Morning Hot Reads: Adidas Scandal Reaches Far & Wide

The Adidas/NCAA scandal has risen to the top of the news cycle, and ESPN.com quotes former footwear exec Sonny Vaccaro as saying, "I was absolutely shocked with the breadth of it. You got everybody in one story." The N.Y. TIMES notes the "complaints might pressure these coaches to cooperate with the government, perhaps resulting in even more coaches' facing criminal charges."

In terms of specific schools implicated, the Univ. of Louisville's "acknowledgement of its involvement raises questions about what is next on several fronts, including the fate of coach Rick Pitino." ... If this is "not yet the worst day" in Univ. of Arizona basketball history, it will "possibly turn out that way." ... Georgia Tech "does not expect that it will change its partnership" with Adidas. ... For Auburn AD Jay Jacobs, "this should be one scandal too many."

On NFL player protests:

• Is it time to stop taking the anthem "out to the ballgame?"
• Kaepernick's statement was over "injustice," everything else "just noise."
• State of Texas flummoxed by Trump vs. the NFL.
• Is Trump turning NFL players' brains "into a political football?"