There's a joke that involves a woman in a fish shop asking how much the salmon costs.

"$8.99 a pound," says the man.

"$8.99 a pound?!" exclaims the woman. "It is only $6.99 down the street," she replies huffily.

"Then why don't you buy it there" asks the man.

"Because he is out of salmon today," replies the woman.

"Well," says the man, "It's $4.99 a pound here when I'm out of it."

Sounds as if it could be the description of the sometimes fanciful nature of prize lists in strongman because if the money promised isn't paid, who cares what was listed.

And for everyone with short memories, it wasn't so very long ago that IFSA strongmen were said to be on their way to millionaire status, certainly a laudable goal for strongmen with upwardly-mobile aspirations, but it calls to mind the line about how those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it, because whatever the stated prize list, the first thing any thinking strongman should do is consider whether or not he's ever likely to get the money.