2004 IRONMAN
.......................................................................................................................
Another JEFF
MCFARLAND speciall!!
.......................................................................................................................
OK, guys...
Just got back to the hotel room and I'm gonna be posting the pictures as
I pick and doctor them from everything I got.
I used 2 different cameras with several different settings,
as I still don't quite know exactly what I'm doing with all the technical
stuff here,
but I think I got enough for a decent show report.
First of all, Dexter's taking this show, hands down. No question.
The best he's ever
been!
Lee Priest is most likely getting second, after whipping himself back into
the shape the crowd and judges demand of him.
I'd venture to say his upper body was better than ever at this show,
but that may be a little premature of a judgement.
Remember...I'm typing this out as I go!
And yes, Titus was in shape, as was Ahmad Haidar.
TP dropped out...
(Prince was actually seen walking around the expo after the show, for what
it's worth.)
OK...
Lee almost hung with Dexter from the front...
But from the back...
Dexter SLAUGHTERED everyone!!
We've never seen his glute striations this deep, nor the striations in his
hams like this.
Big ups to Chad for getting me the seat in the press pit...
I was sitting between Ronnie Coleman and Flex Wheeler, and next to Chris Cook.
The commentary between that bunch was as entertaining as the show itself.
Flex was speaking into a tape recorder for a Muscular Development piece
he's working on apparently.
Flex, talking loudly, said "Dexter's glutes look amazing...even better than
Ronnie Coleman's!
" Ronnie immediately said, "YEAH, right!" What about that, Dex? Ha ha...
At one point Dexter blatantly patted Lee's glutes in a back comparison...
Lee then tried to pat Dex's stomach...
but I think by the time he got there he must have realized it didn't make
much of a counterpoint.
Lee looked good, no doubt about it.
As Chris Cook put it, "one of the last true freaks."
Lee's an icon of the sport, and it's great to still see him doing his thing.
I didn't get it on film, but he had one MEAN-ass most muscular.
Sometimes when you're frantically trying to take the pics,
it's hard to appreciate what's really being presented onstage,
but I just kept looking up at him, posing, and standing in line,
and there's just something about his physique that's so awesome.
Lee's a legend, and he keeps it as real as anyone.
I've nothing but respect for him.
Craig looked as good
as post-prison Titus has looked.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch Craig Titus The Video Version
2.0
and you'll see some crazy conditioning that he's yet
to capture since his little stint in the slammer.
But Titus pulled through for this prep besting his recent contest outtings,
IMO. I don't think anyone was disappointed in the crowd, especially Kelly
(as usual.)
The guy's nuts...
but onstage you can't help but get the impression he's got one hell of a killer
instinct.
Guys, Jason Arntz was ON!!
I love his physique, especially in this pose.
His right shoulder did have a lump in it...
but it still doesn't make this physique anything less than impressive.
IMO, there could actually be an argument made that he's right up there
with Priest in terms of physique development.
Lee's WAY far the crowd favorite, though.
Out of everyone, the crowd still loved Lee the most.
OK, here
are some other competitors.
Sorry guys, Bob wasn't exactly on today.
And he told me that TP "will be fine." So hopefully it's not as bad as we
could fear.
Johnny Jackson keeps getting bigger,
but I think he just has to "condition his way in" to his new bodyweight.
Flex Wheeler just kept talking about his outrageous traps.
Another good one of Arntz. And as an interesting side note,
notice how Idrise Ward El's quads insert so high up on his femurs.
Freaky!!
OK, I just found this shot. The CLEAR winner!!
Ya'll ain't ever seen "the Blade" on like this.
And surely he had to have weighed in heavier.
Only one drawback...when he first appeared onstage,
you could see where his gut was just a TAD bit more distended.
But I doubt he'll ever be able to make it an issue with a structure like his.
I wonder if he actually did cardio for this prep. LOL
OK, here's a good comparison from the back.
That's Gustavo Badell on the far right.
I'm sorry, but I'm not believing the hype with him in this show.
The first callouts didn't have him in the top 5,
but then the judges must have seen how hard his quads
were and then he sort of started to push Craig out of 4th.
I don't necessarily agree with that.
Yes, he was more conditioned...
but his waist is bigger than Craig's and it's just not as pleasing a package
to look at.
I actually DID get some good pics, afterall, if I do say so myself. Ha ha...
Priest, or Arntz?
OK, it's probably Priest, but still...lol
Lee's just a better looking guy, but I swear to God if he'd had the mullet
this time around I'd have said Jason.
Bodybuilding's inevitably about style and looks, too.
People have to realize this.
I think the mere fact that it's a legitimate question says
Arntz deserves to be in the top 5.
This is what I was talking about with Dexter's midsection.
Haidar did look good, but as someone questioned above,
I think he's finding himself trying to "play the size game."
It's a fine line as to how far you can go with it...he'd better be careful.
I still like him, nonetheless...so much so, that I've got him 3rd.
Craig deserves 4th, IMO.
Titus's waist looking decent.
I bet that "gyno" is actually residual swelling or scar tissue from his corrective
surgery...
I don't see how after all the removal of tissue
there'd still be receptors for estrogen there.
Here's a prediction.
Kamali will hand Titus his ass come Arnold weekend.
Why do I think so?
Kamali's being VERY quiet for Kamali.
That means he's suffering, which means he's dug in for a win.
The winner of a show is never the one talking shit leading up to it.
Johny Jackson..a bit more conditioned and he's gonna be placing MUCH higher.
You can see his potential here.
One more of Dexter
Ronny Rockel was smooth.
He could place top 3 if he got dialed and the judges noticed him, though.
Rockel's on the left.
The guy to his left looks like he could be his brother,
and they both look like Jay Cutler's German cousins.
They both have pleasing aesthetics...just needed to be harder.
I'll admit...Gustavo looks good here. You guys be the judge.
Ken Jones did tone down his hairstyle a little,
albeit it looked as though a cat climbed atop his head and took a nap.
Man, what a picture.