Wants the latest NYT Connections? Click here for those daily hints, answers for the Mini Crossword, and Wordle fixes too. But you’re here for something else. Specifically, the Sports Edition. It’s tough today. Really tough.
This puzzle comes from The Athletic, not the standard NYT Games app. You need The Athletic app, or just play it for free on the web. The ownership structure means it stays in their ecosystem, a subtle power move maybe. Or just convenience. Who knows.
Think of it as the sports-specific spin-off, sharper and harder.
Here are the clues. Ranked by difficulty, naturally.
- Yellow: Play ball.
- Green: Work out.
- Blue: City of Brotherly Love.
- Purple: Think Arnold Schwarzenegger.
If those don’t spark it, here’s what actually connects them.
The Breakdown
Yellow Group: Baseball Roster Parts
The theme is parts of a baseball team’s personnel setup. Simple enough? Maybe not for non-baseball fans.
The four words: bench, bullpen, lineup, and rotation.
Green Group: Gym Equipment
We move indoors now. Fitness territory.
The four answers: elliptical, leg press, medicine, and ball.
Blue Group: Phillies Players
Philadelphia is calling. And they mean their MLB team.
The four players: Marsh, Nola, Turner, and Wheeler.
Purple Group: Muscle Nicknames
Here comes the weird part. It involves anatomy, slang, and one random letter that acts as a homophone or shortening key.
The four items: flat (lat), spec (pect), squad (quadriceps), and whammy (hamstring).
“Spec” for pec. Yeah, it works if you know people who talk like that.
Which Category Was Actually The Hardest?
Depends on what sports you bleed for, honestly. My husband kills anything involving Formula 1 grids. My best friend knows every hockey stat. I could tell you anything about Minnesota franchises until my eyes bleed.
So bias exists. Everywhere.
But some categories in the Sports Edition are genuinely mind-blowing for anyone who isn’t hyper-fixated. Like these:
- Serie A Clubs: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, and Roma. Unless you watch European soccer daily? Good luck.
- WNBA MVPs: Catchings, Delle Donne, and Fowles. Wait. Four. Add Stewart. If you aren’t deep in women’s pro basketball archives? You’re sunk.
- Premier League Nicknames: Bees, Cherries, and Foxes. Hammers? Yes. But which team has the hammers? Or the bees? It’s a guess game.
That purple muscle puzzle today was rough though. Did it stump you? Probably. Because most people don’t call their hamstrings “whammies.”
It’s strange how we speak differently depending on who we’re around. Or what sport we’re discussing. Or whether we’re trying to win a game or just trying to look smart.
