Wirecutter's best gear for football season, plus massive NFL-ESPN deal
Good morning! With football season nearly upon us, we've tapped our colleagues at Wirecutter, The New York Times' product recommendation service, to share something slightly different with you all today: their must-haves for optimal tailgating and game-watching. Onward:
Wirecutter's experts spend countless hours every year rigorously testing thousands of products. Here's what they personally recommend for enjoying the upcoming sports calendar — whether you'll be tailgating, hosting watch parties or just spending weekend afternoons glued to the couch.
Happy August, sports fans! Sign up for Wirecutter's daily newsletter to get even more of their expert recommendations.
NFL, ESPN finalize blockbuster deal
The NFL and ESPN have reached agreement on a deal that will grant the sports network the rights to RedZone and other league assets, The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported yesterday. The deal, expected to be announced next week, could see the NFL receive up to 10 percent of ESPN equity. Many more details on the monumental deal in Marchand's full report.
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Parsons requests trade
We wrote in last weekend's Pulse about Jerry Jones' latest doomed contract standoff. And much like the previous ones, the Micah Parsons standoff does not appear to be going in Jones' favor. The 26-year-old All-Pro very publicly requested a trade from Dallas yesterday, and fellow Cowboys players were not shy about voicing their support for the star edge rusher. So does this mean Parsons' time in Dallas is over? Not necessarily.
More news:
Son Heung-min has asked to leave Tottenham. The international soccer icon has his eyes set on an MLS club next.
The D.C. City Council gave initial approval to the Commanders' $3.8 billion stadium deal, putting the franchise one step closer to a return to D.C.
American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson was arrested at the Seattle airport on Sunday after an incident with her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Christian Coleman. More details here.
Rob Manfred announced yesterday the Cubs will host the 2027 All-Star Game, the first time the event has taken place at Wrigley Field since 1990. In the same press conference, the commissioner downplayed a recent confrontation with Bryce Harper.
The Yankees' three new bullpen acquisitions gave up a combined nine earned runs in a one-run loss. It was a disaster debut.
A 12-year-old Chinese swimmer became the youngest-ever medalist at the World Aquatics Championships, sparking conversations about the event's age-limit rules.
Golf: Women's Open
7 a.m. on USA, shifting at 12 p.m. ET to NBC
Moving day at the fifth and final women's major of the year. Two Japanese players, Miyu Yamashita (-11) and Rio Takeda (-8), are four shots clear of anyone else through two rounds.
WNBA: Lynx at Aces
3 p.m. ET on ABC
Two of the best teams in the W the past few years have been moving in different directions. The Lynx have the best record in the league (23-5), while the Aces (14-13) have sputtered around .500 all season.
MLB: Braves at Reds
7:15 p.m. ET on Fox
The Reds are still in the thick of the NL wild-card hunt and will send Chase Burns, their fireballing 22-year-old, to the hill against Spencer Strider. Burns has given up a lot of runs in six starts but has sparkling peripheral stats, highlighted by 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
Josh Johnson has played for a record number of NFL teams. So what has he learned about leadership? Another great Q&A from Jayson Jenks.
This Pittsburgh beer is here for me right as the perfect weather has rolled into town. It's helping me ignore that summer will be over before we know it. — Alex Iniguez
The Athletic's weekly sports news quiz.
I finally got around to watching 'KPop Demon Hunters' and it was such a fun watch with a surprisingly profound message! I became an avid BTS fan in 2020 after they released their album 'Map of the Soul: 7,' and watching the world fall for this kaleidoscopic film has been like rewatching myself fall in love with K-Pop five years ago. Now I want to rewatch it with my niece and nephews! — Hannah Vanbiber
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Costco (Kirkland) pesto remains versatile and undefeated. As a sauce fuel, try it with spicy sausage and cream. — Chris Sprow
Our collectibles staff is chronicling their experience at the National Sports Collectors Convention. Check their daily diary for updates.
'Fantastic Four' probably has the overall best acting of any MCU movie. Including the CGI baby and H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot. — Jason Kirk
In the sixth and final episode of the 'transfers that shook the world' series from 'The Athletic FC Podcast,' they remember when Sol Campbell dared to cross the divide between Tottenham and Arsenal.
I didn't know there was such a thing as a monkfish liver curry until I had a monkfish liver curry in London this week. I don't even know if this qualifies as a Pulse Pick, but I can't recommend enough making sure you find it at a Thai place near you if possible. — Zach Harper
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Michael Silver's story on Aaron Rodgers' connection with Mike Tomlin.
