JOHN ROMANO talks about the dirt in the IFBB

[LITTLE_FINGER]

Jay Cutler came in worse than last year

Phil Heath comes in at his all time best

Jay Cutler was a better representative for the sport

We'll give the O to Phil next year maybe....

[LITTLE_FINGER]

Big respect for Romano

he tells the shit how it is

[SoInsane]

Wow, had no clue. Great post

[stealth_swimmer]

Can you get banned for posting in this thread if the IFBB runs this site?

The IFBB doesn't run this site...


If it did, then presumably, yes you could possibly get banned or whatever

Anyways, it's not necessarily clear that the supplement companies are engaging in bad marketing by having booths at the expos. The cost of having a booth would have to be weighed against the increased revenue at the expos or within the year due to having their faces out there by having those booths.

edit - anyways, this isn't really "dirt" it's just a business move. Of course the IFBB wants supplement companies to pay to have booths there cus the supplement companies give a lotta money to help run the shows and stuff. It's a no-brainer

[DavisForman]

The IFBB doesn't run this site...

The IFBB doesn't run RXmuscle either.

[deadsheepmill]

Do Fina atheletes put there health on the line to compete?

Are bodybuilders forced to? It is a choice, no matter how it's painted. To be a pro means having to 'supplement' in ways that may not be healthy, this is true. But nobody forces these guys to choose BB as a career or even a lifestyle.

Knowingly choosing a career that is generally pays pretty poorly, especially when you consider the expenses, and then complaining about not getting rich off it seems kind of silly to me. Of course, most of the complaints I see come from 'fans' on the message boards. Some pros may bring it up, but it doesn't seem to me that many of them make a big stink about it.

[asbrus]

without guys like the weiders, pro bodybuilders would not have any way to make any money at all out of bodybuilding. At all.

Without pro bodybuilders however, guys like the weiders would have been a success in other fields just as readily.

These comparisons are laughable. Arnold is a worthy comparison. They didn't always see eye to eye but they benefited from each other. The rest can keep whining & go fuck themselves.

if there wasn't weider,there w0uld have been s0me0ne else. He just caught the 0ppurtunity first bef0re any0ne else. There c0uld have been s0me0ne else that c0uld have d0ne a much better j0b than weider if he treated the athletes in a humane way.

[deadsheepmill]

if there wasn't weider,there w0uld have been s0me0ne else. He just caught the 0ppurtunity first bef0re any0ne else. There c0uld have been s0me0ne else that c0uld have d0ne a much better j0b than weider if he treated the athletes in a humane way.

Does your 'o' key not work?

[yzrider400f]

I used to live with an NPC promoter and the stuff being said in this interview sounds very much like the stories he used to tell me

[asbrus]

does your 'o' key not work?

d0sent w0rk

[asbrus]

i used to live with an npc promoter and the stuff being said in this interview sounds very much like the stories he used to tell me

makese sense. I believe everything r0man0 says. Why else was he made t0 leave then?

[BigChamp89]

I used to live with an NPC promoter and the stuff being said in this interview sounds very much like the stories he used to tell me

damn.. thats beyond fuked up..

[woofman81]

I used to live with an NPC promoter and the stuff being said in this interview sounds very much like the stories he used to tell me

Yep, it's true guys. I'm friends with a ifbb figure pro and all this stuff is true. The IFBB is dirty. It's pretty sad.

[MesoPeaks]

so if the competition is fixed esp the O, Jay will win as long as he comes in shape regardless what Phil and these guys brings to the stage(even if they surpassed Jay's physique)

sounds fun!

Jay for 10 sandow!

[265HP]

btw whoever said a botth costs 200K is retarded

it costs 2.5k in 2005 not 200k

"EXHIBIT SPACE RATES: Booth price is $2,500 per 10'x10' exhibit space."

here is the expo contract details

http://www.getbig.com/olympiaweekend...itcontract.htm

[DavisForman]

btw whoever said a botth costs 200K is retarded

it costs 2.5k in 2005 not 200k

"EXHIBIT SPACE RATES: Booth price is $2,500 per 10'x10' exhibit space."

here is the expo contract details

http://www.getbig.com/olympiaweekend...itcontract.htm

He wasn't only saying the payment to the hosting contest, he was also adding the cost of brining in all their sponsored athletes, all the free supplements, the people to staff the booths... etc. I wouldn't be surprised if it is in the 6 figure range.

[iDarren]

So he says the shows are fixed but provides no proof other than hearsay...

[Nightman_Cometh]

Yeah, so, Dave Palumbo fired John Romano.

At the end of the day, John was fired, and is pissed off.

[audipotential]

btw whoever said a botth costs 200K is retarded

it costs 2.5k in 2005 not 200k

"EXHIBIT SPACE RATES: Booth price is $2,500 per 10'x10' exhibit space."

here is the expo contract details

http://www.getbig.com/olympiaweekend...itcontract.htm

Rarely do big companies get only 1 space....

[nurburg]

So he says the shows are fixed but provides no proof other than hearsay...

I'm hesitant to comment on the issue but here it goes... I do believe everything that is said in this interview (with an appropriate, medium-to-small-sized, grain of salt applied).
I have no reason to doubt him. People quickly forget that this industry is one that harps supplements from corporations while the competitors, the "evidence" of the validity of their products are compelled to play ball.

I still think this is hard to fix, there are just too many eyes and contrary to the board's reputation we're not stupid... but then I think of the NBA, the umpires in the upcoming World Series, the refs in even the most mundane of events ( I was at a d-2 rugby event a couple months ago and the refs were clearly biased)....

A lot of **** is fixed, but many times the best you can do is to acknowledge that things aren't fair and do your best.

