After we posted the item about the naked French pole vaulter, I kvetched that American athletes are mostly afraid of posing nude, and when they do it’s usually women. Well ESPN, of all entities, may be to the rescue. ESPN The Magazine is reportedly planning an October 2009 “Body Issue.” The magazine editor-in-chief Gary Belsky told USA Today:
If we can do this issue, and I don’t know if we can, it would be no clothes, but not all nude, if that makes any sense. Nor would we want to. It’s going to be kick-ass regardless.
Belsky said reaction from athletes has been enthusiastic. It’s certainly raising the bar on SI’s Swimsuit Issue. One question we have is whether the men who pose nude will have women around them, just to make it clear that it’s all just for straight dudes and chicks. Still, if they can get Jeremy Bloom to take off all his clothes, they can surround him with whomever they want.
What athletes would you most like to see in the issue?
on Jun 12th, 2009 at 8:53 AM
Georges St. Pierre. That’s who I’d want to see! Oh yes, that’s who I’d want to see nude.
on Jun 12th, 2009 at 2:27 PM
The dudes will be concealing their naughty bits but that’s fine and you won’t see a chicks unit either. The Gods of Rugby calendar was just revealing enough but they can go further and that’d be fine by me
I wish I had a print of it though.
The list is way long on who’d I’d like to see nekked. I did see one of my main man crush dudes in the buff already
on Jun 12th, 2009 at 10:12 PM
David Wright!
on Jun 13th, 2009 at 6:58 AM
A-Rod’s rod, just to see what the the dang fuss is about.
on Jun 13th, 2009 at 8:20 AM
Just like the Hot Rod mag’s with souped up cars, and a all but totally naked young female posing apply with her best body parts clearly visible. I for one find this totally offensive since I feel my intelligence in being undermined, since guy’s can’t be guy’s unless there is a girl half naked nearby.
I would rather have a well built male, appearing next to a hot rod car, since this is what is being stated – muscles, not tits. I find it incredibly hard to understand, or digest, that men are treated like bimbo morons, just like their female counter parts.
on Jun 13th, 2009 at 12:53 PM
mmmmm they should get Sasha Artemev in there.
(cutie from the US mens Gymnastic Team who as a sub saved them for the bronze).
on Jun 13th, 2009 at 5:03 PM
I wanna see that fat guy, what’s his name again? oh yeah, Tom Brady
on Jun 14th, 2009 at 8:27 PM
Definitely David Wright!
Also one/some of the swimmers: Phelps, Peirsol, Lochte.
on Jun 17th, 2009 at 2:15 AM
Numerous collegiate and Olympic wrestlers of recent and semi-recent vintage. Garrett Lowney, Tommy Rowlands, and Cael Sanderson, just to name a few.
on Jun 18th, 2009 at 2:33 PM
David WRIGHT !! And while we’re at it, Daniel Murphy (yes, I’m a METS fan)
on Jun 20th, 2009 at 9:52 AM
i’d love a bunch of hockey players, as long as they didnt include Crosby and Malkin. I’m just imagining a line of hockey dudes like halfway in water…that would be fantastic.
other than that, Brady Quinn, Wes Welker, johnny damon
on Jun 20th, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Serena!
on Jun 20th, 2009 at 12:01 PM
Yeah if its ESPN the Magazine I want to see some NFLers in there like Reggie Bush, Dhani Jones, Shawn Merriman, Kellen Winslow…NBAers like Dwight Howard and Derek Fisher, Lebron James, and Carmelo Anthony…would be nice if Tiger Woods showed us some skin, James Blake, Rafael Nadal of tennis fame, definitely Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Beltran for baseball. Would also love to see Lewis Hamilton of Formula 1 showing some skin.