You'll have to let me know what the problem is with spec work when it's the designers choice to enter or not enter a contest. I didn't hold a gun to anyones head and say "draw pixel monkey!"

I posted a request. Told them I'd select a winner. Ran the contest. Worked with the designers. Selected a winner and paid. I even was upfront enough to eliminate designers that were never going to win so they stopped wasting their time.