ESPN The Magazine has produced three issues of "The Body Issue," an annual edition of the magazine that features some of the world's best athletes in nude and semi-nude photographs. Among the athletes that have participated in the spreads since ESPN introduced the edition in 2009 are several NFL players, including Adrian Peterson and Steven Jackson.
Keeping with the trend of running backs posing for the magazine, Jaguars All-Pro Maurice Jones-Drew is reportedly set to pose in the 2012 edition of "The Body Issue," according to the New York Post.
"Rob Gronkowski, Maurice Jones-Drew, Tyson Chandler and Abby Wambach are among the athletes who will strip down to pose in ESPN The Magazine's fourth annual "Body Issue."Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista, Rangers forward Brad Richards and WNBA star Candace Parker will also appear in the July 13 edition."
As is customary with anything on the Internet, the news was met with overreaction and misunderstanding in certain cases. One Jaguars fan even claimed that Jones-Drew isn't providing a good example for his kid. Clearly that fan has never seen a copy of "The Body Issue."
ESPN provides a glimpse at the human body in it's finest athletic form once a year with some of the world's best athletes shedding clothing. If you're looking for some full-frontal nudity you're going to be disappointed and you're more likely to enjoy something like the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
The magazine is something that Jones-Drew should absolutely be proud of and can show to his children and grandchildren long after his days as an elite athlete are over. Why people are so outraged about any display of the human body and couldn't care less if their kids shoot heads off in Call of Duty, is something I will never understand.