Bob's responses are in bold
*taken from Eryk Bui's blog
???HUSH YOU BODYBUILDER ??? YOU ARE MEANT TO BE SEEN, NOT HEARD!???
Almost three short years ago, I earned my pro card in the very city that I competed in this weekend (Dallas, Texas) ??? even the venue (Dallas Convention Center) was the same. Upon my arrival into Dallas International Airport (DFW) I got chills and goose-bumps as the memories flashed by. I felt really confident that I followed my plan to a "T" and that being in Dallas was a good omen of things to come. Unfortunately, omens are valid only when the powers in control are random and invisible. Omens are tasteless, untouchable, invisible to the naked eye, and are completely uninfluenced by the natural world. Unfortunately, the realm of bodybuilding does not follow the same supernatural rules and guidelines. Instead, they invite the unknowing and naïve into their world only to beat them down mentally and psychologically until they conform to the norm or until they've had enough of the abuse and limp away from the punishment with whatever is left of them. Conform and you can take your number and wait or resist and be beat and thrown into oblivion. I did not conform and decided to escape with what little I had left of my sanity and pride. There was never a question about whether I was a viable IFBB pro or not ??? the conflict of interest lied in the fact that I am also a journalist.
Journalist for WHO? Believe me, no one knows who you write for or what you have written...
It is my job and my nature to write about the truths surrounding my world and your world. However there is no place for that kind of liberty in this small and wacky world we all call bodybuilding. It's Jim Manion's (NPC President and IFBB Executive) world and you had better not fuck with it. He runs it with an iron fist and will come down hard and swift on those who oppose him. Did my journalism take me out of JM's good graces? What do you think? And if you still don't know, then read on and be enlightened. Enjoy my friends ??? my final blog as an IFBB professional. "Hush you bodybuilder ??? YOU are meant to be seen, NOT heard!"
Friday morning had finally arrived and I was ready to go. I got up early in the morning to eat a hearty breakfast of 4 scrambled eggs, bacon, and a tall stack of pancakes. I took my diuretic last night before my steak and salty French fries dinner so my body was extremely tight and vascular. I felt AWESOME since I did not run my diuretics through the week like I normally did in the past. I decided to take it easy on my kidneys this time around because it seemed like my body was adversely affected by extreme dehydration the last few times that I had competed. The dehydration always caused the following physical symptoms: (1) headache, (2) nausea, (3) muscular cramping, (4) "flat" muscles, and (5) extreme fatigue. The only symptom that I felt Friday morning was a little bit of muscular cramping ??? but it was very mild compared to times before.
Amazing...pancakes, syrup, bacon, french fries, etc.......and you wonder why you're soft.
At the venue, I took it easy and rested a lot while jovially conversing with my IFBB peers. Many of the <210 Class competitors were nervous about having to compete against Silvio Samuel who unexpectedly made the weight limit the night before. We are talking about a guy who not only has already qualified for the Olympia 2 or 3 times over, but usually competes at around 220-225 pounds. How the fuck he weighed in at under 210 leaves me to question many things, but the one thing that baffles me is how the heck he is able to pull off the dramatic "YO-YO" weight fluctuation?
To answer your question, he was never 220 225 in contest condition...he competed around 215 lbs.
How did he weigh-in under 210? Easy...he was 206.
There is no doubt in my mind that he is utilizing insulin to force feed his muscles enough nutrients to "fill-up" dramatically before prejudging. Could I do the same thing and get the same results? Sure ??? but why the heck would I induce my own diabetic state? I am proud to say, and I repeat, I am PROUD to say that I have NEVER taken insulin or growth hormone to supplement my bodybuilding. I have been offered insulin on COUNTLESS occasions but I just cannot justify the adverse health risks associated with its use. Risking insulin shock and subsequent death is a losing proposition any way you want to "slice the pie". For what ??? A FUCKIN' TROPHY? Surely you jest!
Silvio used NO insulin for his prep, and for that matter, utilized NO carb up method or diuretic for the Europa shows...he was simply in shape, as you would have seen at the LA championships...
Guess steroids are OK though?
As I stood there on the platform awaiting the comparison round, I could not help but notice a very familiar face who was going to be the presiding head-judge ??? Steve Weinberger. I don't know much about Steve, but what I do know leaves a very bad taste in my mouth about how fair I was going to be treated. But as I always try to do, I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he would judge me fairly ??? regardless of how slim those chances are.
