Tough Break for Branch Warren

It appeared as if Branch Warren was going to have a legitimate shot at winning the Sandow after dominating at the Arnold Classic a few short months ago. But the quad tear he suffered from a freak accident and subsequent surgery will put the Texan on the shelf for the remainder of the year.

With the massive wheels he possesses, Warren should recover well and pick up right where he left off. But that still will not make up for a golden opportunity that he will miss next month in Las Vegas. If defending champion Jay Cutler comes in even a little bit off, then a mass monster like Warren would be in line (along with Phil Heath and possibly a guy like Kai Greene) to take advantage of that.

We will never know what may have been, but a fan favorite like Warren having to sit out his second Olympia in four years due to injury will make the line-up seem a little scant.

Some Thoughts, Post-NFL Lockout

*The Seattle Seahawks will take a step back, not that 7-9 was anything to brag about, anyway. But even in the weal NFC West, they will struggle with T. Jax as their new QB. Sure, Rice is nice and all that, but the 'Hawks were better off with Hasselback.

*Philly comes out looking great with all their moves, but our favorite was getting Rodgers-Cromartie and a number two for a back-up QB that wasn't in their long-term plans, anyway. The Eagles picked up Vince Young to hold the clipboard and he'll learn some valuable life lessons from Michael Vick, who knows a thing or two about being the bad guy and silencing the critics.

Pre-Season Football Would Look Good Right Now

With the announcement that the NFL lockout has claimed its first casualty with the cancellation of the Hall of Fame Game, we here at MuscleSport Mag promise to never complain about pre-season games again. Most NFL fans can do without the four exhibition contests held in August that showcase the starters for a few series and then are played between guys that will probably be cut before the next game.

With the future of training camps and possibly the entire pre-season hanging in the balance of a vote by the players, we can only hope that business does not get in the way. Sure, we all realize that it comes down to dollars and cents, but America's Game is way too important to not be played on Sundays.

What we would give to see those fifth-stringers getting some PT in the fourth quarter on a sweltering weeknight in a tied game.

Get this shit done already!

Tennis Really Sucks

Perfect timing for my cardio session at the gym today with ESPN showing that Wimbelton crap. Tennis is shitty enough, but the match also happened to be in the men's division. I can deal with watching two twenty-somethings jiggling through a few sets, but didn't even get that.

I actually found myself peering towards the other screens showing some financial channel and music videos. Not exactly awe inspiring to get you through the end of your training session.

I know a lot of people are really into tennis and go apeshit over these major tournaments, but I have no use for either of them - the tennis or the fans. They're all annoying.

NY Pro News & Notes

*Kai Greene certainly gave himself a boost heading into the Olympia. He hopes to crack into the top three - or better - in his third trip to Vegas. Perhaps sitting out the Arnold was a good strategy after all. We'll find out in September.

*Everyone is Kai crazy right now, but he will be up against the likes of Cutler, Heath and Warren. These guys will be a lot tougher than what he faced in Manhattan.

*Ronny Rockel continues to impress. The German competes multiple times per year and is never out of shape. That is s testament to what he puts into his diet and training.

*The MD forums have been abuzz with Cedric McMillan coddling. Even after the newcomer won the Europa recently, it seemed as if the fans went out of their way protecting him whenever his victory was called controversial. Now he drops out of the top 10 at the New York Pro in a line-up that cannot be considered deep by any stretch. The big man has a lot of potential and should be able to rebound from this.

*If we thought that the Kevin English-David Henry battle was the one to watch in the 202, then a new chapter was written Saturday night when Jose Raymond edged Flex Lewis. The decision could have went either way and these two guys should meet again in September. English made it clear to raymond - enjoy this while you can.

Live From the 2011 NFL Draft - News & Notes

So far, there have been a few surprises and the usual obvious picks. The difference this year is the specter of the labor negotiations hanging over everyone's head. Trades can still be made, but the various team's war rooms will have to be content moving only picks and not live players.

Cam Newton may not be a slam dunk overall number one, but he has a great upside and the Carolina Panthers are looking to start fresh with a new coach and face of the franchise. A player he has been compared to is Vince Young, who is finished in Tennessee with the Titans selecting quarterback Blaine Gabbert eighth overall.

The Atlanta Falcons seem to be looking for the crown in the 'reach' department by trading a one, two, four and 2012 one and four to move up 21 spots to take wideout Julio Jones of Alabama. Not a great move and that was the reaction by the crowd when the deal was announced.

Perhaps the best pure player in this draft went fifth with the Cards picking DB Patrick Peterson from LSU. Another nice selection was Nick Fairley (Auburn) by Detroit at number 13 to team up with Suh on a d-line that is headed in the right direction in the Motor City

Controversy Sells, So Why Should We Be Any Different?

Charlie Sheen hasn't been the most spoken about person of late because he has been behaving like an altar boy. The train wreck that has been his party of a life seems to be around every corner and on every web page. But that's because the masses flame the fires by wanting more of him.

The reason? When things start to go bad, then people give a shit. Waiting for the explosion and watching it get there has become them mantra of many a media outlet and they haven't exactly filed for bankruptcy, either.

Taking the hint, we here at MuscleSport Mag would be foolish to not catch lightning in a bottle. We did it last year with the entire Christian Darrow underground MMA fiasco and saw another chance with the Mets/Spanish players issue. Why? Because it gave our site a shitload of new web hits...the name of the game when you're in this business.

A lot of places will try to justify their actions by making up some crap and giving their readers a song and a dance. We don't. How do we justify our actions? By telling you the truth - in the articles and why we chose to run them.

There have been a few antagonists on various forums on the Internet that have a problem with us being so up front and having the balls to run a story like that. Fortunately, these people have been in the minority and are nary a hinderance to us. We'll keep having fun and their anger is just another part of that.

And because we have chosen to run these stories, that doesn't make us a 'follower.' Quite the contrary, we feel that our platform is one in the 'leader' category. Bringing bodybuilding and sports together the correct way (not just putting a football player on the cover and asking him what exercises he does) the way we have is unprecedented in the industry.