[Nightman_Cometh]

I'm hesitant to comment on the issue but here it goes... I do believe everything that is said in this interview (with an appropriate, medium-to-small-sized, grain of salt applied).
I have no reason to doubt him. People quickly forget that this industry is one that harps supplements from corporations while the competitors, the "evidence" of the validity of their products are compelled to play ball.

I still think this is hard to fix, there are just too many eyes and contrary to the board's reputation we're not stupid... but then I think of the NBA, the umpires in the upcoming World Series, the refs in even the most mundane of events ( I was at a d-2 rugby event a couple months ago and the refs were clearly biased)....

A lot of **** is fixed, but many times the best you can do is to acknowledge that things aren't fair and do your best.

Man, 90% of the bodybuilding community is aware that supplement companies own these contests.

That being said, the best man generally wins. No conspiracy. Aside from Cutler's 1 questionable Olympia, I have yet to see an Olympia win that was questionable.

[sean061788]

Man, 90% of the bodybuilding community is aware that supplement companies own these contests.

That being said, the best man generally wins. No conspiracy. Aside from Cutler's 1 questionable Olympia, I have yet to see an Olympia win that was questionable.

oh boy... you just opened the flood gates bro

[DavisForman]

That being said, the best man generally wins. No conspiracy. Aside from Cutler's 1 questionable Olympia, I have yet to see an Olympia win that was questionable.

Questionable? There have been many. Obvious fixing of the show? Not many, if any, IMO.

And Cutler has had two questionable wins man. 06, 07.

[AlphaMaleLilJay]

Weird music at the beginning
DA thanking his sponsors
Commercial Break-Frank Sinatra music lol
DA calls John Romano, they talk about why they were mad at each other before
Talk about RX muscle first, says people on forums don't know what they are talking about (when they discuss John's life)
Says Dave did not fire him-was a mutual decision due to strong arm tactics against Dave from the NPC and IFBB, says he voluntarily backed away so Dave could still cover shows for RX muscle. John says IFBB officials think they are so high and mighty even though they run such a fringe organization. Repeatedly calls the IFBB the "little boys club".

John says the whole thing started when he wanted to write a magazine article chronicling how even in the tough economy the average guy could still afford a trip to the Olympia. Problem was they said the expo was crowded and the aisles were not big enough, IFBB was mad that he "criticized" the Olympia. John said later in a post replying to a forum post that he said for companies having a booth at the expo was not economical (blames the unions for high cost). IFBB went haywire and he said that either he had to leave RX muscle or Dave wouldn't be allowed to cover anymore shows. Says that because the IFBB kicked him off of his own website hes gunna release a ton of dirt about the IFBB and NPC.

Says contests are obviously fixed, that the IFBB calls up websites if people post the wrong things on the forums. Says contests are fixed because bodybuilders never piss off Manion or else they won't place well. Says that people who cover IFBB events aren't really journalists because they can't cover thing objectively. Pretty much says censorship exists in BB.com and the organization ****s the BBders. Says Ben Weider used the BBders, died with 1 Billion dollars in the bank and didn't even set up a trust fund or something. Discusses how the IFBB isn't attracting new fans (corruption/rigging contests) and this is going to **** them in the long run.

Thanks a lot for the breakdown, I really appreciate it. I will rep you after this post.

In short, I don't believe much of what was shared - John, with his history as an outspoken figure in the industry for so long serving as proof positive, would not simply allow the IFBB to strong arm him into leaving a company he co-founded with Dave Palumbo in the aftermath of the MD debacle/house cleaning. Simply threatening to have John's passes and credentials revoked from covering shows doesn't hold water, as Dave could travel as well as any other staff member they have at RX, without missing a beat (John is a writer and commentator anyway, not an interviewer and professional photographer).

The IFBB/NPC can't police every show, and Ticket Master/local venues can't refuse to sell him tickets - so he could EASILY make the best of this situation and simply photograph and interview from in front of the curtain rather than behind - or, easily draft up articles as the pictures are taken.

As with anything in life and career, we as the outsiders are not entitled to a full glimpse into his private affairs; but he brings down that wall when he attempts to be 'open' and disclose the situation in full - wherein he uses circular logic, name calling, and outright non-truths.

[Nightman_Cometh]

oh boy... you just opened the flood gates bro

Crap. Here we go.

Questionable? There have been many. Obvious fixing of the show? Not many, if any, IMO.

And Cutler has had two questionable wins man. 06, 07.

I don't think we disagree on anything other than 06.

CONSPIRACY! CONSPIRACY!

99% of the time, the guy who wins the show deserves the win. Romano can spit his verbal diarrhea all he wants, placings tend to reflect the shape and condition that is being displayed.

[AlphaMaleLilJay]

rxmuscle will be fine without him, i never thought romano contributed anything useful, seems like everywhere he goes he gets forced out...

Coincidence... purely

[DavisForman]

99% of the time, the guy who wins the show deserves the win. Romano can spit his verbal diarrhea all he wants, placings tend to reflect the shape and condition that is being displayed.

Yes, but the show is not simply about who wins, it's also who takes 2nd, 3rd, 4th... etc. I don't think I saw a single show this year where I thought the winner didn't deserve it, but there were many placings that were terrible calls by the judges, and in some cases obvious fixed shows.

[Nightman_Cometh]

Yes, but the show is not simply about who wins, it's also who takes 2nd, 3rd, 4th... etc. I don't think I saw a single show this year where I thought the winner didn't deserve it, but there were many placings that were terrible calls by the judges, and in some cases obvious fixed shows.

Well my man, I suppose that we should stop being fans of a sport being judged purely on subjective thought.

I know what you're saying, man, I do. But if we treat losses like they're part of a conspiracy, then is it really a sport?