletes also take a few things from time to time. It's true that people see bodybuilders and think "that size was achieved with drugs", but that is not the main reason why bodybuilding isn't popular and not shown on TV.

Bodybuilding doesn't provide excitement and expectation as regular sports because there isn't confrontation of skills and tactics that will defeat the rival, all the previous work done before presentation is for the sake of looks; not skills "look how big I look, look how veiny I look. Don't look at him; look at me, I look better".

I said it before, bodybuilding puts patriarchy in conflict because men are not supposed to become objects for scrutiny.

This doesn't address why there's a lot of ice skating on tv though.  Similar no confrontation and hard for lay person to judge differences.  There is a huge difference between people thinking some athletes get a little help from the drugs and bodybuilding where even 30 years ago people were talking about drugs, but now it is extremely visible and even people in the sport know it is not even close to "just the finishing touch."  Plus people are huge fatties and more jealous than ever.

[Alfurinn]

Sexuality expands from between the legs to the entire body. The man becomes that which above all stands for his manhood, his difference - the phallus. After Fussell's last competition, his lifting buddy runs up to him excited:

"Oh Sam, he gurgled. You looked like a fucking human penis" Veins were popping every which way".

The expansion of sexual objectification in male bodybuilding, in a way, undermines the objectification of women. It does so by positioning men - no longer only women - as subjects to the scrutiny of others. This unsettles the dominant relation of men as subjects and women as objects. I believe that as spectacular as it is, this is why male bodybuilding is not shown on television as a prime hour sport. It makes men too subject to the gaze of others. Unlike football or baseball, it puts patriarchy in trouble. "We have to accept that bodybuilding is a subculture that will continue to expand but will never be fighting for prime-time space with the World Series..."

Philosophical Perspectives on Gender in Sport and Physical Activity.
Paul Davis, Charlene Weaving.

[Jizmonkey]

What they need to do is have Steve Harvey be the announcer for bodybuilding shows.

[drkaje]

What they need to do is have Steve Harvey be the announcer for bodybuilding shows.

No one would care if the wrong name was called.

[Jizmonkey]

No one would care if the wrong name was called.

Yeah but I'd like to see Heath cry

[MCWAY]

I found the promo for the first WBF show. This aired for weeks on WWF Superstars, Wrestling Challenge, and Prime Time Wrestling.

[MCWAY]

To answer the question... It would take the management of the ESPN branch of Disney to all have a massive brain hemorrhage.

There is no money in it because it is:

1. Not anywhere close to a big enough market
2. Full of drugs. ESPN has been a staunch supporter of banning PEDs and that's a requirement for bodybuilding.

It won't happen.

ESPN did the MuscleMania series which was drug-tested, just as MD became "All-Natural Muscular Development". Yet, that didn't help bodybuilding, press-wise. And we all know what happened when McMahon tested his guys in 1992.

[MCWAY]

"BodyStar Wars"

WBF vs. WWF Tug-of-War (Adventure Island, Tampa, FL).

Team WBF:

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (Captain)
"The Future" Jim Quinn"
"The Dark Angel" Aaron Baker
"The Jetman" Tony Pearson
"The Zuke" Troy Zuccolotto
"The Giant Killer" Danny Padilla (sub for "Major Guns" Eddie Robinson)
"The Golden Eagle" Tom Platz

Team WWF:

"Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig (Captain)
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair
"The Mountie" Jacques Rougeau
"Skinner" Steve Kern (sub for "The Model" Rick Martel)
"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
"Irwin R. Shyster" Mike Rotunda
"The Berserker" John Nord

[Kwon_2]

WBF vs. WWF Tug-of-War (Adventure Island, Tampa, FL).

LOL @ the epic wrestling-lines from Platz and Gang at 2:00.

Aaron Baker didn't sound too intimidating lol

Rehearsed lines of Peace

[Azure]

I think before getting back on tv the first priority should be on acquiring mainstream sponsorships. The main issue with that though is that they are going to want to see some return on investment and with the way things are currently done that's not going to happen.

I actually think the best ambassador for mainstream sponsorships at this point and time is....Jay Cutler

[MCWAY]

LOL @ the epic wrestling-lines from Platz and Gang at 2:00.

Aaron Baker didn't sound too intimidating lol

Rehearsed lines of Peace

Notice Mean Gene's microphone? It had the new "BodyStars" logo without the WBF symbol on it. That was the logo when they started featuring more mainstream fitness stuff and less bodybuilding stuff, right around the time the WBF folded.

And by getting heel WWF wrestlers, the fans, especially the kids, were rooting for the bodybuilders.


Eddie Robinson was supposed to be on this team. But for some reason, they replaced him with Padilla. I think he got married around that time and might have been on his honeymoon. Another more popular guy was supposed to be on Team WBF. Instead, we got either Platz or Pearson.

In case you're wondering, the reason Duggan was the WBF team captain was that he was rocking WBF merchandise every week on WWF Prime Time Wrestling (Vince McMahon's version of "Inside the NFL", which pre-dated "Monday Night RAW").

[HTexan]

Not enough gayness. Crank that shit up

[MCWAY]

I think before getting back on tv the first priority should be on acquiring mainstream sponsorships. The main issue with that though is that they are going to want to see some return on investment and with the way things are currently done that's not going to happen.

I actually think the best ambassador for mainstream sponsorships at this point and time is....Jay Cutler

Nobody got more press or mainstream exposure than the WBF guys did 25 years ago. If that couldn't do it, I don't think it can be done.

The WBF had Lou Ferrigno on its roster, at one point. You think Jay Cutler would have more success than Big Lou?

[Azure]

Nobody got more press or mainstream exposure than the WBF guys did 25 years ago. If that couldn't do it, I don't think it can be done.

