ESPN Magazine’s “Body Issue” hits newsstands this Friday, October 9th. The idea to celebrate Olympic, amateur, and professional athletes’ bodies by having them appear nude in an issue of ESPN Magazine has been kicked around since this spring (source). As described in this USA Today article, the trick will be to strategically cover the athletes with equipment, hair, or creative camera angles. ESPN Magazine ultimately has to answer to their “corporate masters” at The Walt Disney Co.

ESPN Magazine editor Gary Belsky told USA Today:

“Disney would have a problem if I turned it into a 1970s porn magazine for that issue,” he says. “But we’re not doing that at all. This is going to be about sports. And sports is about bodies.” (source)

Apparently USA Swimming’s own Ryan Lochte will be 1 of the 25 athletes profiled, as confirmed by Gold Medal Mel on Twitter: “yes, Ryan Lochte will be 1 of 25 athletes profiled in ESPN Magazine Friday. Not nude, but nearly nude, which is meaningless for a swimmer.”

A white Speedo *gasp* not so scandalous…

Pictures from ESPN Insider

http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf

ESPN Magazine will release 6 different versions of the cover featuring:
Gina Carano (mixed martial arts)
Carl Edwards (NASCAR)
Sarah Reinertsen (triathlon)
Adrian Peterson (NFL)
Serena Williams (tennis)
Dwight Howard (NBA)