To my delight, my 11th birthday present was a subscription to Sports Illustrated. Being 11 and fairly unaware of my female counterparts, this subscription imparted more than I could have imagined—the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Female models? Fine. Swimsuits? OK. Body Paint? Wow.  

By my 16th birthday, I decided to cancel my Sports Illustrated subscription in favour of an ESPN insider account. The account provided me with an issue of the ESPN magazine every two weeks, access to hundreds of exclusive “insider only” articles on ESPN.com, and some extra features—notably, the annual ESPN Body Issue. The Body Issue, different from the SI Swimsuit edition, features professional athletes, instead of models, posing—GASP—nude. To clarify, though the athletes are fully nude, they are not fully exposed in the photos.

While the SI Swimsuit issue has been a staple for the magazine ever since its debut in 1964, ESPN’s Body Issue is more recent, and subject to some controversy. Criticism of the issue comes from several directions. Firstly, parents and devout Christians contest that the issue is too pornographic and thereby inappropriate for newsstands. Secondly, some sports purists feel as though ESPN is setting a dangerous precedent. They argue that ESPN brands itself as the worldwide leader in sports, yet it is clearly emphasizing sex, not sports, in the issue.

Let’s tackle these criticisms: first, the worried parents and devout Christians. Their arguments are essentially identical and totally understandable. I’m sure many parents would rather their young children not have access to racy images. However, they are looking at this issue from a purely sexual standpoint. Instead, they should give some consideration to the overexposure as being a testament to the athlete’s build and an example of true fitness success. While nude athletes come off as sex symbols, why not praise athletes for their hard work in crafting their desirable bodies?  Moreover, the issue sends a good message to young people, even if it comes with suggestive images. Instead of pressuring young girls to look like the Paris Hiltons of the world, the issue relays the message that being buff or muscular is something that can be celebrated as well.

Second, to those purists who challenge ESPN’s integrity for publishing something seemingly unconnected to sports: undoubtedly, the issue lacks typical sports related content. However, it is still highly anticipated by some and a major seller each year. Even if the issue does not feature typical sports content, it profiles those athletes who make up the typical stories. Shouldn’t ESPN highlight these athletes in some fashion that is different from a standard game report? It is these bodies that allow athletes to compete at a high level in their respective sports.

We also can’t overlook the fact that ESPN is a business. Clearly, they understand that their Body Issue is edgy and that it helps increase sales. ESPN editor-in-chief, Gary Belsky, promises that the issue is more than  a bid to double the magazine’s sales. In order to compete with other major sport news outlets, such as Sports Illustrated and its swimsuit edition, it is foolish to assume that ESPN isn’t going to respond with their own effort. If anything, the issue widens ESPN’s market and earns them greater revenue than a normal issue. This money primarily (at least we hope) goes to making their sports coverage that much better.

With this in mind, it would be foolish to abandon the Body Issue and fall to the demands of the critics.

Stay the course, ESPN, for me, and my 11-year-old self.