Today’s NIT Connections: Sports Edition Tips, Answers for December 13, #81

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Today’s blue category in Connections: Sports edition reminded me of one of the most helpless laugh sessions I’ve ever had. Years ago, my husband and his best friend were playing some primitive, old football video game where you could pick your team name and the game would assign you a mascot. I don’t know which game it was, but let’s say it was no Madden, or anything close to that well designed.

Anyway, one of the players ended up with this giant bee for his mascot. Head, antennae, mandibles, thorax, the whole shebang. Something about a tiny insect that blew up to human size and jumped around like Mary Lou Retton on the side just made us all laugh and laugh until we thought our hips were going to split. When one of us regained our composure, we’d look at the screen again, see the bee bobbing, and lose it completely again. So when I noticed the mascot category in today’s Connections: Sports Edition, I had to laugh, even though I literally have no idea who these particular mascots are.

For now, Connections: Sports Edition is in beta, meaning the Times is testing it to see if it’s popular before adding it to the site’s Games app. You can play it every day for the next few weeks for free — and then we’ll have to see if it sticks.

Read more: NIT has a link game for sports lovers. I tried it

Tips for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four grouping hints in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the difficult (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Think Lindsey Vonn.

Green group advice: Stylish shoes.

Blue Group Tip: Crunch the Wolf is another one.

Purple Group Tip: Sounds like a sport going on.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Equipment for skiing.

Green Group: Sports brand logos.

Blue group: NBA mascots.

Purple group: Sports onomatopoeia.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here are the most popular letters used in English words

What are today’s responses to Connections: Sports Edition?

Yellow words in today’s Connections

The topic is ski equipment. The four answers are boots, goggles, poles and skis.

Green words in today’s Connections

The topic is athletic brand logos. The four answers are Jumpman, Cougar, Swoosh and Three Stripes.

Blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is NBA mascots. The four answers are Benny, Barney, Chuck and Rumble.

Purple words in today’s Connections

The topic is sports onomatopoeia. The four answers are bloop, clank, doink and svish.