Record prize money for 2006 Mr. Olympia!

[Bluto]

what's a t3 watch?

[kmhphoto]

the t3 watch is worth $40k?

No.

http://www.thepurists.com/brandjpg/ap/os/t3/index.html

There are several watch suppliers offering them for sale at $30K but no buyers.

[kmhphoto]

what's a t3 watch?

It was a limited edition watch made by Audemars Piguet, based on their Royal Oak Offshore model.

[HUGEPECS]

actually the winner of the arnold gets more than the winner of the olympia
olympia winner gets 155,000$ and
arnold classic winner gets 100,000$,a hummer and a t3 watch
the total of the arnold classic winner if u include the price of the hummer and the watch it totals upto 170,000$ plus..i think so the olympia winner gets less and a bit of increase to winner would b appreciated more

a couple years ago, Coleman did receive an Escalade besides the Prize money. I thought it was gonna be a yearly thing just like the Arnold

[ribonucleic]

That's rather butch, isn't it.    You'll need a mass-monster's wrists to carry off that one.

[buffbodz]

It just seems to much coincidental that the prize $ for the O goes up the year of the first PDI show.  I wonder if it's a way of keeping the IFBB athletes put?  Why not last year or at the NY pro show?  Me thinks I smell something fishy.  The war is on.  David VS. Goliath off 2006.

[MB]

As for Wayne, he had a notoriously crooked deal with the Mandalay Bay that made sure he and the hotel got paid but nobody else did and the athletes never got a raise.  There was no way the O could stay there once everyone saw how cooked the books were.  As for the Orleans, the hotel sucks (just don't stay there!), but the arena is better than Mandalay Bay.  It's bigger and much newer with better seating.

What was crooked about his deal with the Mandalay Bay?  The bottom line is that the Mandalay Bay costs a lot more than the Orleans.  AMI wanted more money in their pockets, so they moved to the Orleans and covered up their attempt to run a cheap show by increasing the prize money.  Wayne catered to the fans, AMI is catering to the bodybuilders.  Not a very smart move. 

[ribonucleic]

They say the Orleans has a kick-ass buffet.

http://www.ratelasvegas.com/buffets/buffetrank.html

Besides, how much time are you going to spend in your room anyway?

[Tre]

It just seems to much coincidental that the prize $ for the O goes up the year of the first PDI show.  I wonder if it's a way of keeping the IFBB athletes put?  Why not last year or at the NY pro show?  Me thinks I smell something fishy.  The war is on.  David VS. Goliath off 2006.

There's nothing at all wrong with this.  If it took the advent of the PDI for the IFBB to finally decide the performers were worth a larger slice of the pie, so be it.  With the exception of raising fan ticket prices (which are already at ridiculous amounts), I'll support anything which puts more revenue in the performers' pockets. 

If the threat of PDI defections makes the IFBB promoters give more money to its member athletes, that is a GOOD thing.

[kmhphoto]

It just seems to much coincidental that the prize $ for the O goes up the year of the first PDI show.  I wonder if it's a way of keeping the IFBB athletes put?  Why not last year or at the NY pro show?  Me thinks I smell something fishy.  The war is on.  David VS. Goliath off 2006.

The prize money was increased LAST year by 30%,

[Tre]

As for Wayne, he had a notoriously crooked deal with the Mandalay Bay that made sure he and the hotel got paid but nobody else did and the athletes never got a raise.  There was no way the O could stay there once everyone saw how cooked the books were.

FALSE

The Weider clan always got plenty for their "Canadian non-profit organization"...and it was always in American dollars.  

Don't a high percentage of "non-profit" businesses provide some service to their communities?

I wonder what the IFBB does for its community.

I wonder where all the money goes.

And I wonder if my paid tickets to IFBB events are also tax-deductible (under charitable donations as opposed to business expenses).

[MindSpin]

I agree...and made it abundantly clear to Wayne at the 2002 Press conference that it was a disgrace that athletes competing for the biggest title in our sport, were going home with a warm handshake and a pat on the back....

Amazing what can be done when the people in charge are actually LISTENING...

$4,000 is nice, but it's not the grand accomplishment you're making it out to be...come on  

If you want the atheletes to make more, the promoters have to make more.  And, for that to happen, you need more people in attendance and better sponsors.  

Here is an idea to increase attendance: You could get a concervative 40% increase in schomoe attendance (the true fans), by raffling out a free gay for pay with each of the contestants.  I bet a guy like Earl would help organize the whole promotion.

As for sponsors, has anyone looked at drug companies?  I gusessing Upjohn, Watson or even Wyeth, the makers of Advil, would find oodles of target consumers at this event.

just a thought...

[Tre]

$4,000 is nice, but it's not the grand accomplishment you're making it out to be...come on  

Agreed.  After all, Venon Vince Versace makes almost that much in a single weekend appearance at the flea market. 

You could get a concervative 40% increase in schomoe attendance (the true fans),

lol @ "schomoe"!

In truth, though, Mindspin, "they" have always had a reluctance to want to grow the sport.  The bigger it is and the more outside money there is, then the less control "they" would have.  It's weird - "they" would rather make less money, because by doing so, "they" retain a greater level of control of everything under "their" umbrella. 

[ribonucleic]

You could get a concervative 40% increase in schomoe attendance (the true fans), by raffling out a free gay for pay with each of the contestants.  I bet a guy like Earl would help organize the whole promotion.

As for sponsors, has anyone looked at drug companies?

Imagine if, say, Out Magazine offered a huge sum of money in sponsorship for the Mr. O.

The IFBB would never take it! They wouldn't dare! Too many uncomfortable questions would be asked!

