**John Romano's Questionable Commentary**

[240 is Back]

Although both qualities are certainly influential, which sells more mags - celebrity status or good writing?  Is the difference significant? 

I'd guess celebrity status.  I see words in Coleman's FLEX columns that I need two dictionaries to look up.  So if there's a chance the content will be the same either way, it'd def improve the probablility of a mag beign sold to have king Ron's face on it.

[MikeThaMachine]

Mike,

Where do you come off insulting me by calling me an idiot or an assclown?  When did I say getting 3-5 in other shows?  I said pro qualifiers, but even that needs twitching to just the top 2 guys. 

1MoreRep

P.S. Don't be so rude, your mother was way more gentle last night, she told me I was easily inher top 2..

Hey sorry if you took offense to the profanity and name calling but if i was tryin to be a pure asshole i would have used the angry face or something. See i think you are forgeting that a pro could do any show he wants but because some actually want a chance to win money they choose to do shows in which the big names are not participating, also you have to remember that the top 5-6 guys at the O usually are mostly financially stable and for them it would be pointless to waste time and money competing in shows that don't pay or that they have already dominated in.

[240 is Back]

In most other sports you have to re-qualify for a chance at the big dance.  Some guys have it written into their contracts that they compete more than once, right?  Dorian and Ronnie have both done the shows following the O after winning.

[BUCK 65]

Golf is one of the sports that allows exemptions for a number of years-
Bodybuilding does for top qualifiers-seems to work okay, maybe limiting the auto-invites to the top 2 Olympia guys makes more sense... who knows

[MisterGX]

In most other sports you have to re-qualify for a chance at the big dance.  Some guys have it written into their contracts that they compete more than once, right?  Dorian and Ronnie have both done the shows following the O after winning.

That's because they were both Weider athletes, and their contracts stipulated that they had to do 3/4 shows per year.

[Chick]

I know of NO Weider athletes that have a stipulation in their contracts to compete in X amount of contests...

[240 is Back]

I know of NO Weider athletes that have a stipulation in their contracts to compete in X amount of contests...

do you think they should?

Also, do you think that Gunter woudl still have beaten Ronnie at the 2002 Olympia, had they both looked like they did at the SOS that year?

[suckmymuscle]

I know of NO Weider athletes that have a stipulation in their contracts to compete in X amount of contests...

  I agree. The argument otherwise is stupid, because there are pros who compete in tons of shows, whilst some others barely compete at all. Personally, I don't think a reigning Mr.O has anything to gain by competing on ny other shows other than the O. Why? Because he risks being defeted at a minor show, a risk which no Mr.O should allow himself to run. He can make tons of money - by bodybuilding standards - by just being Mr.O and getting endorsement contracts. The money he would get by winning a minor show is pahetic in comparison. And when you consider tht he might actually be ruining his Mr.O "mystique" by losing at a minor show - which can make him lose his endorsement contract -, you understand just how stupid that is. Look a the mistake Ronnie made by competing at the 2002 GNC Show of Strengh and losing to Gunther; look waht it did to his Mr.O rep. Dorian also made this mistake, by competing in several European Grand Prix shows. But at least he won all of them. But still, it was very stipid, nevertheless.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[240 is Back]

  I agree. The argument otherwise is stupid, because there are pros who compete in tons of shows, whilst some others barely compete at all. Personally, I don't think a reigning Mr.O has anything to gain by competing on ny other shows other than the O. Why? Because he risks being defeted at a minor show, a risk which no Mr.O should allow himself to run. He can make tons of money - by bodybuilding standards - by just being Mr.O and getting endorsement contracts. The money he would get by winning a minor show is pahetic in comparison. And when you consider tht he might actually be ruining his Mr.O "mystique" by losing at a minor show - which can make him lose his endorsement contract -, you understand just how stupid that is. Look a the mistake Ronnie made by competing at the 2002 GNC Show of Strengh and losing to Gunther; look waht it did to his Mr.O rep. Dorian also made this mistake, by competing in several European Grand Prix shows. But at least he won all of them. But still, it was very stipid, nevertheless.

Ronnie makes more money by only doing the O. 

