Steve Blechman responds regarding why Palumbo and Romano were fired
“In light of recent circumstances, I feel it is my responsibility to clear the air and explain one of the many reasons why both Dave Palumbo and John Romano were terminated.
Dave was hired two years ago to be Editor-in-Chief of the Muscular Development website. During the first year, he was instrumental in helping to grow it. During this past year, Dave’s interests were focused increasingly on his side businesses of training athletes and launching his supplement line. John was hired by Dave as a paid employee to endorse and promote this supplement line.
Because of this, John’s position as Senior Editor was compromised. Together they were using MD and the website as a vehicle to further their own interests, and as a result, less time was being spent on increasing the website’s potential and taking it to the next level. During their employment, Dave and John’s contributions were very much appreciated, and they were well compensated.
Editor-in-Chief and Senior Editor are full-time positions and we require those who hold these titles to be willing to give their total focus. This was not the case. Dave and John have not worked onsite in the MD offices for over one year, which made working as a team extremely difficult. No one person is bigger than the team as a whole, and anyone who thinks Dave or John built MD is sadly mistaken. We have always had the best team of writers, athletes and employees and will continue on that path. When one door closes, another one opens and usually for the better.
I love bodybuilding and have always given MD 100 percent and have only had the best interest of the readers at heart. I ask anyone to dispute the fact that I have always been extremely loyal and generous to anyone who has worked for MD.
We are very excited about having Robbie Durand as the new Editor-in-Chief. He brings passion and incredible scientific knowledge to the site and will do whatever is necessary to meet the same high standards of excellence as Muscular Development magazine. Robbie wants very much to work with everyone in making this a team success. I hope you will welcome him aboard.
In closing, I want to reassure each of you that we will never compromise our mission and will always look to enlighten and inspire as well as search for new ways to continue to make MD the best bodybuilding magazine and website on the planet!”



Steve, I admire your strength and courage to do what you think is best for MD. It is because of your vision that has made MD what it is today. Sadly enough Dave and John will be missed. However we all anticipate the new direction that Robbie will bring us in MD.
Gentlemen and Ladies,
Life is filled with stop signs, road blocks, detours and pot holes down the roads we all travel. The best contracts in some cases are those we never sign. Notwithstanding, as I read this saga the doors were allegedly not slammed on these two men. We only hope, for the most part, these two men’s best teaching and leaning lesions came from this experience. With their talents we hope they will land the vocational job of a lifetime. However, you can’t work part time as be the Editor-in-Chief and have their own enterprise flourish. This makes no practical sense for a Publication owner.
Steve Blechman is indeed a true leader. He has taken the old MD magazine and made it into the Vogue and unabridged Oxford English Dictionary of the Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Magazines in the World.
I personal wish Shawn and Flex the very best of success in their respectable titles.
Respectfully,
Mike Glass – Entertainment Productions® Est. 1971
Well to start with, your right Blechman, they didn’t it…But they sure as HELL PUT IT ON THE MAP. Keep deludeing yourself, maybe one day even you’ll believe it. Thanks for flippin the efffin switch and sending MD on the “fitness” path. Now its right up there with all the pussy gyms who cater to the fat masses and soccer moms. Why don’t you just go ahead and call it FLEX 2? I’ve watched MD erode from the hardcore rag it once was to somethin more akin to bedtime stories for toddlers. That makes me sad, but knowing your bland writing self is still there and they aren’t, makes me even sadder.