Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for March 12 #170

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Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one today. I enjoy team nicknames, and another category forces you to think hard about what’s on your team cap or jersey. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

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

Yellow group hint: Ouch!

Green group hint: Minnesota Fats.

Blue group hint: Slang for hockey teams.

Purple group hint: Look closely at your baseball cap.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Common sports injuries.

Green group: Billiards equipment.

Blue group: NHL teams, familiarily.

Purple group: Items in MLB logos.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is common sports injuries. The four answers are break, sprain, strain and tear.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is billiards equipment. The four answers are balls, chalk, cue and table.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is NHL teams, familiarily. The four answers are Caps, Habs, Isles and Pens.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is items in MLB logos. The four answers are compass rose, crown, halo and maple leaf.