Bob is 100% correct. There needs to be no more the 10 people to do the Mr. O. I've stated this in the past. This is supposed to be the best of the best and IMO only the winners of shows should be qualified for the O and in the case that the winner is qualified then the second place person should go in.
With fewer athletes, you can work them much harder on stage and you can make the smallest things really count when separating them - things like details in poses, posing itself, presentation etc
In regards to what's going on with athletes today? You want them to come in better shape, condition etc? Have the judges to hold more credence in those categories. Obviously it's bodybuilding so you want them to have size BUT far too many times I've seen the smaller more defined/conditioned bodybuilder get the shaft over the larger less conditioned guy....THIS NEEDS TO END.
Bodybuilders are responsible for what they present onstage for that moment BUT it is the judges who determine what is successful over the long haul. Leave the freaks for guest posing.
Oh yeah the biggest mistake ever made and Flex, Shawn, Kevin and many others agree with me is not counting the posing anymore...You excuse was it wasn't being judged the right way it was dropped...Why weren't the rules ever enforced and the judges told, "hey guys, we're going to count the judging round now on actual posing." So for the first couple of shows when guys are getting bad placings for shitty posing they'll get the message and practice posing the way it shoud be.
Posing is an excellent way for separating physiques that are close. When two or three guys are so close, imagine how a posing routine can increase the pressure and interest in deciding the winner. A dead pan, useless most-muscular based routine would quickly be the death of a bodybuilder.
Imagine if Grimek, Arnold, Zane, Labrada etc posed, with all due respect, like Dillet, Coleman, Branch etc... If posing wasn't being judged correctly, why not just
judge it correctly?