BACK PAGE REAL TALK
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OPINION SECTION:
SOMEONES FORUM STATEMENT: Maybe I'm old school, maybe behind the times but should physique competitors really be called IFBB pros? Kevin Levrone, Jay Cutler, Dorian Yates..they were IFBB pros. PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDERS people gasped in awe when they walked by.
I just don't know what is happening in this world where someone wearing shorts doing quarter turns can call themselves an IFBB pro.
MY RESPONSE: I always get a chuckle out of people who think they know better than the federation leaders. The new divisions are wildly successful in terms of numbers. Yeah, and most of these complainers constantly harken back to the same dozen bodybuilders from decades past as if there was some puritanical obsession to the past. Back then we had three television stations, no cell phones and kids didn't sit home playing on video games, but were playing outside, going to the gym, etc. Times change as have the physiques and the sports media hasn't kept up with promoting the positive values of all the divisions, but out of laziness perpetuates these myths about the good old days and the lack of comparative value associated with pros of ALL divisions today. As with producing reality programming for television its cheaper and easier to pull out pics from the golden era, etc of bodybuilding and write stories about that along with bitch than to go out and do photo and video coverage of todays crop of noteworthy athletes.
SELECT FACEBOOK RESPONSES:
Jeff Ward wrote, "Most of the smaller NPC shows in Florida have between 10-15 bodybuilders competing between men and women. Women's Physique has 3-5. Men's Physique class has 30-50, Figure has 30-50, Bikini has 30-50...
Women's bodybuilding won't even be contested in the Olympia any more.
Men's Bodybuilding is typically reserved for last at the night show as the "Big Event"... then in reality 2/3 of the crowd has left by that time."
Larry Esposito wrote, "I understand where he is coming from. IFBB federation of bodybuilders. Some people feel it should be a different class and different title. It is what it is . times change."
Jim Holcomb wrote, "So I wonder what that person would say about the guys who won their IFBB cards as bodybuilders but step on stage in the Men's Physique Division... is he mad at them? Smh..."
Walter Santoni wrote, "#realtalk you tell them John"
Chris Eaddy wrote, "Sometimes people are so ignorant you can't have a discussion with them."
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