In which the word #Monsterdong takes on its intended meaning

Sneak Preview (image via Fish@Bat)

ESPN announced the athletes who will be featured in its annual Body Issue on Tuesday, and our very own object of affection Giancarlo Stanton will be photographed in the nude for your fapping viewing pleasure:

The athlete roster for this year's edition also includes three-time beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, Marlins' slugger Giancarlo Stanton, and four-time WNBA All-Star Swin Cash. ... Another notable standout: 77-year-old golf legend Gary Player.

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Hanley Ramirez was in the 2010 issue while a member of the Marlins (right). You could call the Body Issue ESPN's weird response to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (which is partially accurate), but it's a bit more than that. Instead of mere titillation, the Body Issue shows just how impressively sculpted the physique of the professional athlete is. It's like the Swimsuit Issue meets a 19th-century travelling freak show.

Indeed, the most memorable images from these issues are not the mundane shots (like Hanley ironing his dress shirt), but those of athletes in the act of kicking/running/jumping/etc. (see: Abby Wambach, Danell Leyva, Carmelita Jeter, and some hockey dude).

We're not on board with the inclusion of 77-year-old Gary Player, though. That's just gross.