Athletes are constantly making strides in their sport; becoming stronger and faster to beat their opponents. But jocks aren’t breaking just records—they’re breaking bones, too. Because sports are a risky business, ESPN The Magazine has dedicated an entire issue to the topic of danger. The photo portfolio in The Danger Issue (“Just Another Day of Hanging on for Dear Life”) may make you queasy, but the images serve as brash reminder that, for some jocks, the slightest miscue can lead to terrible consequences.

Also in The Danger Issue, ESPN The Magazine writer Tim Keown explores the distinction between sports that are dangerous by circumstances (football, baseball, hockey) and those that are dangerous by nature (auto racing, backcountry snowboarding, bullfighting) in “The Thin Gray Line.” And… if you’ve ever wondered if a warning track really warns or whether padding really protects, look no further than “The Compendium of Dangerous Deeds,” which covers all the risks athletes endure on a daily basis.

Cover  |  Photos
 

The Danger Issue Features: 

A Turn for the Worse
It seems routine, but the Twins’ Tsuyoshi Nishioka and other second basemen know the perils of the double-play pivot. By Jeff Bradley

 Stat Factory: Hazard Play
Risk in sports, by the numbers

Crunch Time
Drivers fantasize about smashing cars into other vehicles without lawsuits or jail time. Our guy lived the dream. By Larry Smith 

The File Protecting Jocks from Themselves
Your star doing something crazy in his spare time? Have him sign this contract. By Shaun Assael

Man vs. Isle
Get as close as you’ll ever come to the world’s most deadly motorcycle road race. By Gare Joyce

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