He, and the rest of the judging panel...DID judge you fairly.
As expected Silvio Samuel was called out first ??? but the rest of the top 5 callouts baffled me completely. Tricky Jackson? Guy Ducasse? Nathan Wonsley? Pablo Arevalo?
Yes...they were all in better condition than you were....no surprise there.
I was called out in the second group, but something really weird occurred after that. Everyone was called out a second time for a final group look ??? everyone except for me that is. I was like, "WHAT THE FUCK?" As you can very well imagine, I was pissed and left wondering if I was going to be fucked with yet once again.
They obviously had you placed...wasn't that tough to figure out.
I made a comment about how I could have been better for Friday's prejudging. Even at sub-100%, I felt that I should have been in the top-5 callout. Admittedly, I was definitely trying to "peak" for Saturday's "Open-Class Showdown" but my conditioning was still good enough to make the top-5. Photos don't lie so if you don't believe me, just go online and check it out for yourself.
You're right..photos dont lie...you werent even close to being in the top 5, and no...you weren't "good enough"....at 100%, you would have absolutely been 2nd or 3rd...
Silvio won the class and was followed by Tricky Jackson and the rest of the bunch. Not cracking the top-5 in this class left a bad taste in my mouth, but I was still very optimistic about my chances in the >210 Class Competition.
From the moment I left the finals on Friday night until literally stepping out on stage Saturday afternoon at around 2:00PM, I ate literally non-stop. In fact, during a span of 12-hours I ingested 7 separate orders of pancakes. I ate so much that it made me want to puke ??? and I am not the puking type. I had some filling out to do and I wanted to make sure that my blood volume and sugar was steady so I ate accordingly. I was tight ??? I was full ??? and I was definitely ready to step out and be judged beside any mass-monster that they put up.
Once again...you fail to see the obvious...7 orders of pancakes?? You were full allright....
After the first group was called out, I wasn't too shocked since they do typically lean towards the bigger, more massive physiques. I figured they would do this since there was a separate class for "non-mass monsters". The fuckin' industry ??? the fuckin' judging is SO FUCKIN' PREDICTABLE ??? NO FUCKIN' WONDER BODYBUILDERS ARE STABBED WITH THE STEREOTYPE OF HAVING ZERO INTELLIGENCE! The rest of the callouts gave me answers to many of my competitive questions as it led me away from the whole point of being at the Europa in the first place. I was no longer interested in the "three-ring circus" that was being judged ??? I was no wondering if this was going to be my "curtain call". I want to share something with you all that you perhaps missed with the contest coverage ??? if you even followed it. Nathan Wonsely placed 4th in the <210 Class and Pablo Arevalo placed 5th. They both competed in the >210 Class. Why did I bring this up? Tricky Jackson and Guy Ducasse who placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the same class both finished 9th and 10th respectively in the >210 Class. Neither Nathan nor Pablo cracked the top 15 honors the next day. I brought this up to illustrate what I mean when I say the IFBB judging is politically tainted with WAY TOO MUCH bullshit.
So...let me get this right...Tricky and Guy place higher than Nathan and pablo on Friday....and then go on to place ahead of them again on Saturday......? WOW....doesn't that actually bolster the case for being consistant?
Nathan, who has a better physique than Tricky or Guy, probably would have been able to crack the top 10 if he did not create a small scene during the prejudging on Saturday.
If he was better on FRIDAY...he would have beaten Tricky/ Guy on FRIDAY.
Apparently, he was so hyped about being in the top 5 the day before that he was absolutely, 100% sure that he was going to be in the top 5 callouts on Saturday ??? and when it did not happen, he made it clear that he was confused and pissed. No doubt his behavior on stage took him out of the judges "good" graces. By the time prejudging ended, my eyes had shifted from the call-outs to a pair of wall climbers in the distance. I had lost interest in the show and felt completely and utterly disrespected and "fucked with". Photos don't fuckin' lie ???
Once again...photos don't lie...but you do,to yourself... if you think you should have been placed any higher. No one in that building had you in the top 5 Friday, or the top 15 Saturday.
