I do realize this Glenn. New routines are rarely new, more or less I find they build on previous training principles that have been around since the early days of weightlifting.
I was merely stating that SS was available before Stronglifts was, even if the training principles for both existed long before. Many people see it as riding on the successes of SS because of how viral the routine became across internet forums.
Then maybe we could also look at SS as riding on the coattails of those who were on the internet popularizing whole body 3 days a week style programs that concentrated on sets of 5 in the years previous to it being published?
Rips first exposure on the internet came when he was mentioned in an online interview by another guy who was out there preaching about what is basically the SS program long before Rip was. Is Rip riding on his coattails?
The fact of the matter is, SL is no more riding SS coattails than SS is riding the coattails of others all the way back to Starr who published a book on about the same training program about 30 years ago, and who seemed to be riding the coattails of Berry and others who did it long before he did...
Truthfully, no one really did this style of training or talked about it in the modern era till a certain fictional character started promoting it on ONE big bodybuilding website that was pretty popular back around 2000-2001. It spread from there to forum after forum, and SS came out and took a fire and turned it into a firestorm. In the meantime many a person has published their own particular "version" taken from whatever source, doesnt really matter. Madcow, SL, and many others.
No one is "stealing" ideas from anyone else any more than I was when I took a page from Bill Starr's handbook and started using multiple sets of 5 for weightlifters I was coaching in the 90's.
Many add their own little twist. Sometimes something is added by accident. Did you know that what is now known as the "Texas Method" was sort of stumbled upon due to lazy lifters trying to make deals to get out of their squats on friday, and me basically saying that the only way i wouldnt make them do all 5 sets was if they make a personal record for one set?
We all stand on the shoulders of others, and try to reach a little higher.