The Body Issue is an edition of ESPN The Magazine that features dozens of athletes in nude and semi-nude photographs, which is intended to rival the annual Swimsuit Issue from Sports Illustrated. The first issue debuted on October 9, 2009. The issue was a response to the decline in advertising spending resulting from the financial crisis of 2007-2010 and late-2000s recession that saw a 24 percent decline in ad revenues for the first six months of 2009 compared to the same six-month period in 2008.
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). The Serena Williams edition sold the most copies. 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.
The edition included the 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. 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. One action photo captured six members of Major League Soccer's D.C. United simulating a free kick defensive wall while covering their genitalia.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
2009
Some of the 2009 covers were revealed on shows such Monday Night Football and Good Morning America. The 2009 edition included the following:
- Surfing: Claire Bevilacqua
- Track and field: Sarah Reinertsen
- Baseball: Nelson Cruz
- Hockey: Zdeno Chára
- Tennis: Serena Williams
- Soccer: Oguchi Onyewu
- Table tennis: Biljana "Biba" Goli?
- Basketball: Dwight Howard
- Sumo wrestling: Byambajav Ulambayaryn
- Soccer: Natasha Kai
- Track and field: Michelle Carter
- NASCAR: Carl Edwards
- Rock climbing: Steph Davis
- Olympics: Susan Francia
- Horse racing: Alexis Solis
- Track and field: Lolo Jones
- Swimmer: Ryan Lochte
- Mixed Martial Arts: Gina Carano
- Boxing: Manny Pacquiao
- Football: Adrian Peterson
- Tennis: James Blake
- Football: Casey Hampton
- Football: Torry Holt
- Basketball: Cappie Pondexter
- Baseball: Joba Chamberlain
- Baseball: Iván Rodríguez
- Ice hockey: Chris Higgins
- Ice hockey: Sheldon Souray
- Ice hockey: Bill Guerin
- Ice hockey: Mike Komisarek
- NASCAR: Mark Martin
- Olympics: Jessica Mendoza
- Olympics: Shawn Johnson
- Olympics: Allison Baver
- Olympics: Johnny Weir
- Olympics: Cheryl Haworth
- LPGA: Christina Kim
- LPGA: Sandra Gal
- LPGA: Anna Grzebien
- Mixed martial arts: Randy Couture
- Surfing: Laird Hamilton
- Soccer: Chris Pontius
- Soccer: Bryan Namoff
- Soccer: Clyde Simms
- Skiing: Kristi Leskinen
- Skiing: Julia Mancuso
- Beach volleyball: Eddie Matz
- Beach volleyball: Tim Struby
- Beach volleyball: Carol Hamilton
- Beach volleyball: Michele Rauter
- Beach volleyball: Noah Kaiser
- Beach volleyball: Greg Hunter
2010
The 2010 edition included the following:
- Basketball: Diana Taurasi
- Football: Patrick Willis
- Alpine skiing: Julia Mancuso
- Soccer: Tim Howard
- Mixed Martial Arts: Evangelista Santos
- Mixed Martial Arts: Cristiane Justino
- Surfer: Kelly Slater
- Basketball: Amar'e Stoudemire
- Golf: Camilo Villegas
- USA Women's Water Polo Team
- Swimmer: Jeff Farrell
- Javelin Thrower: Rachel Yurkovich
- Wheelchair tennis: Esther Vergeer
- Figure skating: Evan Lysacek
- Volleyball: Kim Glass
- Track runner: Philipa Raschker
- Bobsledding: Steven Holcomb
- Billiards: Jeanette Lee
- Football/Mixed Martial Artist: Herschel Walker
- Archery: Erika Anschutz
2011
The 2011 edition included the following:
- Skater: Apolo Ohno
- Snowboarding: Gretchen Bleiler
- Ice hockey: Julie Chu
- Basketball: Sylvia Fowles
- Surfing: Stephanie Gilmore
- Roller derby: Suzy Hotrod
- Mixed Martial Arts: Jon "Bones" Jones
- Baseball: José Reyes
- Gymnastics: Alicia Sacramone
- Soccer: Hope Solo
- Ice hockey: Ryan Kesler
- Runner: Ryan Hall
- Basketball: Blake Griffin
- Paralympic: Jeremy Campbell
- Track and field: Natasha Hastings
- Race driver: Hélio Castroneves
- Football: Steven Jackson
- Bowling: Kelly Kulick
- Boxing: Sergio Martínez
- Golf: Belen Mozo