I posted many photos of me during my carb-loading phase. Placing guys like Tricky Jackson and Derik Farnsworth higher than me only makes them look like blind and retarded fools. People are not stupid ??? and when political stunts like that are pulled, you are essentially fucking with people's intelligence. If you having a tough time following what I am trying to say, then let me put it to you another way: The IFBB is like the pimp and treats all of their members like a bunch of prostitutes ??? we do as they say and we don't have a say. Why do you think there never seems to be a "fair" athlete's representative? Bob Cicherillo is the current athlete's representative but he just follows instructions from the IFBB head, Jim Manion, so what's the point to having Bob around? I can't speak for the rest of my peers, but I am nobody's bitch. I "pimp" my own money and my own ride through life ??? and I owe nothing to nobody but God Almighty.
...bitching about me now? What would you know about what I do, or what goes on? Have you ever been to a meeting, Eryk? Have you ever emailed me with a question? Have you ever even brought up one single thing about the judging, etc? The answer to all these qustions is.....NO.
Only now that you get your ass handed to you on stage do you have a problem with me.......
On a business note, I have this say: "If you cannot see the business value in having something that is refreshingly different than the norm on your stage and in your organization, and you fail to protect and utilize that limited commodity, then YOU are the FUCKIN' FOOL!"
So, your saying you are "refreshingly differnt" and therefore should have been placed higher based on that? You were different, I'll give you that...if points were awarded for having highlites in your hair and being smooth, you would have won hands down!
When you try too hard to overshadow something that just stands out, YOUR INTENTIONS BECOME EVEN MORE CLEAR! Fucking with me on your platform is only temporary, but the end product of your political bullshit only devalues your integrity and organization's moral standards. Am I afraid of any further repercussions for my verbal outbreak? Why would there be a fear of being fired or dismissed when I have already decided to FUCKIN' QUIT! I have bigger and better fish to fry ??? I am in the business of making money not wasting money and/or time. I wish that I could say that I have learned a lot of great things during my brief stint as an "IFBB professional" (LMAO), but I can't. The only things that I have learned are actually negative. I have NOT learned a single thing to make me a better person, but I have learned that there are great physical costs to not only becoming but maintaining a high "pro" standard in the IFBB. Thanks, but no thanks. I have one life to live and it doesn't revolve around this EGOCENTRIC sport called bodybuiding. I have said it before and I'll say it again ??? "DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE SHOULD NOT TAKE YOUR LIFE AWAY!"
You should have thought of that when you decided to chase a pro card in pro bodybuilding....no one forced you to make the decisions you have....so if you won or placed in the top 5, your stance would be different somehow??
The circumstances don't change, only the placings...
True respect and admiration comes from doing something that serves as a model for others to follow ??? it garners good-will ??? it fulfills the heart ??? it leads to self-improvement, NOT self-destruction. This was a constant struggle for me to ignore ??? the fact that I was involved in a sport that is suppose to portray a healthy lifestyle, but in fact supports and encourages the abuse of substances to excel.
A fellow IFBB peer asked me the other day if I was afraid of further repercussions from the IFBB. "Afraid of WHAT?," was my answer. Those mutha-fuckers can't fire me ??? I fuckin' QUIT! I then addressed him the following: "How good do you feel knowing that you are affiliated with an organization that is essentially run like the mafia ??? they hand-pick their chosen-ones and the rest are left to brown-nose their way through the maze." The IFBB is NOT about what is best ??? it is about who is with who. How do I know this? Just the other night during the Europa prejudging, Bill Wilmore was asked to switch places with another competitor. Bill was so pissed off he would not move and had to be asked several times to step aside.
Yet, that DIDN'T affect his placing and qualifying for the Olympia, as you alledge it affected Nathan Wonsley? Could it be that Bill simply didn't HEAR the request? You have no idea what you're talking about, do you?
It was sickening for me to see this since it clearly portrays how things are run at the IFBB level. You have guys who are so used to be babied that they just don't know how to be "professional" when their egos are under the gun.
Hello pot....
In case you did not know, Steve Weinberger was the head judge that evening. Most organizations use people in good public standing to judge their marquee events. Steve Weinberger was recently featured in a Brooklyn tabloid column outlining his alleged role in a steroid and growth hormone distribution scandal. Don't believe me ??? read on:
It is no secret that the guys who are affiliated with big-name sponsors like Muscular Development and MET-Rx do extremely well and everyone else is left with ??? well, what is left.
It's no secret that big name companies sign big name talent...you know why, Eryk?? BECAUSE THEY"RE THE BEST GUYS..! WOW...big revelation there...
Many of you do not have this vantage point when you are in the audience watching these events, but I think you all should know just what the fuck is going on behind the scenes. It's fuckin' sickening and down right WRONG! Why am I waiting until now to voice myself? I tend to be very optimistic. I actually believed that I could change the organization for the better and had great hopes that it would somehow miraculously change.
