Sports Balls

Balls return for a second round, but this time they come with a uniform—even when the uniform is missing. Footballs, basketballs, baseballs, soccer balls and water-polo balls immediately turn the model into an athlete, tapping into the same jock fantasy we’ve seen in Athletes, Locker Rooms, Gym Shorts, Jock Straps, Sneakers and even Showers. The prop does half the storytelling: give a naked man a football and suddenly there’s a locker room somewhere just outside the frame.

1. Mark Peterson in a seated pose holding a basketball by Dave Martin.

2. Dave St. Dennis in a standing pose holding a basketball by Dave Martin.

3. Cliff Harris in a profile standing pose holding a football by Dave Martin.

 

Dave Martin keeps things beautifully simple: nude model, ball, white studio. Walter Kundzicz and Bob Anthony take the fantasy somewhere more suggestive by situating their men in domestic and locker-room settings and/or posing them in jock-straps to convince us they're ready to play.

4. Darren Chance seated in an arm chair covered in football gear holding a football by Walter Kundzicz. I've seen a French term for the position of his penis, "cou de cygne," swan's neck...I love that!

5. Bill Proper holding a football between his legs in a locker room by Walter Kundzicz. "Down! Set! Hut! Hut!"

6. Paris Young in a jockstrap holding a basketball by Bob Anthony. The caption reads, "A natural athlete, Paris is caught on the courts by the well-aimed camera of Bob Anthony. Like the fabled Paris of Troy who captured the heart of Helen, this new Paris has captivated a legion of fans with his sunny good looks and radiant physique."

Bob Mizer naturally gets more playful at AMG. His models don’t just hold the equipment—they jump for a football, pose in a baseball cap, or drape themselves over the ball. With Mizer especially, the sports prop can feel halfway between athletic equipment and a toy.

7. Sonny Landham aka Doug Jackson catching a fooball mid-air by Bob Mizer.  I suspect he was using Mizer's mini-trampoline to get this suspension. I love how you can tell he's on his way back down;)

8. John Trudeaux holding a baseball and wearing only a baseball cap by Bob Mizer.  Trudeaux was a mariine from Louisville, Kentucky, who posed for this shot in 1974. I like how the theme of 'balls' is echoed across this image...he has a very nice pair imho.  I'd love a better quality version of this image if anyone can send to bushnstache@gmail.com.

8a. I know the theme of the day is Sports Balls, but can we take a moment to appreciate John Trudeaux's substantial pair in close-up?!;)

9. Tico Patterson in a bulldog pose on top of a football by Bob Mizer.  "WHY?!" you may ask.  The answer with Mizer is probably, "WHY NOT?!" Maybe Tico is covering the ball after a fumble or waiting for the big pileup.

Dick Orsini takes the idea almost literally: soccer ball, athletic shirt and shorts, with considerably less attention paid to keeping everything inside the uniform.

10. Dick Orsini on a couch falling out of his shorts and holding a soccer ball.  If you know who the photographer is here, please let me know.

And the fantasy never really went away. Scott Randsome turns the football into part of the pose itself, while our final water-polo player needs little more than a cap, ball and those spectacular Speedo tan lines to tell us exactly what sport he plays. Decades later, the formula still works: ball + body = jock.

11. Scott Randsome in close-up bulldog pose holding a football.

12. Unknown model and photographer, but by the tan line, he could be a real water polo player.  If you have info, please share.

Please leave any thoughts, questions, corrections or additions in the comments. Thank you, bns