Archive for September 25th, 2008

Fans Line Up for Defending Champion at ‘Meet the Olympians’
By Joe Pietaro, MuscleSport Mag

When you’re the defending champion, long lines are expected at these ‘meet and greet’ functions. That also holds true if you’re the guy that everyone feels has the best chance to unseat number one. It just so happens that both of these people were seated on completely opposite ends of the Mardi Gras Ballroom, but directly across from one another.

That made for difficult logistics as each line grew. By the time the majority of the crowd was allowed in the room, it was difficult to see who was sanding where. Jay Cutler and Dennis Wolf were the obvious stars of the session, and the fans that showed the patience to wait for a few moments with them, it was all worth it.
Read the rest of this entry »

Getting Started at The Orleans

By Joe Pietaro, MuscleSport Mag

Viva Las Vegas. After a nearly five-hour flight from New York, it was good to settle down at The Orleans Hotel. But who has time to settle down? After a decent workout in the ‘Fitness Center’ (don’t you just hate those places in hotels?) and a quick bite to eat, it was off to ‘Meet the Olympians’ in the Mardi Gras Ballroom.

With all the competitors seated in a wide, rectangular-shaped room, the lines for the top ones ran all the way across to the far side. By the time the velvet ropes opened up to the public, the place was packed. It was a good thing that the press was allowed in during the V.I.P. hour.

We had the opportunity to speak to a number of the men that have their eyes on the Sandow. All of them looked to be in fantastic shape and hungry for the stage.