by Christian Duque
In what could only be described as a massive break with protocol, reigning Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford spoke out about the placings at the Tampa Pro. Derek weighed in on what some have called a robbery with regards to Mo Foda taking second to Jon Delarosa. I, personally, think Jon had the win in the bag, but the fact he’s even received death threats as a result of winning the contest is utterly mind boggling to me. Who the hell threatens a competitor’s life because of where they place in a subjective-based contest? This is just beyond insane. But let’s not talk about the nutcases on social media, rather, let’s applaud Derek for breaking with protocol and speaking his peace. That’s very noteworthy and it speaks to the fact that Derek himself knows all too well what’s happening to Jon.
Derek received a mountain of hateful comments from the Middle East, more particularly Iran, when he bested The Persian Wolf Hadi Choopan at last year’s Mr. Olympia. Imagine Derek’s shock when he hoisted the Sandow and was living his best life, only to get threats on his life. We don’t need that in bodybuilding – or any sport, though it happens. And before you write this type of behavior off as nothing more than hot air, let me clue you into the soccer world where players have actually paid with their lives. We live in a day and age where this type of reckless and downright evil behavior cannot be ignored. All threats need to be taken seriously. But let’s put the threats aside. Some of the negative comments are also way too much.
Fans have the right to have whatever opinion they want, right? We can’t forget the heyday of the message boards. Who can forget the lively discussions on The Misc or over at GetBig. People used to get all into it and I wouldn’t have been surprised if threats were made; however, I feel like social media has taken things to the next level.
Many competitors are literally in fear for their safety. And I don’t even know if the folks leaving these horrible comments are fans anyways. But if they’re not fans, then what? Well, we mustn’t forget the role the trolls play. Trolls are arguably not fans. They live for the drama. They like to wreak havoc and cause drama. When you have trolls that are also fans, then it’s like all bets are off because there’s no low they won’t stoop to.
Also, I really don’t want to pick on any particular group of people because that goes against my ideals, but the fans from Iran and the Middle East are – as a whole – really taking it to the next level in terms of their fanaticism for the sport. That’s good if we’re talking about it from a consumer perspective (e.g. if they were buying all the protein powder, magazines, and lifting accessories). It gets toxic if they’re exceedingly negative and hateful. I saw it with fans from Egypt for Ramy in Vegas, I saw it with fans for Hadi in Orlando, and I’m seeing it now with fans of Mo after his 2nd place finish in Tampa. And it’s not just me.
When Mr. Olympia has to speak on the matter, then you know shit’s out of control. And not just any Mr. O, but Derek.
Lunsford is perhaps the least-drama competitor there is. It’s highly uncommon for the reigning champ to feel the need to address the placings of a bodybuilding show, but such was the urgency that he must have felt compelled to break his silence. I think the sport is at an important crossroads and I’d like to take the opportunity to speak to Iron Magazine readers throughout the world when I say that some folks may need to put their passion in check to some degree. I’m not saying that any of our readers would be behind the threats, but this article is more a think piece than anything else. At the rate we’re going, the banter for the Olympia might actually see folks get arrested and/or prosecuted. It’s one thing to have a strong opinion, but making death threats is totally against the law. And if the fans making the threats are in the countries where such activity isn’t prosecuted, then oh well, but wrong is wrong. Also, could you imagine if even a handful of fans took this behavior from social media to real life? All it takes is one nutcase to go hands-on at a show or an expo, and then we’d have serious problems.
I’m not kidding folks. Imagine fans traveling from Egypt, Dubai, or Iran. Imagine flying 20+ hrs, staying in a hotel, and waiting for hours to see your favorite competitor get on stage. You travel that whole distance and spend all that time waiting for the big win, but when the dust settles, your hero is 2nd or less. I could see certain fans – from any part of the world – under those circumstances maybe getting a little out of control in real life. Again, social media is a reflection of who and what people really are. In the vast majority of cases, we can argue that people put on their alter ego on social media. But all it takes is a tiny minority, even just a couple lunatics to make things go south – and fast.
Just a few weeks ago we saw a lunatic 20 yr old get on a roof and take shots at a former president. I don’t want to say that that could happen in bodybuilding, but we’re in such a crazy time that it could happen anywhere. I don’t immediately dismiss threats such as the ones Jon Delarosa or Derek Lunsford received. It’s highly, highly unlikely that anything will ever happen, but only an idiot wouldn’t be the least bit apprehensive. I don’t know about you, but if you’re an internationally-known athlete, who travels the world, and you have people that hate you because of winning a show or placing a certain kind of way, you should at the very least be aware of your surroundings.
How lame is it that athletes competing in a sport have to look over their shoulder? That being said, social media has shined a bright light on the real crazies. Just think about a huge expo. Take the Arnold Columbus, for example. There’s at least 100,000 people going through the expo during the three day period. All you need is one nutcase out of 100,000 people and you could have a real tragedy.
Once again, please don’t accuse me of making a mountain out of a molehill. These threats should be taken seriously and I applaud Derek for being the kind of ambassador for bodybuilding that breaks his silence when it’s appropriate. He’s shown us what being a leader is all about. The #1 bodybuilder in the world sees injustice and addresses it. And for that, he’s got my 100% support.
What’s your take on the matter? Are these threats and this carrying-on just fans being fans, or is there cause for concern? As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at Iron Magazine. Please consider sharing this article on your social media feeds. I guarantee it’ll generate considerable conversation. Moreover, I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments.
