Morning Hot Reads: Bubble Boys

USA TODAY writes while "run-of-the-mill NBA free agents figure out how to spend their new largesse" and the NFL divvies up $7.8B among its teams, it is "nothing but bad news for the TV partners that make those ridiculous numbers possible." The "cord cutting is accelerating," and the "bubble beneath the massive player contracts is bound to pop."

VARIETY goes with the header, "Traditional Media Grabs For The Esports Control." The "explosive rise of esports in the past decade has caught many off-guard, perhaps none more than the traditional – or 'offline' – sports world." But recent events are "leading networks to escalate their involvement in competitive gaming."

Also:

• A look at what is new with FedExField this year.
• New deal with KFNS-AM could change sports radio in St. Louis.
• A profile about the business side of the Gronk Empire.
• Lonzo Ball facing pressure unlike any L.A. rookie ever.
• WR Davante Adams teams with concussion screening app.
• How the Rams' season became compelling TV for Amazon.
• Chuck Blazer's corruption leaves complicated legacy.