weider's deep pockets

**saboudian** · 10-21-2002, 08:21 PM

i always hear about why doesn't weider give bodybuilders a raise by upping the prizes and even giving the guys who don't place 10 and above money. well i thought maybe he doesn't make that much money (i not smart) to say double the prize amounts of the olympia. so i found an article here http://www.getbig.com/news/2002-04/021007weider.htm

now this is not weiders total income, just his annual income from the 7 magazines that he publishes, thats it, and we know he makes money off a bunch of other stuff like weight training equipment and even off the olympia tickets and shit. well for his publishing company in one year it makes, take a deep breath, here it comes $150 million per year

now honestly, i don't see how anyone could even argue that weider cannot afford to double or even triple the prize amounts and give non-placing competitors money, heck if u finish 11th, u worked your ass off but the usher in the crowd is making more then u, heck why not make the olympia an event that hands out 2 or 3 million, and even give out a few grand for shit like best posing routine to make it more exciting

just my opinion, i know on babbled probally too much, bad habit

**Freakymuscle4u** · 10-21-2002, 08:32 PM

I totally agree man, Joe just wants to fatten his pockets, he's not helping the sport at all. I mean he probabably made at least a few million off the pay per view and the pros didn't get jack shit...

Jay

**saboudian** · 10-21-2002, 08:34 PM

i don't know how the other bodybuilders that are nearly broke contain themselves from snapping joe in two

**ripsid** · 10-21-2002, 08:53 PM

the only way they will get paid is if they start a union. I hate to say it, but these guys get killed! What they do to themselfes for the last week before a contest is cruel! And I don't care if you're a big mouth like Kamali you deserve atleast something I mean..."throw me a bone here" Dr. Evil!
Weider uses these guys like a GD Prostitute! It may change if he passes on...I don't ever! EVER! wish that upon my worst enemy! But it's like he started an anabolic peramid scheme! ANway!
Damn, the man can't afford a pair of nice Nike's for his tux?????

**Jack87** · 10-21-2002, 09:14 PM

Joe Weider is one of the cheapest most greedy S.O.B.s on the planet, that's why...

**toopowerful4u** · 10-23-2002, 12:24 PM

Weider is definatly a greedy SOB. I love the idea of upping the prize money and giving every compedator money. Also like the posing awards type prizes also. That way maybe everyone will at least have a posing award to aim for with their routine even if they cant get the big money. Would make the routines better at least. Would probably make the sport more popular, because with larger prizes and better living, more people would aim for this. Not many poeple would try to play NBA basketball if only the top 3 best players can make JUST a decent living and the reast struggle. Theyd look for a better living. C what im sayin. God i wish weider would think about some of this shit.

**Freakymuscle4u** · 10-23-2002, 12:53 PM

Originally posted by toopowerful4u
Weider is definatly a greedy SOB. I love the idea of upping the prize money and giving every compedator money. Also like the posing awards type prizes also. That way maybe everyone will at least have a posing award to aim for with their routine even if they cant get the big money. Would make the routines better at least. Would probably make the sport more popular, because with larger prizes and better living, more people would aim for this. Not many poeple would try to play NBA basketball if only the top 3 best players can make JUST a decent living and the reast struggle. Theyd look for a better living. C what im sayin. God i wish weider would think about some of this shit.

Yup and dock points for Sythnol and bellies

**durbin22** · 10-23-2002, 02:36 PM

Weider is a cheap prick.

**Freakymuscle4u** · 10-23-2002, 03:21 PM

Gotta give him props for bring bodybuilding worldwide and more fame, but the bad is starting to out weigh the good...

Jay

**tt333** · 11-09-2002, 03:32 AM

Weider is money greedy and thats all he cares about.

**David B.** · 11-09-2002, 11:29 AM

Hell, in the '60s Weider had coverboys from his magazines, like Dave Draper, working in his friggin' warehouse. For minimum wage.

--dnb

**ripsid** · 11-10-2002, 12:01 PM

Weider's what's wrong with Bodybuilding...Period! F-him! If it was all about the muscle it would be amazing who the REAL winners would have been! Until then they might as well wrestle, hell they're doing it Vinnie Mac style now anyways!

**Sandow** · 11-13-2002, 02:47 PM

A.) That's revenue. Not profit. Estimated $30 mil profit (mostly from SHAPE magazine).

B.) Joe Weider is in his mid-80s, virtually retired and very feeble (hint: he doesn't write his columns). Why do you think he's selling the company? He has virtually no say about bb anymore. People still like to think of him as the wizard behind the curtain. LOL! 20 years ago maybe...MAYBE.

C.) Despite what people think, Weider doesn't own pro bb. Weider is not the principal sponser of any pro show anymore, not even the Olympia (GNC was this year). Why should he give more $$$ for prizes? Does Sports Illustrated contribute to Super Bowl players? Hell no!!! Weider already has 25+ pros under contract, for which they have to do very little. Weider is the only company that helps sponsor every single show, but they don't get a dime from ticket sales, etc.

