StrengthAddicts
Elite Member
Read my current article 
I've been spoiled. I've run FigureBikini.com for about eight months now, logging over 30,000 visits and having had the great honor to release some very impressive interviews, features, poll questions (with multiple guests on each), articles, and reviews. I've been able to work with Team Bombshell girls, Ingrid Romero's Team Edge ladies, as well as my favorite group of all - Tanji Johnson's Save Fitness, but I've never covered any local ladies, and I don't think I will anytime soon.
For starters, I tried helping one girl with a video and some exposure, another girl I taped largely as a courtesy to my good friend Jeff Vasque, who I'm sure will tell you that I was doing my best to sever her from the filming from day one. Nothing against her, but I'm picky as far as who I put on my page. Either I see a physique I really believe in - or - I have people with physiques the judges have really believed in. But if you don't have the placings and you don't have the physique, you don't have a shot on my pages.
There's plenty of sports where EVERYONE gets a ribbon and EVERYONE is a winner, but competitive physique sports aren't in that category. Sometimes in life it's good to win, as well as to lose. Sometimes it's good to be frank - your body is good, but her body is great. It's not to say you can never be great, but right now you're good - and good is GOOD, but it's not GREAT.
I made a video the local girl loved, a video she wanted up, a video and promotion she was ecstatic over. But when I wrote an article later that day comparing her look to that of the local favorite, there was fallout. When I said the local favorite was good but still not as great as two of my favorite national level stars -- the fall out was so great that both the lady I gave the video feature to and the other lady in question, totally cut ties with my pages. I don't know if the Team told them, I don't know if there was pressure, but I know that my article on the local favorite created a surreal amount of blowback. And what's shocking is -- nothing malicious was posted, only truths, and in addition to truths - there were glowing reviews of the local favorite.
So here's my two cents ladies... if you're offered FREE PUBLICITY, publicity you can chart and weigh and measure so to speak -- take it. Comparisons in physique sports are common - whether it's Lee Thompson or Sandy R. from behind a judging table or its Ron Avidan or Christian Duque from within a website - it's part of the sport - of any sport. And there's nothing wrong with being loyal to your "Team" but be loyal to yourself too.
I can't imagine why any Team (anywhere) would say, quit talkin to that site that wants to promote you and help you get sponsored for FREE b/c that same site stated that your colleague over there was damn good but not nationally great YET. I mean there's loyalty and then there's stupidity. Not only that, but if you're willing to forego publicity and assistance to your career based solely on the fact the girl next to you didn't like a comparison at a show or wasn't heralded to be the next Figure Olympia in a figure article online, then how is that going to bode for you when the organization ranks you in terms of priority. If you can't stand up for yourself as an individiual in the first place, don't join a Team. A Team should help you, not run you. Again, I'm speaking wholly in generalities, as I DO NOT HAVE ANY SPECIFIC information about any team and/or organization, though I have heard enough and witnessed enough conduct to make an educated observation - but I'll refrain, because it's futile.
If you want to report on shows and competitors - you have to be OBJECTIVE. You can be KIND and Objective - as I pride myself in being, but there's only one 1st, one 2nd, and one 3rd. Our sport is about winning and losing, we seldom issue ties, and we rarely have to apologize for being honest. This is why I won't apologize and I won't refrain from being honest in my reporting. I will, however, not waste my time with reporting on any of the women's divisions at the upcoming NPC Lansing Grand Prix (March 31, 2012). I also won't even attend the show - could you even imagine - even the remote chance (which prolly 1 in a TRILLION , Cubed) that I'd get turned away at the door with my gf and our friends. This is how petty this whole thing is stating to look. I was planning on going to the prejudging, being there for the whole thing, showing my girl what a contest looks like, but I won't be at this one. Not a chance.
In other news, Jeff Vasque is looking amazing. He's not a woman, so pardon me for posting a couple vids, but Robert & Halo/LFExtreme are part of why this beast looks this good!
Last edited:
