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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.