Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Henry Waxman are drafting steroid legislation that would impose stiff testing standards and penalties for use on the Big Four Sports Leagues in a move designed to bring America closer to Socialized Athletics.
Due to the exclusionary nature of this law, the prediction is that it will be struck down as Unconstitutinal by the courts, clearing the way for more sweeping legislation that will include ALL SPORTING GROUPS, including the IFBB (for contests in America)
Earlier in the year I wrote a letter to the IFBB, urging them to take the lead in fighting some of the negative press that bodybuilding is receiving in America. The official response from Ben Weider was that the IFBB has over 117 member nations, 116 of which could care less about the state of Bodybuilding in America.
Then and now my mantra is the same: By ignoring the realities in the United States, the IFBB is effectively killing bodybuilding as a viable industry. Most competitions are held in this Country, most of the top athletes in bodybuilding come from here, and most sponsorship money is realized from American Companies.
Sticking our heads in the sand and hoping this problem goes away will not serve to protect the financial viability of bodybuilding in the future. There needs to be a clarion voice calling out to the public, identifying the POSITIVE aspects of the bodybuilding lifestyle. We do not deny that steroids are a integral part of our Sport, just as they are an integral part of ANY sport, what we reject is the notion that bodybuilding is ENTIRELY predicated on the use and abuse of performance enhancing substances. Without work and effort bodybuilder's cannot succeed.
Such has it always been, and it will always be that way.
We have to get out to the public and make our case known.