- Snowboarding: Louie Vito
- Tennis: Vera Zvonareva
2012
The 2012 issue featured the following athletes:
- Mixed martial arts: Ronda Rousey
- Rowing: Oksana Masters
- Tennis: Daniela Hantuchová
- Soccer: Carlos Bocanegra
- Surfer: Maya Gabeira
- Gymnast: Danell Leyva
- Sprinter: Carmelita Jeter
- Basketball: Tyson Chandler
- Football: Rob Gronkowski
- Golf: Suzann Pettersen
- Soccer:Abby Wambach
- Ice Hockey: Brad Richards
- Baseball: José Bautista
- Football: Maurice Jones-Drew
- Jockey: Mike Smith
- Basketball: Candace Parker
- Sprinter: Walter Dix
- Decathlete: Ashton Eaton
- Fencer: Tim Morehouse
- Sailor: Anna Tunnicliffe
- Volleyball: 2012 U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team
- Volleyball: Destinee Hooker
- Volleyball: Megan Hodge
- Volleyball: Alisha Glass
- Volleyball: Stacy Sykora
2013
The 2013 issue featured the following athletes:
- NFL: Colin Kaepernick, Vernon Davis
- MLB: Giancarlo Stanton
- NBA: John Wall, Kenneth Faried
- MLB: Matt Harvey
- NHL hockey: Joffrey Lupul
- Tennis: Agnieszka Radwa?ska, John Isner
- Volleyball: Kerri Walsh Jennings
- MMA: Miesha Tate
- WNBA: Swin Cash
- Soccer: Sydney Leroux
- Boxing: Marlen Esparza
- NHRA: Courtney Force
- Motocross: Tarah Gieger
- Snowboarding: Elena Hight
- Rock Climbing: Chris Sharma, Daila Ojeda
- Golf: Carly Booth, Gary Player
2014
The 2014 issue featured the following athletes [1]:
- Tennis: Venus Williams, Tomá? Berdych
- Basketball: Serge Ibaka, Angel McCoughtry
- Swimming: Michael Phelps
- NFL: Marshawn Lynch, Larry Fitzgerald
- Snowboarding: Jamie Anderson, Amy Purdy
- MLB: Prince Fielder
- BMX: Nigel Sylvester
- Bobsledding: Aja Evans
- Soccer: Omar Gonzalez, Megan Rapinoe
- Boxing: Bernard Hopkins, Danyelle Wolf
- Cliff Diving: Ginger Huber
- Surfing: Coco Ho
- Hockey: Hilary Knight
- Motocross and Skateboarding: Travis Pastrana and Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins
- Yachting: Jimmy Spithill
2015
The 2015 issue featured the following athletes [2]:
- Volleyball: Gabrielle Reece
- Surfing: Laird Hamilton
- Football: Odell Beckham Jr.
- Soccer: Ali Krieger
- Baseball: Bryce Harper
- Basketball: Brittney Griner
- Basketball: Kevin Love
- Gymnastics: Aly Raisman
- Football: Jack Mewhort
- Swimming: Natalie Coughlin
- Basketball: DeAndre Jordan
- Wakeboarding: Dallas Friday
- Hockey: Tyler Seguin
- Skateboarding: Leticia Bufoni
- Tennis: Stan Wawrinka
- Golf: Sadena Parks
- Football: Anthony Castonzo
- Heptathlon: Chantae McMillan
- Hammer Throw: Amanda Bingson
- Football: Todd Herremans
- Field Hockey: Paige Selenski
- Soccer: Jermaine Jones
- Archery: Khatuna Lorig
- Rugby: Todd Clever
2016
Source:
- Beach Volleyball (Olympics): April Ross
- Boxing (Olympics): Claressa Shields
- Diving: Greg Louganis
- Duathlon: Chris Mosier
- Fencing (Olympics): Nzingha Prescod
- Baseball: Jake Arrieta
- Motocross: Ryan Dungey
- Basketball: Dwyane Wade
- Football: Antonio Brown, Von Miller, Vince Wilfork
- Paratriathlete: Allysa Seely
- Soccer: Christen Press
- Steeplechase: Emma Coburn
- Surfing: Courtney Conlogue
- Swimming: Nathan Adrian
- UFC: Conor McGregor
- Basketball: Elena Delle Donne
- Wrestling: Adeline Gray
2017
Source
- Baseball: Javier Baez
- Basketball: Isaiah Thomas, Nneka Ogwumike
- Figure skating: Ashley Wagner
- Football: Julian Edelman, Ezekiel Elliott, Zach Ertz
- Hockey: Brent Burns, Joe Thornton
- US Women's National Ice Hockey Team: Brianna Decker, Kacey Bellamy, Meghan Duggan, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Alex Rigsby
- MMA Fighting: Michelle Waterson
- Rugby: Malakai Fekitoa
- Skiing: Gus Kenworthy
- Snowboarding: Kirstie Ennis
- Soccer: Julie Ertz
- Softball: AJ Andrews
- Tennis: Caroline Wozniacki
- Track and field: Novlene Williams-Mills
2018
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