I see we have a lot of posts in regards to the recent placements of some of the bodybuilders at the recent masters pro meet. The post is a JUDGED sport, and obviously a judgement is subjective.
Combine this with the atmosphere at the show, the publicity/visibility of some top guys and the individual likes/dislikes of EVERY judge and you get decisions that seem odd at various times.
An outright complete "fixing" or conspiracy is rare to say the least. It would take a tremendous amount of effort, time, secure info and money, etc. It has been my experience that NOBODY has all that much to gain from ANY bodybuilder getting the title at any show.
I was not at this show, at like many here am going by the pics 100%, but here is what might have happened that gave Bob the win. Face it, no one bodybuilder looked incredible or had jaw dropping size or freakish 21st century muscularity that we see on top pro bodybuilders at THIS masters show.
They looked incredible for over 40 bodybuilders of course, but many look at it from the typical pro standard NOT the masters standard. Since no guy was a complete , huge ripped modern freak in his prime these IFBB judges had to pick from what they had on stage. Judging at a show is a live fluid , process, unlike pics which are static. Bob had a well known name comming into this show and has a very charismatic presence. Every major political election since JFK beat Nixon has been vunerable to the "how you look and act on stage" next to the other guy " phenom. Look at Arnold in his prime, sure his physique was awesome but the man dominated the stage and demanded your focus on him, etc.
Granted, BOb is no Arnold, but compared to any other guy on stage , he is by far the most media savy and knows how to work the judes and audiance. In brief, the guy projects a winning image and that gets a "buzz" going around him as the inevitable winner.I saw Dexter do this when he won the GNC (over Jay Cutler) and Shawn Ray as well when he won the NPC nationals years ago.
It is unlikely that any grand conspiracy was responsible for Chic's win at this show, it was most likely a combination of his physique and overall stage presence , etc.
While I remain clueless about Jeffers getting 8th (other than his gay porn connection/work), I can tell you from past expereince about runner -up Johny Stewart. I competed against him back in the mid 80's in the NC area as a fellow npc amatuer. The man is a genetic freak and his body takes on a look of "chissled stone" when he flexes on stage. Like Dexter jackson, typical pics don't do his physique justice, it must be seen live to be fully appreciated.
In conclusion, it is my humble opinion, that THE actual judging standards for a winning physique have NOT been enforced or kept by all judges since the early 1980's. In the current climate , a big shredded body seems to trump a slightly less massive/ripped but aesthetic body.