The WBF had Lou Ferrigno on its roster, at one point. You think Jay Cutler would have more success than Big Lou?

It's a different era in that there are so many media options for people. I think jay could be a valuable ambassador in bringing on mainstream sponsorships. He seems to be moving in those types of circles these days.

Lou isn't the most articulate person in the world and he also doesn't have the most personable reputation.

As it stands now None of the top 5 guys have a personality, look, etc to interest a mainstream sponsor

[MCWAY]

It's a different era in that there are so many media options for people. I think jay could be a valuable ambassador in bringing on mainstream sponsorships. He seems to be moving in those types of circles these days.

Lou isn't the most articulate person in the world and he also doesn't have the most personable reputation.

As it stands now None of the top 5 guys have a personality, look, etc to interest a mainstream sponsor

That's been said of nearly every generation of bodybuilders over the last 40 years. Check the clip where Lou says the same thing about the precious 90s guys.....and this was on American Muscle on ESPN.

Cheerleading competitions have mainstream sponsors and are on ESPN. Do you know who the current national champs are, without a search engine?

[Azure]

That's been said of nearly every generation of bodybuilders over the last 40 years. Check the clip where Lou says the same thing about the precious 90s guys.....and this was on American Muscle on ESPN.

Cheerleading competitions have mainstream sponsors and are on ESPN. Do you know who the current national champs are, without a search engine?

No I Don't.

Those guys were at least on television though and now when there's so many venues and specialty venues, there's no reason why bodybuilding shouldn't have minimal coverage on television. I would like to know why nbcsn decided to shelve the Olympia. My guess is production. They probably
Had bad camera shots and such along with it wing a snooze fest and horrible looking physiques. Even bodybuilding fans agreed that phil looked terrible

A large part of the success of pumping iron was that there was an actual story.

[MCWAY]

No I Don't.

Those guys were at least on television though and now when there's so many venues and specialty venues, there's no reason why bodybuilding shouldn't have minimal coverage on television.

Yes, there is. It's called ratings. WBF Bodystars didn't last a year, and it was on every week on USA from April of 1992.

I would like to know why nbcsn decided to shelve the Olympia. My guess is production. They probably
Had bad camera shots and such along with it wing a snooze fest and horrible looking physiques. Even bodybuilding fans agreed that phil looked terrible

A large part of the success of pumping iron was that there was an actual story.

Pumping Iron was a movie, not just coverage of a show. Had that been the case, the 1975 Mr. Olympia would likely have been a dud. As it was, the coverage of the show itself was compressed, to say the least.

As for NBCSN, the airing of the show was at least a month after the contest actually happened. Meanwhile, the live telecast was shown online. Who's going to wait a month to see edited footage of the Olympia, when they can see the whole thing LIVE on the web?

That was the issue with bodybuilding when it was on ESPN, severely edited and doctored Olympia coverage aired months after the contest went down.

ESPN would do the same thing it did back in the 80s and 90s. And with the age of the internet, that would be an even bigger ratings bust now than it was then.

[Azure]

Yes, there is. It's called ratings. WBF Bodystars didn't last a year, and it was on every week on USA from April of 1992.

Pumping Iron was a movie, not just coverage of a show. Had that been the case, the 1975 Mr. Olympia would likely have been a dud. As it was, the coverage of the show itself was compressed, to say the least.

As for NBCSN, the airing of the show was at least a month after the contest actually happened. Meanwhile, the live telecast was shown online. Who's going to wait a month to see edited footage of the Olympia, when they can see the whole thing LIVE on the web?

That was the issue with bodybuilding when it was on ESPN, severely edited and doctored Olympia coverage aired months after the contest went down.

ESPN would do the same thing it did back in the 80s and 90s. And with the age of the internet, that would be an even bigger ratings bust now than it was then.

And if they are going to do a delayed airing of something like the Olympia, they could make it a story like generation iron. Show the people getting ready. That's really how I see it getting back on television because it's not a sport and is too boring to watch

[MCWAY]

And if they are going to do a delayed airing of something like the Olympia, they could make it a story like generation iron. Show the people getting ready. That's really how I see it getting back on television because it's not a sport and is too boring to watch

Then you're watching a show a year after it actually happened. Generation Iron was aired in 2013, covering the 2012 Olympia. Pumping Iron didn't occur until 1977, two years after the Olympia it was featuring.

BodyStars had plenty of footage of the bodybuilders getting ready for the 1992 show, as well as footage and clips from the 1991 contest.

The pre-films for the 1991 show were supposed to tell the story of the WBF superstars; the ones for 1992 were mini-movies for the characters of the competitors. Neither worked very well.

Check this one for WBF champion Gary Strydom.

Then comes the character-type pre-films.

Plus, there's a difference between covering an actual event when it happens and doing a docu-drama like Pumping Iron.

Again, with the internet, there certainly isn't going to be a major audience for delayed (and edited) coverage of a bodybuilding show. And who has the time, money, or interest to make movies out of every major bodybuilding contest, anyway?

[MCWAY]

Strydom's TV appearance after winning the WBF title.

Highlights from the 1991 show, which aired on WWF Superstars, Wrestling Challenge, and Prime Time Wrestling the following week.

[Kwon_2]

Iron Warriors performance, wearing chainmail!

The precursors to Kai Greene.
9:00 Native American outfit? Warpaint? lol
16:00 Executioner hood?

[MCWAY]

Iron Warriors performance, wearing chainmail!

The precursors to Kai Greene.
9:00 Native American outfit? Warpaint? lol
16:00 Executioner hood?

The warpaint would be that of "The Phoenix", the late Vince Comerford.


And the hood is from the original "Executioner", Johnnie Morant.