But how about the promoters?  I can betcha if Ronnie was committed to doing the Toronto, it woudln't have been cancelled.   Fans wait around the block to see ronnie at a Vitamin World.  Imagine if he was doing a BBing show within 100 miles from their home!  Sell a lotta tickets.

[Bast175]

Ronnie makes more money by only doing the O. 

But how about the promoters?  I can betcha if Ronnie was committed to doing the Toronto, it woudln't have been cancelled.   Fans wait around the block to see ronnie at a Vitamin World.  Imagine if he was doing a BBing show within 100 miles from their home!  Sell a lotta tickets.

Ronnie should compete in women's figure.

[MisterGX]

I know of NO Weider athletes that have a stipulation in their contracts to compete in X amount of contests...

Well--neither Ronnie/Dorian are Weider athletes now.. 

[suckmymuscle]

Ronnie makes more money by only doing the O. 

But how about the promoters?  I can betcha if Ronnie was committed to doing the Toronto, it woudln't have been cancelled.   Fans wait around the block to see ronnie at a Vitamin World.  Imagine if he was doing a BBing show within 100 miles from their home!  Sell a lotta tickets.

  Ugh...but Ronnie would be losing on several fronts: firstly, as I've explained, he would be runing the risk of outright defeat; secondly, he would become overstressed and bring less-than-stellar conditioning to all these shows, and finally, you'd be creating a discriminatory rule, namely, that Mr.O should, by virtue of being Mr.O, is forced to compete in several shows. That's insne. You can't force a dude to do something if that rule doesen't apply to everyone. You just can't. Let Ronnie just compete at the O, and...be the best standard-bearer he can. Remember that Mr.O is not "just" a competitor or pro, but the man who epitomizes bodybuilding, distilled to it's essence. Mr.O is the man who showcases bodybuilding to the World. Let's just leve Ronnie alone...and let him carry the world of bodybuilding on his massive shoulders.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[240 is Back]

  Ugh...but Ronnie would be losing on several fronts: firstly, as I've explained, he would be runing the risk of outright defeat; secondly, he would become overstressed and bring less-than-stellar conditioning to all these shows, and finally, you'd be creating a discriminatory rule, namely, that Mr.O should, by virtue of being Mr.O, is forced to compete in several shows. That's insne. You can't force a dude to do something if that rule doesen't apply to everyone. You just can't. Let Ronnie just compete at the O, and...be the best standard-bearer he can. Remember that Mr.O is not "just" a competitor or pro, but the man who epitomizes bodybuilding, distilled to it's essence. Mr.O is the man who showcases bodybuilding to the World. Let's just leve Ronnie alone...and let him carry the world of bodybuilding on his massive shoulders.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

there would be no rules against the mr O.
The rule would be, you have to re-qualify for the O at a show during the year.  No discrimination there- Gunter, Jay, Vic, Ronnie, et al would do at least one more show each year besides the O.  And guess what---- they're sell more tickets!  That can't be argued.  Can you tell me how many tickets would have sold to the Colo Pro had Gunter and Cutler been doing the show too? LOL....

[240 is Back]

Let's just leve Ronnie alone...and let him carry the world of bodybuilding on his massive shoulders.

I'm going to pretend you didn't write that.

[suckmymuscle]

there would be no rules against the mr O.
The rule would be, you have to re-qualify for the O at a show during the year.  No discrimination there- Gunter, Jay, Vic, Ronnie, et al would do at least one more show each year besides the O.  And guess what---- they're sell more tickets!  That can't be argued.  Can you tell me how many tickets would have sold to the Colo Pro had Gunter and Cutler been doing the show too? LOL....

  No. That would be terrible. Mr.O having to re-qualify, at a minor show, is demeaning to the Mr.O title: it's as if you're saying that winning the O is not enough to qualify to compete at it! Selling more tickets? No, they would sell less! Why? Because why would you pay to see Ronnie defend his title at the O, if you've already seen his ass get beaten at a minor show? What if Ronnie decides to only compete, at shows, where other top pros are missing from? Will you also create a rule forcing them to compete agsinst each other? If only he winner of hese minor shows classify for the O and Ronnie loses, how will you say that he REALLY lost his title? Will Jay REALLY be Mr.O if he wins the title only because Ronnie failed to qualify, on a minor show? You're insane!

