Morning Hot Reads....

The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Suzanne Vranica surveys ad execs on the best and worst ads of the year. Among the worst: A Samsung Galaxy Note 3 spot that features soccer star Lionel Messi (WALL STREET JOURNAL).

Under the header, "The Concussion Doctor's Tangles Interests," the BOSTON GLOBE's Bob Hohler writes, "Dr. Robert C. Cantu is on call amid football’s concussion crisis: congressional hearings, courthouses, NFL meetings, helmet safety panels, operating rooms, research labs, television studios, film documentaries" (BOSTON GLOBE).

The DENVER POST's Benjamin Hochman and Patrick Saunders write, "New laws taking effect Wednesday in Colorado allow the retail sale of recreational marijuana. But as much as society often mirrors changes in sports culture, to most of the ruling bodies of sports, weed remains a four-letter word" (DENVER POST).

Also among today's must-reads:

• SI's Richard Deitsch asks pundits who the "most fascinating athlete of '14" will be.
• How the NBA Kings and sponsor Kaiser Permanente work together.
• A look at the feasibility of alternative sites for a new Warriors arena.