JUst how did you intend on changing anything? With your physique? It obviously wasn't with your voice, your attendance at meetings, or your input on anything.....0-3 buddy.
Times are tough for the NPC and IFBB right now as sponsorship money and ticket sales are at all-time lows
Don't know what shows YOU'VE been at, but I'm all over the country and sales and sponsors are just fine....
so I figured the powers that be would want to do something positive to spark a positive swing in momentum.
Like what? Place you in the top 3??
I no longer have this faith that the powers that be actually give a fuck ??? they just don't. It is sheer insanity when you keep doing the same things with hopes that a different outcome would be produced ??? and it is sheer stupidity when you keep doing the same things when you know for a fact the same outcome will happen again. I don't know about you, but I AM NOT FUCKIN' STUPID!
Apparently you are, since you've been doing the same thing for YEARS expecting a different result...
On a final note, I want to address my immediate plans. I am still working closely with Magnum Nutraceuticals in producing and marketing the most effective and most cost-efficient supplemental products available. I am still writing for Status Fitness Magazine so if you enjoy reading my thoughts, feelings, and opinions you can find them there. I will no longer be judging NPC shows as I have made the decision to segregate myself with any dealings with the NPC or the IFBB. To all my friends who are still affiliated with either organization, I respect your decision and wish nothing but the absolute best for you in your endeavors. I may be looking into a fresh start with an organization that makes an honest effort at striving to promote health & fitness. Please stay in touch with me and I will continue to stimulate your mind and body. Thanks again to all who gave me their unconditional support this past weekend ??? I can't thank you enough.
My final note:
You're delusional...you need only look one place to find fault with just about everything and everyone you mentioned....the mirror.
Manion, Weinberger, the other competitors, the supp companies, they fixed the scale, blah, blah.... it's everyone elses fault you don't come in shape....except YOU. No responsibility there....must be SOME other reason you're not winning, right? It cant simply be that you just aren't good enough, or that your competing with the best BBers in the world and they are just better than you are....got to be a conspiracy, or some other reason you can point your chubby little finger at.....
After all....it cant be YOU, can it?
*taken from Eryk Bui's blog
???HUSH YOU BODYBUILDER ??? YOU ARE MEANT TO BE SEEN, NOT HEARD!???
Almost three short years ago, I earned my pro card in the very city that I competed in this weekend (Dallas, Texas) ??? even the venue (Dallas Convention Center) was the same. Upon my arrival into Dallas International Airport (DFW) I got chills and goose-bumps as the memories flashed by. I felt really confident that I followed my plan to a "T" and that being in Dallas was a good omen of things to come. Unfortunately, omens are valid only when the powers in control are random and invisible. Omens are tasteless, untouchable, invisible to the naked eye, and are completely uninfluenced by the natural world. Unfortunately, the realm of bodybuilding does not follow the same supernatural rules and guidelines. Instead, they invite the unknowing and naïve into their world only to beat them down mentally and psychologically until they conform to the norm or until they've had enough of the abuse and limp away from the punishment with whatever is left of them. Conform and you can take your number and wait or resist and be beat and thrown into oblivion. I did not conform and decided to escape with what little I had left of my sanity and pride. There was never a question about whether I was a viable IFBB pro or not ??? the conflict of interest lied in the fact that I am also a journalist.
Journalist for WHO? Believe me, no one knows who you write for or what you have written...
It is my job and my nature to write about the truths surrounding my world and your world. However there is no place for that kind of liberty in this small and wacky world we all call bodybuilding. It's Jim Manion's (NPC President and IFBB Executive) world and you had better not fuck with it. He runs it with an iron fist and will come down hard and swift on those who oppose him. Did my journalism take me out of JM's good graces? What do you think? And if you still don't know, then read on and be enlightened. Enjoy my friends ??? my final blog as an IFBB professional. "Hush you bodybuilder ??? YOU are meant to be seen, NOT heard!"
Friday morning had finally arrived and I was ready to go. I got up early in the morning to eat a hearty breakfast of 4 scrambled eggs, bacon, and a tall stack of pancakes. I took my diuretic last night before my steak and salty French fries dinner so my body was extremely tight and vascular. I felt AWESOME since I did not run my diuretics through the week like I normally did in the past. I decided to take it easy on my kidneys this time around because it seemed like my body was adversely affected by extreme dehydration the last few times that I had competed. The dehydration always caused the following physical symptoms: (1) headache, (2) nausea, (3) muscular cramping, (4) "flat" muscles, and (5) extreme fatigue. The only symptom that I felt Friday morning was a little bit of muscular cramping ??? but it was very mild compared to times before.
