wow, just fucking wow.

I stand by this statement if a spotter is holding the lifter by the chest, helping him stabilize the weight, it is not a good lift.
if in your myopic universe you think this is the zenith of powerlifting achievement so be it.
imagine if you will a man of true stature, walks out with 1oo8 pounds, has spotters, but they touch nothing, and are keenly aware all the same if he should fail, and squats deep, very fucking deep, and is wearing a suit from the old days, knee wraps and a belt... he weighs 255 pounds... brings that half ton out of the hole like it was birdshit holding him down..ie, nothing..
it's historic, its amazing, its a world record..
20 plus years later... only 100 pounds more on the bar but the lifter doesnt have to walk out, gets hand checked all the way up (yeah yeah, whatever, debatable, one dude practically admitted it was ok) and is wearing some insane triple ply canvass suit that reputed adds 80-200 pounds ot most lifters RAW stats..
well, it's not so impressive.. it's not a world record.. still cool, it's modern day powerlifting..
You can have it.. I aint hoodwinked so easily.
Cheers, you can insult me now.

More from bb.com email conversation:

"He at least can have an opinion because his time and accomplishments in the sport deserve some respect."Ive competed before, just been a very long time, and I dont squat not because of an injury but because of heart trouble.. the last few times ive tried to incorporate it into my workouts have caused massive palpitations... I really want to squat again, for my body structure is perfect for squating... in high school I was one of the best squaters in the state, in the 181 and 198s... I took up powerlifting again only about 8 years ago... Ive come out of the hole with 500+ several times, so relatively speaking, I know what it means to have serious weight on my back.. No comparison to 1000+ obviously, but still more than a lot of folks have had on their backs.your point about not being able to have an opinion because Im not a star or even accomplished powerlifter is just not defensible.. Any informed person who can think reasonably well can have and state an opinion.. maybe I put mine in the wrong venue.. ill conceed that much.. but I didnt deserve the way I got treated. And Id like to leave with this: since you sound like you may know Chuck V personally... when I said I was more impressed, I didnt really mean to demean his lift, I know it came across that way, and I apologize for that. His intensity and strength are amazing and he is certainly a great hall of fame to be powerlifter..Anyway, my problem isnt with Chuck V, it's with the overall standards of the sport of powerlifting.. Im the cowboy in the early 20th century lamenting that I have to give up my horse for the car..