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[suckmymuscle]

I'm going to pretend you didn't write that.

  Why? Because I think he looks like shit since 2003? The bottom line is the he's still Mr.O and we should respect that.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[Hugo Chavez]

I'm not saying Ronnie shouldn't win if he deserves to but I will go with another Ronnie win not being very exciting.

[bigdumbbell]

there shold be no automatic entry, period.  everything should APPEAR fair.

[MikeThaMachine]

BBers are not basketball or football players, they don't just stay in shape for the season and compete daily or weekly, bbers take months of dieting and year round hardcore training just to compete 100% at a show. To try to force them to do this more then once a year if they don't want to is ridicules, if your a top pro and earn a top shot in the big show then you should be able to take the year off if you choose especially Mr. O.

[gordiano]

Yeah....the "true fans" of bodybuilding= the "hardcore fans"...that amounts to the same 5,000 people that show up every year...no more, no less. Thats not progress in my book. We need to make these competitions into shows, which would appeal to more fans within the bodybuilding/ fitness world.

I've got an article on this coming out in the next issue of FLEX mag...it explains this very subject in detail...check it out.

As for making guys re-qualify...other than the reigning Olympia champion (Ronnie or otherwise), I see no real reason why there is a pass given to athletes simply for the fact that they placed well.
 making them re-Q would bring bigger talent to other shows as well, not just the "O"...It may also keep the guys in better conditioning throughout the year for guest posings, appearances, etc.

What other sport is this done? None that I can think of....it's not good for the sport as a whole, doesn't promote the athletes, doesn't give the other shows a chance to have the best in the world compete, and does nothing but stagnate the growth even more.

Time to make some changes...

I agree. It would be beneficial to have the competitors qualify every year. They'd have to compete at smaller shows, and the fans would benefit from it.

[gordiano]

Guys shouldn't have to requalify if they are getting paid next to nothing to compete.

Well, then they should have thought of that before becoming pro bbers, huh?

EDIT: No offense, but ANYONE who gets into bbing looking to make money, isn't being realistic.

[MCWAY]

I agree. It would be beneficial to have the competitors qualify every year. They'd have to compete at smaller shows, and the fans would benefit from it.

They do have to qualify every year......all but six of them.

[MB]

I'd go one step further with Olympia qualifications.  The defending champion should be automatically qualified.  The rest of the field should consist of only the winners of the shows since the previous Olympia.  This would trim the field down to 10 or 11 guys max.  Basically, the best of the best, as the Olympia was intended.  And shows like the Ironman, San Fran, Europa, etc. would have more quality competitors trying to get a win and an Olympia berth.     

[Tre]

You guys are nuts - Ronnie Coleman made plenty of cash when he competed and placed 2nd at the first GNC Show of Strength.

If other shows had that kind of prize money on the line that close to the Olympia, he might consider entering them, too. 

[RHINO290]

Yeah....the "true fans" of bodybuilding= the "hardcore fans"...that amounts to the same 5,000 people that show up every year...no more, no less. Thats not progress in my book. We need to make these competitions into shows, which would appeal to more fans within the bodybuilding/ fitness world.

I've got an article on this coming out in the next issue of FLEX mag...it explains this very subject in detail...check it out.

As for making guys re-qualify...other than the reigning Olympia champion (Ronnie or otherwise), I see no real reason why there is a pass given to athletes simply for the fact that they placed well.
 making them re-Q would bring bigger talent to other shows as well, not just the "O"...It may also keep the guys in better conditioning throughout the year for guest posings, appearances, etc.

What other sport is this done? None that I can think of....it's not good for the sport as a whole, doesn't promote the athletes, doesn't give the other shows a chance to have the best in the world compete, and does nothing but stagnate the growth even more.

Time to make some changes...

It's more like 1800 as I understand it. There was not 5,000 seats sold @ an olympia since that guy, um Wayne Demilia ran it. And I suppose, less this year.