[Wiggs]

Actually, I am impressed that Robin and the crew have listened to everyone's feedback for the Olympia Weekend, and are truly trying to make it the best!!!! Much appreciated! And the prize money is great!!! For all athletes, who now cannot complain one bit!

Well they need to listen to this.................... ....take the show out out the New Orleans put everything back in the Mandalay Bay.  Give me one reason other than cost why they have it at the Orleans?

[kmhphoto]

Well they need to listen to this.................... ....take the show out out the New Orleans put everything back in the Mandalay Bay.  Give me one reason other than cost why they have it at the Orleans?

What did you dislike about the Orleans Arena as a venue?
Did you stay at the Orleans hotel or somewhere else?

[onlyme]

If this was true, why hasn't the Arnold raised their prize money in over 10 years?  For example, you get $6000 for 6th at the Arnold, and $30,000 for 6th at the O.  Five times as much!  The O pays out twice as much as the Arnold now.  The Arnold could raise their prize total by a lot and still not pay as much as the O.  I hope they finally give the athletes a raise one of these years, especially those from 2nd place on down.  Some of us on the sponsorship side have been encouraging them to do so every year.

As for Wayne, he had a notoriously crooked deal with the Mandalay Bay that made sure he and the hotel got paid but nobody else did and the athletes never got a raise.  There was no way the O could stay there once everyone saw how cooked the books were.  As for the Orleans, the hotel sucks (just don't stay there!), but the arena is better than Mandalay Bay.  It's bigger and much newer with better seating.

You can believe that the "Weiders" always controlled Wayne but this is B.S.  For years it was the other way around.  The Weiders have been out of it for over 10 years.  It finally caught up to Wayne when he left the IFBB to launch PDI 2 years ago in what he thought was a clever deal of stealing the "IFBB Pro Division" from senile Ben by putting it in his name!  People keep forgetting this and saying he was fired or let go or something, but he broke from the IFBB and launched PDI (announced at the athletes meeting at the Orlando Pro in May of 2004 and on this board and others) in order to get even more money and power.  He thought everyone would follow his revolution.  Lee Priest was all he got.  You can't be an a-hole to the athletes for years and then expect them to join your revolution.  Yesterday's problem is not tomorrow's solution.

Props to AMI for the massive raise last year and another raise this year, and I especially like the way they distribute the money to the non-winners.  You now get as much for last place in the O as you get for 2nd place in almost every other pro show!

Wow is this Vince G relative.  you are about as dellusional as he is.  Wayne controled the Weiders.  Interesting concept but pretty stupid.  I guarantee you wrok for AMI, Weiders or Manion.  This post of yours is rightup there with Vince's posts.  Crooked dealing with the Mandalay Bay.  Dude you are very funny.   Oh yea mad props to AMI.  WHo in just 3 short years fucked up the #1 BB show on the planet.  Maybe next year they can have Motel 6 host it and have the show at one of the high schools.  Then they can increase the prize money again. 

[Chick]

$4,000 is nice, but it's not the grand accomplishment you're making it out to be...come on  

If you want the atheletes to make more, the promoters have to make more.  And, for that to happen, you need more people in attendance and better sponsors. 

Here is an idea to increase attendance: You could get a concervative 40% increase in schomoe attendance (the true fans), by raffling out a free gay for pay with each of the contestants.  I bet a guy like Earl would help organize the whole promotion.

As for sponsors, has anyone looked at drug companies?  I gusessing Upjohn, Watson or even Wyeth, the makers of Advil, would find oodles of target consumers at this event.

just a thought...

Are you joking?


It went from $0 under Wayne to $4,000 under current establishment...

ask the competitors who put $4,000 in their pocket if they think it's an accomplishment...

[jaejonna]

If the BB would cake off the industry like football players, they would earn a minimum of like 750,000 an Olympia.... think about it, thats like thier whole SAESON worth of work....some guys are so good that they dont even need to play the regular season!! (Jay, Ronnie,Dex) The winner should earn at least 10 mil and that is being conservative. I think that baseball, football, and all the other sports sell the experience of the team though merchandising, events, and advertisment. Bodybuilding sells health!! People are going to want to be healthy, obesity is on the rise. More people are going to subsequently want to go to the gym. If we had a Mr. Olympia which appealed more to a larger audience, but not as a genetic mutant...but a picture of health, beauty and strength. I think that the industry can elevate superstars on a broad scale. But there has to be like a Micheal Jordan, Lance Armstrong or Tiger Woods type individual that will cause people to all notice. Arnold was as close as the sport got and he knew where the money was. 

[Slick Vic]

Slowly but surely, a rise in cash prize.

[Tre]

Nice watch, but damn if I'd pay $500 (much less $30K) just to know what time it is. 

[kmhphoto]

Nice watch, but damn if I'd pay $500 (much less $30K) just to know what time it is. 

I can't inteterest you in a Jean Dunand Grande Complication then - one careful owner $800,000 

[kmhphoto]

Arnold was as close as the sport got and he knew where the money was. 

Yep, outside of bodybuilding.

[MindSpin]

Are you joking?


It went from $0 under Wayne to $4,000 under current establishment...

ask the competitors who put $4,000 in their pocket if they think it's an accomplishment...

Ha ha ha!  That won't even cover one month's prep expenses.  If it were me I'd consider it an insult and just donate it to charity...

[ribonucleic]

Ha ha ha!  That won't even cover one month's prep expenses.  If it were me I'd consider it an insult and just donate it to charity...

Bodybuilders who finish out of the top 10 at the O probably can't afford to be insulted.