Amazing...pancakes, syrup, bacon, french fries, etc.......and you wonder why you're soft.
At the venue, I took it easy and rested a lot while jovially conversing with my IFBB peers. Many of the <210 Class competitors were nervous about having to compete against Silvio Samuel who unexpectedly made the weight limit the night before. We are talking about a guy who not only has already qualified for the Olympia 2 or 3 times over, but usually competes at around 220-225 pounds. How the fuck he weighed in at under 210 leaves me to question many things, but the one thing that baffles me is how the heck he is able to pull off the dramatic "YO-YO" weight fluctuation?
To answer your question, he was never 220 225 in contest condition...he competed around 215 lbs.
How did he weigh-in under 210? Easy...he was 206.
There is no doubt in my mind that he is utilizing insulin to force feed his muscles enough nutrients to "fill-up" dramatically before prejudging. Could I do the same thing and get the same results? Sure ??? but why the heck would I induce my own diabetic state? I am proud to say, and I repeat, I am PROUD to say that I have NEVER taken insulin or growth hormone to supplement my bodybuilding. I have been offered insulin on COUNTLESS occasions but I just cannot justify the adverse health risks associated with its use. Risking insulin shock and subsequent death is a losing proposition any way you want to "slice the pie". For what ??? A FUCKIN' TROPHY? Surely you jest!
Silvio used NO insulin for his prep, and for that matter, utilized NO carb up method or diuretic for the Europa shows...he was simply in shape, as you would have seen at the LA championships...
Guess steroids are OK though?
As I stood there on the platform awaiting the comparison round, I could not help but notice a very familiar face who was going to be the presiding head-judge ??? Steve Weinberger. I don't know much about Steve, but what I do know leaves a very bad taste in my mouth about how fair I was going to be treated. But as I always try to do, I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he would judge me fairly ??? regardless of how slim those chances are.
He, and the rest of the judging panel...DID judge you fairly.
As expected Silvio Samuel was called out first ??? but the rest of the top 5 callouts baffled me completely. Tricky Jackson? Guy Ducasse? Nathan Wonsley? Pablo Arevalo?
Yes...they were all in better condition than you were....no surprise there.
I was called out in the second group, but something really weird occurred after that. Everyone was called out a second time for a final group look ??? everyone except for me that is. I was like, "WHAT THE FUCK?" As you can very well imagine, I was pissed and left wondering if I was going to be fucked with yet once again.
They obviously had you placed...wasn't that tough to figure out.
I made a comment about how I could have been better for Friday's prejudging. Even at sub-100%, I felt that I should have been in the top-5 callout. Admittedly, I was definitely trying to "peak" for Saturday's "Open-Class Showdown" but my conditioning was still good enough to make the top-5. Photos don't lie so if you don't believe me, just go online and check it out for yourself.
You're right..photos dont lie...you werent even close to being in the top 5, and no...you weren't "good enough"....at 100%, you would have absolutely been 2nd or 3rd...
Silvio won the class and was followed by Tricky Jackson and the rest of the bunch. Not cracking the top-5 in this class left a bad taste in my mouth, but I was still very optimistic about my chances in the >210 Class Competition.
From the moment I left the finals on Friday night until literally stepping out on stage Saturday afternoon at around 2:00PM, I ate literally non-stop. In fact, during a span of 12-hours I ingested 7 separate orders of pancakes. I ate so much that it made me want to puke ??? and I am not the puking type. I had some filling out to do and I wanted to make sure that my blood volume and sugar was steady so I ate accordingly. I was tight ??? I was full ??? and I was definitely ready to step out and be judged beside any mass-monster that they put up.
Once again...you fail to see the obvious...7 orders of pancakes?? You were full allright....
