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The Body Issue

Annual ESPN special release magazine From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Body Issue
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The Body Issue was an annual edition of ESPN The Magazine that featured dozens of athletes in nude and semi-nude photographs, which was intended to rival the annual Swimsuit Issue from Sports Illustrated. The first issue debuted on October 19, 2009.[1]

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The 2009 edition had six alternative covers featuring Serena Williams (tennis), Carl Edwards (NASCAR), Adrian Peterson (NFL), Dwight Howard (NBA), Gina Carano (mixed martial arts) and Sarah Reinertsen (triathlons).[2] The Serena Williams edition sold the most copies.[3] The 2009 issue was a financial success, achieving double the normal edition sales, greater sales than any bi-weekly issue in over two years and 35 percent more ad sales than comparable issues, which led to plans for extended marketing of the 2010 edition.[3]

The edition included regular sports coverage. In the bodies section athletes were featured on and off the field. Even a picture during a knee surgery was included. The "Bodies We Want" section was a feature of the best bodies in the world of sports all posed nude but with strategic coverage of private parts.[4] Another section showed the damage done to the human body in athletics such as Laird Hamilton's cracked heel and Torry Holt's crooked middle finger.[5] One action photo captured six members of Major League Soccer's D.C. United simulating a free kick defensive wall while covering their genitalia.[6]

The 2019 issue was announced as also being the final print edition of the magazine.[7] It was said it would continue in a digital form but this did not materialize.

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2009

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Some of the 2009 covers were revealed on shows such Monday Night Football and Good Morning America. The 2009 edition included the following:[4]

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2010

The 2010 edition included the following:

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2011

The 2011 edition included the following:

2012

The 2012 issue featured the following athletes:[10]

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2013

The 2013 issue featured the following athletes:

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2014

The 2014 issue featured the following athletes:[11]

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2015

The 2015 issue featured the following athletes:[12]

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2016

The 2016 issue featured the following athletes:[13]

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2017

The 2017 issue featured the following athletes:[14]

2018

The 2018 issue featured the following athletes:[15]

Bird and Rapinoe, who were photographed together, became the first same-sex couple to appear on the cover of the magazine.[16]

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2019

The 2019 issue released on September 4, 2019 and was the final printed issue of the ESPN Magazine. It featured the following athletes:[17]

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Notes

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