Stuck on the Sports Edition? You’re not alone. Today’s puzzle dropped on May 26. It’s a tricky mix. One group leans hard into Chicago sports. Another wants you to know card decks. If you’re staring at the screen, eyes glazing over, keep reading. I’ve got the hints and the fixes.
First thing’s first. This isn’t the standard game in your NYT Games app. This one lives over at The Athletic. You have to go there to play. It’s free online or available in their specific app. They published the puzzle out of beta mode, so the quality is… present.
Hints to Start With
Yellow. The easiest. Deal me in.
Green. A city nickname. City of Big Shoulders.
Blue. College bosses. Specifically men’s hoops in the SEC.
Purple. The hard part. Hoops legends, but with a trick.
The Actual Answers
Don’t peek unless you’re done. Seriously.
Yellow Group: Card Suits
* Club
* Diamond
* Heart
* Spade
Pretty standard stuff. Easy win.
Green Group: Chicago Teams
* DePaul
* Fire
* Sky
* White Sox
DePaul might trip you up. It’s college, not pro. But yeah. Windy City.
Blue Group: SEC Men’s Basketball Coaches
* Calipari
* Oats
* Pearl
* Pope
If you watch March Madness, this should click. If not… tough break.
Purple Group: Basketball Hall of Famers (Minus a Letter)
This one is sneaky. It wants you to remove one letter from a famous name.
* Diva (Vlade Divac)
* Garnet (Kevin Garnett)
* Wad (Dwyane Wade)
* Worth (James Worthy)
Worth. It looks like money. It isn’t. It’s a legend.
The hardest puzzles depend on what sports you actually follow.
My husband nails F1. My friend owns hockey. I know Minnesota teams cold. You can’t pick one hardest category because it’s all about your blind spots.
Still want to suffer? Here are some past categories that genuinely hurt to solve:
- Serie A Clubs: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Rome
- WNBA MVPs: Catchings, Delle Donne, Ogbuehi, Stewart
- Premier League Nicknames: Bees, Cherries, Fox, Hammers
Why do we do this to ourselves? I have no idea. But you’ll probably be back tomorrow anyway.
