Any predictions for a show of this size are bound to be controversial, and we obviously don't wish to offend anyone in any way. That would be the exact opposite of what we are about. We don't know everything. That's part of what makes this all fun.
Malibu Barbie, we do hope and expect that any Olympia winner would put personal interests aside and work for the benefit of the sport, at least in some respect. Amber has the physique to win this, as we say in the article. As an investment bank that operates the FigureRX web portal, our primary goal is to expand the industry within the mainstream sports community to the benefit of *all* the athletes. We don't think the industry is silly and we believe that figure and fitness competitors are among the top athletes in the world, and deserve to be treated (and compensated) accordingly.
Steven,
There is controversial and then there is rude, disrespectful and dumb and you don't even have the ca hones to own up to having been the latter. Not that I wish to offend anyone in any way.
If you truly believed the figure and fitness competitors deserve to be treated like top athletes in the world why rudely spout off stupid stuff about the reining Ms. O and then make dumbsh#t assumptions about last years runner up. What they don't fit into your *all* athletes category
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Since you (Great White Hope Investment Banker) expect that any Olympia winner should put personal interests aside and work for the benefit of the sport, are you personally going to be compensating them accordingly to do so (say to the tune of $100K or higher). Ya, I doubt it.
Competitors (including Olympia winners) don't owe Johnie Come Lately web portal operators like you, smoe photographers, potential elusive sponsors or the rip off magazine industry jack sh#t. Maybe if more women on the Olympia stage realized this they might start to demand their worth for a change. Maybe, but I doubt it, competitors might start to realize all the personal and important interests they have set aside and sacrificed to stand on a stage so that others can gain money off of their doing so isn't the way to go. Respecting all aspects of their life might be. Maybe it might occur to them they are selling off some of the most valuable things in life for cheap.
As to this being a silly industry......:
1. Well, of course there is the ever looming dark cloud of JM Management or Fitness Management Group or whatever it's called. At best this is an unbecoming impropriety that casts doubts on fairness in judging. At worst this is a conflict of interest for a non profit and a law suit waiting to happen. (What you think Denny? You are a big shot lawyer. Can you see $ signs before you eyes.)
2. Let's see. Oh, yeah what mainstream publicity have we had this year? The Craig and Kelly saga.
3. Then there is the reality that probably every one of the women on that stage has done or is currently doing something that is or has been extremely unhealthy to their body. Most if not all on that stage are probably taking some type of substance that is not FDA approved. Yes, even your Green Goddess herself is probably juicing more than weatgrass.
4. The fact that Olympia Men make what now $100,000 prize money and Olympia Women make $20,000 or so and few question this....especially the women because if they did they would not have a chance in hell of winning. Oh, ya and now they have a responsibility to put aside their personal lives and play Ambassador for the sport.
5. Knowing that there are women in the industry who pay planefair, hotel fees, hundreds of dollars for costume changes to be photographed by some guy (sometimes creeps) who rarely pay them anything is, well, silly. These guys generally get profits from their smoe websites that rarely benefit the women. If the photographer is lucky he can sell his shots to a magazine and profit further, rarely if ever do the women.
6. Last but not least is the realization that there are multitudes of women who will flock to your site and believe any spiel from any guy would claim to be the "investment banker" looking out for their best interest and offering potential sponsorship. I hope I am wrong, but I have to agree with Denny you seem like another self serving impostor. (a smooth talking slick one I must say.)