Most-read on the website yesterday: MLB trade deadline grades for all 30 teams.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
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ESPN Analyst Gives Nuggets Excellent Offseason Grade After Multiple Moves
ESPN Analyst Gives Nuggets Excellent Offseason Grade After Multiple Moves originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It has been a busy offseason for the Denver Nuggets as they have made multiple changes to their roster to chase another championship next season. Of course, the Nuggets have been eliminated in the second round of the playoffs over the last two seasons after winning the title behind Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon in 2023. Denver began the offseason by trading Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson as they added a three-point sharpshooter to their lineup and also freed up cap space. With their extra cap space, the Nuggets signed Tim Hardaway Jr. and reunited with Bruce Brown, who played a key role for them during their championship run in 2023, while also landing Jonas Valanciunas from the Sacramento Kings for Dario Saric. With these moves, ESPN's Kevin Pelton gave the Nuggets an A- offseason grade. 'After the dust cleared, Denver's offseason resulted in the strongest Nuggets team on paper since they won the 2023 title, highlighted by swapping Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson at the cost of a valuable 2032 unprotected first-rounder,' Pelton wrote. Pelton makes a great point about how the Nuggets' roster looks to be the best they have had since their championship season in 2023. Of course, the Nuggets have struggled with their bench unit over the past few seasons but with the additions of Hardaway Jr., Valanciunas and Brown, they clearly made it a priority to upgrade their depth this summer. While that may be the case, they will likely not be bringing back Russell Westbrook who played a key role for them off the bench last season. Because of this, the Nuggets do lack a true backup point guard, though Brown could fill that role next season. With these moves, the Nuggets will now enter next season as a clear contender in the Western Conference with Jokic leading the way as they try to capitalize on another championship. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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- USA Today
Joel Klatt Gushes Over Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt praises Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, calling him possibly the best player he's seen since starting his college football coverage and predicting a legendary career ahead. FOX Sports analyst and commentator Joel Klatt has set sky-high expectations for Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Klatt couldn't say enough about the Buckeyes' standout, praising his talent and potential with glowing enthusiasm. 'The quarterback is not going to be asked to be Superman for Ohio State,' Klatt said. They should be able to run it well, their defense should be solid, and they've got, I think, the best wide receiver that I've seen in college football since I've been covering college football in Jeremiah Smith. He might be the best player I've seen since I started covering college football. 'There's only two players that I felt like, as their true freshman year, they should be on an NFL field: Adrian Peterson and Jeremiah Smith… Smith is ridiculous. I think Jeremiah Smith — I mean, this is probably too much hype — Jeremiah Smith, if he just keeps working hard and developing, I think he has a chance to be a top five receiver in the history of football.' Joel Klatt's praise for Jeremiah Smith is nothing short of extraordinary, but after the freshman season Smith just had, it might not be so far off the mark. In his first year with the Buckeyes, Smith rewrote the record books. He set a new FBS freshman receiving record with 1,315 yards, finishing the season with 76 receptions, 15 receiving touchdowns, and even added a rushing score. Despite a quiet game against Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal, where he managed just one catch for three yards, Smith still left a major impact on the postseason. Across four playoff games, he totaled 19 catches for 381 yards and five touchdowns. He found the end zone twice in both the Rose Bowl against Oregon and in the matchup against Tennessee. His performance in the Rose Bowl was especially electric, recording 7 receptions for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns. For his outstanding debut season, Smith was named Big Ten Receiver of the Year and earned First-Team All-American honors. With a résumé like that already in hand, Klatt's high expectations suddenly seem very realistic. As of today, Jeremiah Smith holds the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, behind only three quarterbacks: Texas' Arch Manning, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, and Clemson's Cade Klubnik. If Smith has already positioned himself among college football's elite after just one year, his rise is only beginning. All eyes will be on him when he returns to the field for his sophomore season opener as Ohio State faces Texas on August 30 at noon ET.
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Jen Pawol will be MLB's first female umpire. Here are other women who broke officiating barriers
This weekend, Jen Pawol will make history by becoming the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball game. She's set to work the series between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. The 48-year-old from New Jersey has worked spring training games over the last two years and in the minors since 2016. Here's a look at other female officials who were the first on the floor, court or the field in prominent men's leagues. NFL Shannon Eastin became the first female official in NFL history when she was a line judge during a preseason game in August 2012 between the Green Bay Packers and the Chargers, who were then in San Diego. A month later, she became the first woman to be an official in an NFL regular-season game when she worked as the line judge in the Rams-Lions game. Eastin was among the replacement officials hired by the league during a lockout of the regular officials. The first woman to get a full-season job was Sarah Thomas, who was a line judge in 2015. Thomas also became the first woman to work a Super Bowl when she was part of the seven-person crew on Feb. 7, 2021, when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9. Thomas was already the first woman to officiate a major college football game — and to work a bowl game. NBA Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner were hired by the National Basketball Association for the 1997 season. Palmer made her NBA debut on Oct. 31, 1997, when she was on the floor for the season opener between the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks. Palmer worked that night with Bill Oakes and Mark Wunderlich. Kantner's first game was Nov. 5, 1997, when Atlanta beat Philadelphia 93-88. Kantner worked alongside Ron Garretson and Ed Middleton. Palmer retired in 2016, and Kantner is still officiating women's NCAA basketball. NHL The NHL has yet to have a female on-ice official for a regular season or Stanley Cup playoff game. In the mid-1990s, Heather McDaniel received some national attention for officiating men's minor league games for the Central Hockey League and West Coast Hockey League. Two decades later, the NHL selected four female officials to work on the ice at the 2019 prospect tournaments. Katie Guay and Kelly Cooke served as referees, while Kirsten Welsh and Kendall Hanley worked as linesmen. It marked the first time women have officiated at the pre-training camp prospects tournament level. There was a subtle change made before the 2023-24 season when 'linesmen' became 'linespersons,' with women in the American Hockey League working their way up. Men's World Cup French referee Stéphanie Frappart made history in 2022 by becoming the first woman to be in charge of a men's World Cup match. The game between Germany at Costa Rica was held in Al Khor, Qatar. Men's NCAA tournament Melanie Davis was the first woman to officiate a Division I NCAA men's tournament game when she was on the floor for a first-round matchup between San Diego State and Illinois on March 15, 2002.
