Today’s New York Times Connections puzzle, the Sports Edition, tested players with a mix of football and broader athletic terminology. Published by The Athletic, the puzzle is available through The Athletic’s app or online for free, but not within the main NYT Games application.
Here’s a breakdown of the solution categories, from easiest to hardest:
Yellow: Scoring Locations
The yellow category focused on places where points are earned in various sports. The correct answers were end zone, goal, hoop, and plate. This is a straightforward grouping, relying on common sports terminology.
Green: Thanksgiving NFL Traditions
The green group centered around the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day tradition. The correct terms were Cowboys, Lions, Madden (referencing the annual football video game often played on Thanksgiving), and Turducken (a Thanksgiving-themed food item). This category plays on cultural associations rather than strict sports terms.
Blue: College Football Rivalry Trophies
The blue category proved more challenging, requiring knowledge of college football rivalries. The solutions were Apple (Apple Cup), Commonwealth (Commonwealth Cup), Governor’s (Governor’s Cup), and Territorial (Territorial Cup). These are lesser-known trophies awarded in regional college football matchups.
Purple: Letter-Swapped NFL Teams
The purple category was the most difficult, requiring lateral thinking. The solutions were fills (Bills), Mets (Jets), pears (Bears), and yams (Rams). Each word is formed by changing the first letter of an NFL team’s name.
The puzzle demonstrates how even within the broad category of “sports,” specialized knowledge can make certain groupings significantly harder to solve. This highlights the puzzle’s design to balance accessibility with challenge.