After the first group was called out, I wasn't too shocked since they do typically lean towards the bigger, more massive physiques. I figured they would do this since there was a separate class for "non-mass monsters". The fuckin' industry ??? the fuckin' judging is SO FUCKIN' PREDICTABLE ??? NO FUCKIN' WONDER BODYBUILDERS ARE STABBED WITH THE STEREOTYPE OF HAVING ZERO INTELLIGENCE! The rest of the callouts gave me answers to many of my competitive questions as it led me away from the whole point of being at the Europa in the first place. I was no longer interested in the "three-ring circus" that was being judged ??? I was no wondering if this was going to be my "curtain call". I want to share something with you all that you perhaps missed with the contest coverage ??? if you even followed it. Nathan Wonsely placed 4th in the <210 Class and Pablo Arevalo placed 5th. They both competed in the >210 Class. Why did I bring this up? Tricky Jackson and Guy Ducasse who placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the same class both finished 9th and 10th respectively in the >210 Class. Neither Nathan nor Pablo cracked the top 15 honors the next day. I brought this up to illustrate what I mean when I say the IFBB judging is politically tainted with WAY TOO MUCH bullshit.
So...let me get this right...Tricky and Guy place higher than Nathan and pablo on Friday....and then go on to place ahead of them again on Saturday......? WOW....doesn't that actually bolster the case for being consistant?
Nathan, who has a better physique than Tricky or Guy, probably would have been able to crack the top 10 if he did not create a small scene during the prejudging on Saturday.
If he was better on FRIDAY...he would have beaten Tricky/ Guy on FRIDAY.
Apparently, he was so hyped about being in the top 5 the day before that he was absolutely, 100% sure that he was going to be in the top 5 callouts on Saturday ??? and when it did not happen, he made it clear that he was confused and pissed. No doubt his behavior on stage took him out of the judges "good" graces. By the time prejudging ended, my eyes had shifted from the call-outs to a pair of wall climbers in the distance. I had lost interest in the show and felt completely and utterly disrespected and "fucked with". Photos don't fuckin' lie ???
Once again...photos don't lie...but you do,to yourself... if you think you should have been placed any higher. No one in that building had you in the top 5 Friday, or the top 15 Saturday.
I posted many photos of me during my carb-loading phase. Placing guys like Tricky Jackson and Derik Farnsworth higher than me only makes them look like blind and retarded fools. People are not stupid ??? and when political stunts like that are pulled, you are essentially fucking with people's intelligence. If you having a tough time following what I am trying to say, then let me put it to you another way: The IFBB is like the pimp and treats all of their members like a bunch of prostitutes ??? we do as they say and we don't have a say. Why do you think there never seems to be a "fair" athlete's representative? Bob Cicherillo is the current athlete's representative but he just follows instructions from the IFBB head, Jim Manion, so what's the point to having Bob around? I can't speak for the rest of my peers, but I am nobody's bitch. I "pimp" my own money and my own ride through life ??? and I owe nothing to nobody but God Almighty.
...bitching about me now? What would you know about what I do, or what goes on? Have you ever been to a meeting, Eryk? Have you ever emailed me with a question? Have you ever even brought up one single thing about the judging, etc? The answer to all these qustions is.....NO.
Only now that you get your ass handed to you on stage do you have a problem with me.......
On a business note, I have this say: "If you cannot see the business value in having something that is refreshingly different than the norm on your stage and in your organization, and you fail to protect and utilize that limited commodity, then YOU are the FUCKIN' FOOL!"
So, your saying you are "refreshingly differnt" and therefore should have been placed higher based on that? You were different, I'll give you that...if points were awarded for having highlites in your hair and being smooth, you would have won hands down!
When you try too hard to overshadow something that just stands out, YOUR INTENTIONS BECOME EVEN MORE CLEAR! Fucking with me on your platform is only temporary, but the end product of your political bullshit only devalues your integrity and organization's moral standards. Am I afraid of any further repercussions for my verbal outbreak? Why would there be a fear of being fired or dismissed when I have already decided to FUCKIN' QUIT! I have bigger and better fish to fry ??? I am in the business of making money not wasting money and/or time. I wish that I could say that I have learned a lot of great things during my brief stint as an "IFBB professional" (LMAO), but I can't. The only things that I have learned are actually negative. I have NOT learned a single thing to make me a better person, but I have learned that there are great physical costs to not only becoming but maintaining a high "pro" standard in the IFBB. Thanks, but no thanks. I have one life to live and it doesn't revolve around this EGOCENTRIC sport called bodybuiding. I have said it before and I'll say it again ??? "DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE SHOULD NOT TAKE YOUR LIFE AWAY!"
You should have thought of that when you decided to chase a pro card in pro bodybuilding....no one forced you to make the decisions you have....so if you won or placed in the top 5, your stance would be different somehow??
