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Why dedicate an entire ESPN The Magazine issue to lists? Well, here are ESPN The Magazine’s top six reasons:

1. Lists are easy to digest (and taste great!),
2. A lot of athletes were eager to help, which is always a positive sign,
3. Any issue that encompasses Serena Williams’ favorite body parts, a compilation of defunct bowl games and story explaining how 40-man rosters are messing with MLB pennant races is abound to have something of interest for everyone,
4. The Bible is full of lists—descendants, commandments, tribes, sins, apostles, daughters of Zelophehad—and who are we to reinvent the wheel?
5. If they’re good enough for David Letterman, they’re good enough for us!
6. Sports are pretty much dominated by lists: rosters, lineups, rankings, play scripts, schedules, stats, draft boards, record books—the list goes on and on.

Also in the list issue, on newsstands now, ESPN The Magazine writer Ryan McGee takes a look what may be the most powerful list in all of sports—the AP Top 25.  And, in Blacklisted, Mag writer Alyssa Roenigk reports on good fans gone bad, and what will get you banned from your favorite team’s stadium.

Cover | Video 

Lists, Lists and More Lists:

What you never knew you needed to know about College Football, Athletes, Hoops, NFL and MLB.  

Visualize, Secure Gear, Control Fear, Drop In.
Action star’s death-defying countdowns. By Alyssa Roenigk

Scale of 1 to 10
Athletes revisit their resumes. 

List Issue Features: 

Contents Under Pressure
A bull rider, a triathlete, a drag safety team and Josh Hamilton display the tools of their trades. By Amanda Angel  – Link 

Dream Sequence
Wes Matthews’ fairy tale. By Eddie Matz – Link 

The File: Perks of the Game
Freebies and fees earned by FBS’ finest. By Shaun Assael – Link 

5 Plays, 5 Lessons
Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis’ rookie takeways. By David Fleming – Link 

Fall Lineup
Crowded dugouts, tilted races, miffed underdogs. September baseball is all about 40-man rosters. By Jeff Bradley – Link 

Next Level
Aging stars cling near the tops of lists. By Peter Keating

 

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