We figured out how to make sports look better on TV

A living room TV with a soccer game on the screen.

demaerre/iStock

It’d be nice to watch all of our favorite sports inside the actual stadiums, but for all of us tuning into the World Cup, the NBA finals, or any other big game at home, there are a couple simple features buried in our TV settings that can help achieve a more live-and-in-person look. Start by turning on motion smoothing. Our TV expert says it can make live sports “look more real” — with crisper, more detailed images to follow all the action.

For better World Cup viewing→

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From our friends at The Athletic

First things first: The tournament starts on Thursday, June 11. Here are the groups, the bracket, and some expert predictions.
The Athletic asked fans from each of the 48 participating nations to come up with a single phrase that captures their fandom.
Here’s what the US men’s national team will be wearing.
Did you know the World Cup final will have three headliners for its half-time show?
The official World Cup ball is a technological wonder.

Plus: The best (non-ugly) stadium-friendly bags

People sitting at a picnic bench with four clear stadium-friendly bags.

Ruthie Darling/NYT Wirecutter

In recent years, stadiums across the country have started requiring clear bags at most events. The main problem? These bags are all pretty ugly. Our style expert spent weeks testing nine promising contenders to find the diamond in the rough: a good-looking stadium-friendly bag that’s versatile enough to wear daily.

All the clear bags we loved→

More for game days

The best sunscreen for your face

You should wear sunscreen everyday, so it’s worth finding a formula that feels and looks great→

We tried the new Dyson and Shark handheld fans. Our no-name picks are better.

No, you don’t need a luxury fan for a nice, cool breeze on the go→

Different pairs of sneakers pictured together.

Our favorite stylish sneakers

As chic as flats, but as comfortable as running shoes→

The Belkin Boost Charge Plus 10K portable power bank.

A very powerful portable charger

It’s compact, sleek, and has enough juice to fully charge most smartphones up to three times→

Editor’s pick

One small thing that made our week:

On a non-sports-related note (but let me quickly say: LET’S GO KNICKS), the best thing I did last week was order a replacement of my most tried-and-true loafers. I bought my first pair secondhand five years ago, and then proceeded to wear them to the ground. They are — bar none — the most versatile thing in my closet. — Erin Neil, newsletters editor

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