NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for May 10, Puzzle #229
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle (No. 229) offers a sharp mix of sports trivia and clever associations. Whether you’re a casual sports fan or a die-hard follower, this edition challenges your recall of stadium names, quarterback history, and officiating lingo. If you’re looking for help solving today’s grid, here are all the hints and final answers you need.
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories
As with the original version of Connections, the Sports Edition challenges players to form four thematic groups of four words. Today’s puzzle includes a mix of stadium names, official calls, and a few tricky connections that may stump non-football fans.
- Yellow group hint: Players sometimes disagree
Think of calls made by umpires or referees—the kind that spark instant controversy. - Green group hint: Also Lumen, or U.S. Bank
These are NFL stadiums, though not necessarily the ones listed today. - Blue group hint: Academic sports organizations
Focus on the first word in major college athletic conferences. - Purple group hint: Tennessee signal-callers
These are quarterbacks drafted by the Tennessee Titans, covering several different NFL eras.
These clues range from easy to highly specific, especially the purple category, which leans heavily on NFL Draft knowledge.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers by group
If the hints weren’t enough to get you through, here are the correct groupings and themes for today’s puzzle:
- Yellow group – Theme: Things an umpire calls
- Ball
- Out
- Safe
- Strike
These are all decisions made by an umpire, typically in baseball, and often the source of debate among players and fans.
- Green group – Theme: NFL stadiums
- Allegiant
- Gillette
- Lambeau
- Soldier
These are iconic NFL venues, each home to a major football franchise like the Raiders, Patriots, Packers, or Bears.
- Blue group – Theme: First words of college conferences
- American
- Atlantic
- Big
- Southeastern
These words start the names of Division I NCAA conferences, such as the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast, and Southeastern Conference.
- Purple group – Theme: QBs drafted by the Titans
- Levis
- Locker
- Mariota
- Ward
Each player was selected by the Tennessee Titans (or Houston Oilers, pre-relocation) in the NFL Draft to lead the offense as quarterback.
How to play Connections: Sports Edition
Connections: Sports Edition launched officially on Super Bowl Sunday, February 9, and is now available via The Athletic—the NYT’s sports journalism platform.
- It does not appear in the NYT Games app, but can be accessed free online or via The Athletic’s mobile app.
- It maintains the core gameplay of Connections while incorporating sports-specific themes, making it a hit with fans of NFL, NCAA, MLB, and beyond.
