This article discusses the New York Times’ Connections: Sports Edition game, a daily word puzzle currently in beta testing. The game challenges players to group four sets of four words based on a shared connection. The article focuses on a specific daily puzzle (#130, January 31, 2025) and provides hints and solutions for each word group.
The first group, categorized as “yellow,” revolves around billiards terminology. The words “break,” “cue,” “English,” and “scratch” are all common terms used in the game of billiards. A “break” is the initial shot, a “cue” is the stick used to strike the balls, “English” refers to spin applied to the cue ball, and a “scratch” occurs when the cue ball is pocketed illegally.
The second group, labeled “green,” focuses on member institutions of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), a prominent collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The four words, “Cal” (referring to the University of California, Berkeley), “Duke” (Duke University), “Miami” (University of Miami), and “Virginia” (University of Virginia), represent universities competing within the ACC. This category requires some knowledge of college sports affiliations.
The third group, designated “blue,” centers on the first names of recent top NFL draft picks. The words “Bryce” (Young), “Caleb” (Williams), “Travon” (Walker), and “Trevor” (Lawrence) represent the first names of high-profile quarterbacks and other players selected first overall in recent NFL drafts. This category tests players’ familiarity with professional football and the draft process.
The final group, identified as “purple,” revolves around the theme of “blues.” The words “Chelsea,” “France,” “St. Louis,” and “Vida” all have connections to blues music. “Chelsea” is a type of blues progression, “France” might refer to French blues musicians or influences, “St. Louis” is a city with a rich blues history, and “Vida” likely alludes to the blues standard “Vida Loca,” though the exact connection in this context is less explicit. This category often presents the most challenging and sometimes seemingly obscure connections.
The article aims to assist players struggling with the daily puzzle by providing hints for each category before revealing the final answers. The hints encourage players to think about the contexts in which these words appear. For example, the hint for the yellow group, “Played on a table,” subtly points towards billiards, while the hint for the green group, “School sports conference members,” directs players towards the collegiate athletics realm. These hints are designed to nudge players in the right direction without giving away the answers immediately.
The article highlights the beta status of the Connections: Sports Edition game, indicating that its future availability depends on its popularity during this testing phase. It emphasizes the current free access to the game and encourages readers to try it out. The inclusion of a screenshot of the completed puzzle further aids readers in understanding the game’s format and verifying their solutions. The article also includes links to hints and answers for other New York Times games, such as the Mini Crossword, Wordle, and Strands, indicating a broader focus on puzzle-solving and word games. The presence of embedded code for Facebook event tracking suggests a strategy to monitor user engagement and gather data on the game’s reception. Overall, the article serves as a guide for players of the Connections: Sports Edition puzzle while also providing insight into the game’s development and potential future.