The circumstances don't change, only the placings...
True respect and admiration comes from doing something that serves as a model for others to follow ??? it garners good-will ??? it fulfills the heart ??? it leads to self-improvement, NOT self-destruction. This was a constant struggle for me to ignore ??? the fact that I was involved in a sport that is suppose to portray a healthy lifestyle, but in fact supports and encourages the abuse of substances to excel.
A fellow IFBB peer asked me the other day if I was afraid of further repercussions from the IFBB. "Afraid of WHAT?," was my answer. Those mutha-fuckers can't fire me ??? I fuckin' QUIT! I then addressed him the following: "How good do you feel knowing that you are affiliated with an organization that is essentially run like the mafia ??? they hand-pick their chosen-ones and the rest are left to brown-nose their way through the maze." The IFBB is NOT about what is best ??? it is about who is with who. How do I know this? Just the other night during the Europa prejudging, Bill Wilmore was asked to switch places with another competitor. Bill was so pissed off he would not move and had to be asked several times to step aside.
Yet, that DIDN'T affect his placing and qualifying for the Olympia, as you alledge it affected Nathan Wonsley? Could it be that Bill simply didn't HEAR the request? You have no idea what you're talking about, do you?
It was sickening for me to see this since it clearly portrays how things are run at the IFBB level. You have guys who are so used to be babied that they just don't know how to be "professional" when their egos are under the gun.
Hello pot....
In case you did not know, Steve Weinberger was the head judge that evening. Most organizations use people in good public standing to judge their marquee events. Steve Weinberger was recently featured in a Brooklyn tabloid column outlining his alleged role in a steroid and growth hormone distribution scandal. Don't believe me ??? read on:
It is no secret that the guys who are affiliated with big-name sponsors like Muscular Development and MET-Rx do extremely well and everyone else is left with ??? well, what is left.
It's no secret that big name companies sign big name talent...you know why, Eryk?? BECAUSE THEY"RE THE BEST GUYS..! WOW...big revelation there...
Many of you do not have this vantage point when you are in the audience watching these events, but I think you all should know just what the fuck is going on behind the scenes. It's fuckin' sickening and down right WRONG! Why am I waiting until now to voice myself? I tend to be very optimistic. I actually believed that I could change the organization for the better and had great hopes that it would somehow miraculously change.
JUst how did you intend on changing anything? With your physique? It obviously wasn't with your voice, your attendance at meetings, or your input on anything.....0-3 buddy.
Times are tough for the NPC and IFBB right now as sponsorship money and ticket sales are at all-time lows
Don't know what shows YOU'VE been at, but I'm all over the country and sales and sponsors are just fine....
so I figured the powers that be would want to do something positive to spark a positive swing in momentum.
Like what? Place you in the top 3??
I no longer have this faith that the powers that be actually give a fuck ??? they just don't. It is sheer insanity when you keep doing the same things with hopes that a different outcome would be produced ??? and it is sheer stupidity when you keep doing the same things when you know for a fact the same outcome will happen again. I don't know about you, but I AM NOT FUCKIN' STUPID!
Apparently you are, since you've been doing the same thing for YEARS expecting a different result...
On a final note, I want to address my immediate plans. I am still working closely with Magnum Nutraceuticals in producing and marketing the most effective and most cost-efficient supplemental products available. I am still writing for Status Fitness Magazine so if you enjoy reading my thoughts, feelings, and opinions you can find them there. I will no longer be judging NPC shows as I have made the decision to segregate myself with any dealings with the NPC or the IFBB. To all my friends who are still affiliated with either organization, I respect your decision and wish nothing but the absolute best for you in your endeavors. I may be looking into a fresh start with an organization that makes an honest effort at striving to promote health & fitness. Please stay in touch with me and I will continue to stimulate your mind and body. Thanks again to all who gave me their unconditional support this past weekend ??? I can't thank you enough.
My final note:
You're delusional...you need only look one place to find fault with just about everything and everyone you mentioned....the mirror.
Manion, Weinberger, the other competitors, the supp companies, they fixed the scale, blah, blah.... it's everyone elses fault you don't come in shape....except YOU. No responsibility there....must be SOME other reason you're not winning, right? It cant simply be that you just aren't good enough, or that your competing with the best BBers in the world and they are just better than you are....got to be a conspiracy, or some other reason you can point your chubby little finger at.....
After all....it cant be YOU, can it?
