The New York Times’ latest Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, designated #382, challenges players with its four distinct groups, ranging from baseball terminology to alpine skiing disciplines. This popular word game, published by The Athletic—a subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times—offers a fresh puzzle every day, including October 10th.
The puzzle’s four groups were designed to test a wide range of sports knowledge. The categories included terms related to baseball pitches, football passing routes, alpine skiing disciplines, and celebrities competing in “Dancing With The Stars.” Each group contained four words that needed to be connected by a common theme.
🔴 Yellow Group: Fastball Theme
The yellow group was the easiest and focused on baseball terminology. The theme was fastball, and the four words were cheese, four-seamer, gas, and heat. These are all types of pitches used in baseball.
🟢 Green Group: Football Passing Routes
The green group centered on football passing routes. The four words—drag, post, slant, and wheel —all describe specific patterns used by wide receivers in American football.
🔵 Blue Group: Alpine Skiing Disciplines
The blue group was about alpine skiing disciplines. The four words—combined, downhill, slalom, and Super-G —are all distinct events in competitive alpine skiing.
🪷 Purple Group: Dancing With The Stars Athletes
The purple group was the trickiest, focusing on celebrities who have competed or are competing in “Dancing With The Stars.” The four names—Driver, Ohno, Shumpert, and Yamaguchi —refer to athletes known for their participation in the hit TV show.
🏆 The Hardest Connections Categories
While today’s puzzle was challenging, it’s worth noting that some past Connections: Sports Edition categories have been particularly difficult. These often involve niche knowledge, such as:
- Series A Clubs (January 11th): Referring to top Serie A football clubs like Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, and Roma.
- WNBA MVPs (January 21st): Featuring MVP winners like Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles, and Stewart.
- Premier League Team Nicknames (January 17th): Identifying nicknames for teams like the Bees, Cherries, Foxes, and Hammers.
These categories highlight how Connections: Sports Edition can test even the most dedicated sports fans, depending on their specific areas of expertise.
Why This Matters
The success of Connections: Sports Edition reflects the growing popularity of word games and sports-themed puzzles. It demonstrates how The Athletic is expanding its reach by leveraging the NYT Games platform. This type of content appeals to readers who enjoy intellectual challenges and sports culture alike.
⭐ Conclusion
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle was a fun and engaging test of sports knowledge, covering everything from baseball pitches to skiing disciplines and celebrity dancers. Whether you solved it or not, the puzzle highlights the creativity and depth behind The Athletic’s daily offerings