D.) Why isn't Ironman or MuscleMag or (God forbid) the Blechmans/Twinlab/MD giving back? Blechmans/Twinlab/MD make much more than $30 mil per year and give ZERO back in to the sport, but only tear the sport down in their porno/drug rag MD. There are a lot better targets for your rage than Joe Weider. The Weider-bashing days are long gone. You guys are at least 20 years late.

**saboudian** · 11-13-2002, 07:49 PM

Sandow

B.) Joe Weider is in his mid-80s, virtually retired and very feeble (hint: he doesn't write his columns). Why do you think he's selling the company? He has virtually no say about bb anymore. People still like to think of him as the wizard behind the curtain. LOL! 20 years ago maybe...MAYBE.

True, but u can't tell me that Joe doesn't have a voice anymore, i guarantee if he said something, things would change.

Sandow
C.) Despite what people think, Weider doesn't own pro bb. Weider is not the principal sponser of any pro show anymore, not even the Olympia (GNC was this year). Why should he give more $$$ for prizes? Does Sports Illustrated contribute to Super Bowl players? Hell no!!! Weider already has 25+ pros under contract, for which they have to do very little. Weider is the only company that helps sponsor every single show, but they don't get a dime from ticket sales, etc.

Thats a very good point. Its difficult to make a comparision between the NFL and Bodybuilding though. Sports Illustrated does contribute to the super bowl though, anyone who has their own magazine and channel specifically for sports will generally talk about nothing except for the Super Bowl, ESPN is one of the top reasons that NFL
(and the salaries) is what it is today. You don't see this anything near this type of coverage on the Olympia. There are various other ways espn does help the NFL, but u get my point.

I didn't know that weider sponsored every show and got nothing out of it. I guarantee that they are getting something out of it, or else they would not pump all this money into all those tons of shows, or else it simply doesn't make sense why they would do it. If for the very least, advertising. Joe knows good buisness when it comes to things like that. I think there is more behind the scenes as far as the money goes with the shows.

The one thing i love is how u act like $30 mil/year is nothing. Compared to the other companies, it probably isn't that much. I wish those other companies would contribute more back but i don't expect them to. The only person i would expect to contribute back is in fact Joe. He understands the sport of bodybuilding more then anyone else in the world, he lives it, its his life, he knows these guys, he has a relationship with every single Mr Olympia ever. Thats why i would expect him to contribute a little more then those other big shot companies. Joe knows what the bodybuilders go through,and how hard it is for them. He knows its not easy to be a bodybuilder. Thats why i just wish he would give out more, like even the lil stuff i mentioned originally. I don't know how many stories i've heard of bodybuilders trying to make it, even big name guys like lee preist for a while couldn't get a contract, and he is one of the best.

Chances are also that Joe is making more money then just his publishing company, look at any millionaire and u'll see they have assets in everything.

Anyways, u did bring some good points up Sandow. I just think even though Joe has done alot for bodybuilding, there is alot more that could be done, and he knows more about this then anyone else, cuz he built it from the bottom up. Maybe Joe just wants to sit on his laurels for now, but out of everyone i just thought he would understand all the inequalities that exist today.

**stillsmall** · 06-13-2003, 11:09 PM

joe weider has done enough.. where's the person to follow?! how come so much blame on one man? ESPN support NFL through coverage? Then Weider support IFBB through coverage on his mags.. What more do you want? It's time for others to step up to the plate, not time that weider go broke trying to support something no one else is willing to shell out for

**saboudian** · 06-14-2003, 10:45 AM

Been a long time since I've seen this thread, but I found a good Weider interview.

http://bodybuilding.com/fun/drsquat4.htm

I think it fairly explains why bodybuilding has so many problems in getting mainstream coverage. It doesn't seem like he really is all that bad of a guy, but i would think you would need to talk to a Pro BBer thats been through it all to really tell you the true story, because i just don't know all the facts, but its not uncommon to see guys like milos sarcev in flex complaining about the whole situation.

What more do i want? I don't really want anything, I'm not a Pro BBer and never will be. I don't know how the prize money works now, but they have been upping it every year which is cool, and i think that the top 12 get paid instead of just the top 10 now, but i'm not sure on this.

The reason that they only pay the top 10 or so guys is because they didn't want anyone to come in lookin like crap, but thats just not how it is anymore. I mean those are the top 20 guys in the world, I can't (and i think most ppl) can't imagine how hard it is to make it to that stage.

You gotta remember it costs most these guys around 10 grand or so to prepare for a show, so when you're one of the top 20 in the world and the ushers go home with a bigger pay check, it doesn't seem right. Of course, i don't know how important this issue is anyways since its probably more about supplement contracts anyways.