I'm sitting here listening to some pretty mellow music and I found myself wondering what in the HELL is going on with Powerlifting? When did this crap go sideways and every Tom, Dick and Harry decide they wanted to start their own federation?
I started competing in 1987 (I think) or so. Back then all I knew about was the ADFPA, USPF, AAU and some fledgling federation, the APF. I was going to college in eastern Nebraska, having moved from extreme western Nebraska 10 miles outside of a town of 350 folks, so I was probably a bit more sheltered than most.
Now I just read that yet another federation has sprouted up on the east coast, the EPF. What do folks NOT get about drowning this sport in federations. I usually just sit back, nod my head and not really care about it all. I can't do that anymore. I can't believe the fucking arrogance of yet another individual to start another federation. It's not like there aren't enough to choose from.
I could see the need to start one back in the day when there was only one show in this country, or two maybe. But there are around or just over 30 federations now in the U.S. Holy bat crap are you going to tell me that the EPF came up with something new and fancy so they had to start their own little group?
Let's break it all down. If you put all the federations in an excel spreadsheet and then compare commonalities between them all you come to this:
13 - Raw Federations
8 - Single Ply Federations
10 - Multi-Ply Federations
Now I know that adds up to more than 30 BUT a few feds have both, or all, raw/single/multi-ply divisions. I think it's absurd for these folks, in the last few years, to think they are so righteous that they had to create their own federation rather than lift in one that offered what they want. IT WAS ALREADY THERE. THE WHEEL HAS BEEN INVENTED, IMPROVED AND IT WORKS. Please, just leave it alone already.
Someone should get all the federation owners in the same room and start pulling some heads out of their asses so they can see the light and not a bunch of bullshit.
This discussion has been hashed, and re-hashed, on every forum out there. When will folks listen.
ATTENTION ALL LIFTERS!!!! If you want to stop the creation of new federations then................................ hang on cuz here it comes.......................... STOP LIFTING IN THEM!!
It works the same as in sales of any type. If your sick of the same product then stop buying the new products that mimic the old products. Stick with the old and the new will die. The AFPF is proof of this. They tried and it died.
I'm asking ALL OF YOU who compete. Please stop supporting all these bullshit federations and let's get back to where it used to be back in the day. Stay Strong, J.R. Bolger | 
