ESPN The Magazine pushes the envelope once again with another nude cover in its latest Body Issue for 2014. This time former Detroit Tiger, Prince Fielder is posing for the cover. No big deal, right? Wrong! This time the magazine is pushing the envelope by showcasing his thicker body type. As you recall they male cover models for the publication are usually lean and muscular or buff with Olympian characteristics. Fielder breaks that mold with his stocky body type. Thus far, the cover has been met with mixed reviews from fans. On ESPN’s Facebook page some posted comments like, “Nice build on a bigger guy,” or “He definitely didn’t embarass the Tigers…” However, others were blunt or mean, “FAT!” and “Messy! Put your clothes back on!”
Fielder had the following to say about this shoot, “Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you can’t be an athlete,” Fielder told ESPN. “And just because you work out doesn’t mean you’re going to have a 12-pack.” He goes on to say, “Obviously, I’m a big guy. But I also need to feed myself with the right things,” he said. “I have a chef now, so it’s definitely easier to make sure that I’m getting full off of the right foods. If I don’t stay on it, it can get out of control.”
The picture is in good taste. Not too revealing but just enough to show you this man in most of his glory. Sure, he is not the slim, toned, muscular male physique we are currently being force fed by the media–he is better! This is an actual, factual man with a common body physique amongst American males. All too often we praise or uplift curvy and plus-sized women, but what about thick guys? By doing this cover ESPN recognized their average male fan is not shaped like the trained and paid athletes he supports on television. Kudos to ESPN for being inclusive and Prince Fielder for showing that big boys got it going on too!
Catch Prince Fielder’s shoot this Friday on stands everywhere in ESPN The Magazine’s 2014 Body Issue!
