Wirecutter’s best gear for football season, plus massive NFL-ESPN deal

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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:

Go-to Gear: 8 expert ways to improve your fan experience

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.

The basics for at-home viewing: Editor-in-chief Ben Frumin swears by his Roku streaming stick, which plugs directly into an HDMI input and has a simple, clean layout for finding the streaming app you need. (Wirecutter’s experts also have advice for how high to mount your TV. Spoiler: It’s lower than you might think.) As for the basics of a great TV setup — each of these TVs promise superior picture quality. And as Wirecutter’s audio expert Brent Butterworth puts it, an excellent soundbar can be “the easiest, most affordable way to get a cinematic sound experience at home.”
A portable charger to rescue your devices: If you’re attending a game, Ben also recommends this ultra-compact power bank — one of the smallest and lightest Wirecutter has ever tested. It’s pretty powerful for its size and can easily top off or revive a dying device as you’re feverishly refreshing your fantasy football app.
Grilling gear: Several Wirecutter journalists cite a grill, be it charcoal or gas, as an essential for cooking for a crowd at a watch party. And don’t forget the accoutrements: Writer Evan Dent says this charcoal basket, which lets you easily smoke large cuts and sear steaks and veggies on a kettle grill, has taken his grilling to the next level. “Best ribs I’ve ever cooked.”
A speaker to blast fight songs: A good portable Bluetooth speaker is the easiest, most affordable way to spread music across a room, backyard or parking lot. Wirecutter’s recommendation sounds really, really great, and is rugged enough to survive a 5-foot drop onto concrete. You know, in case the scoreboard goes south.
A trusty rain jacket: “I have often been caught in an overcast day that turned rainy by game time,” says senior editor Harry Sawyers. One of Wirecutter’s favorite rain jackets is well-priced and packable, with plenty of color options to match your team. “Even with a good rain jacket, your butt might still get wet from the bleachers,” he says. “You might try staying on your feet and yelling the whole game.”
A comfy place to sit at the tailgate: Editor Ria Misra recommends two must-haves for comfortable seating: the most comfortable camping chair Wirecutter has ever tested and this cozy-but-tough puffy blanket, which can be draped around chilly shoulders during late-season games.
Ice-cold drinks: Wirecutter’s experts have a favorite cooler specifically for tailgating (because of course they do), and it’s this lightweight and well-insulated hard one. In their tests, it kept ice frozen and maintained a food-safe temperature for up to three or four days in the shade with use. If your cooler will also contain precious snacks, sandwiches and other food, Wirecutter has some advice for how to pack it to avoid soggy, spoiled fare.
A portable power station: Roughly the size and weight of a toaster oven, the gizmo provides a steady stream of power for any tailgate — without the noise or exhaust of a gas-powered portable generator. Wirecutter’s recommendation is light enough for the average adult to lift and carry safely, yet it can run even the most power-hungry appliances.

Happy August, sports fans! Sign up for Wirecutter’s daily newsletter to get even more of their expert recommendations.

News to Know

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.

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.

Watch Guide

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.

Pulse Picks

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

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.

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(Top photo: Michael Murtaugh / NYT Wirecutter)