ESPN Body Issue: Sneak Peek Photos of Hope Solo Are a Major Letdown

Leave it to ESPN to make a sports fan's wildest dreams to come true. As the self-proclaimed "worldwide leader," that's more or less their job.

This week, ESPN will tackle the wild sports fan's dream of seeing Hope Solo in the nude. She is the headliner of this year's version of ESPN the Magazine's "Body Issue," which will hit shelves on Friday.

But, because the folks at ESPN are benevolent realizers of wild dreams, they decided to reveal a few sneak peek photos on Wednesday. Instead of waiting until Friday to see Hope Solo (and assorted other athletes) showing some skin, sports fans who are interested can head on over to ESPN.com.

There will you see naked pictures of Hope Solo. And believe me when I tell you that they are quite...

Disappointing?

As strange as that may sound, I actually do think the photos of Hope Solo are disappointing. In fact, I'd say that they are a pretty major letdown.

My problem is not so much with the shot of Solo that ESPN the Magazine decided to use for the cover (above). It's Hope, she's naked and she is doing a very soccer-y pose. It is very much in keeping with the magazine's mission statement (per the USA Today) that that the issue is supposed to provide an "exploration and celebration of the athletic form."

So, yeah, bravo there.

But not so much with the other pictures ESPN has released. One features Hope in a boring pose with her side facing the camera and the other features her standing in the middle of somebody's lawn spraying a hose.

Unless there's a variable or two I'm not seeing, these pictures don't exactly celebrate Solo's athletic form. They barely count as being sexy either, if that's what you're looking for. They're just plain dull.

Hey, you can't blame Solo for these pictures. She was merely doing what the photographer told her to do, and it just so happens the photographer didn't tell her to do cool poses.

The other athletes in the issue did get to do cool poses. Most notably, ESPN the Magazine captured Alicia Sacramone doing an incredible pose on a balance bar. I think it's easily the best photo that's been revealed so far.

This year's "Body Issue" was supposed to belong to Solo, and she's already being one-upped before the thing has even hit newsstands.

All of this being said, I remain optimistic. The pictures released on Wednesday are but a tease of the entire issue. I trust that there are plenty of things we haven't seen yet, and perhaps some of them will make up for the disappointment that is the early look at Hope Solo.