Today’s NYT Links: Sports Edition Tips, Answers for Dec. 17, #85

Search for the latest regular responses to Connections? Click here for today’s Connections tipsas well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times mini crosswords, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Links: Sports Edition it is often difficult for those who do not have an in-depth knowledge of many sports. But today the problem for me was vocabulary. I think I have a pretty good vocabulary, but one of the words on today’s web — REPEACHES — was not a word I had ever seen. But I’ve never been to a rowing competition — maybe you have? Read on for hints and answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle.

For now, the game 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 free for now — and then we’ll have to see if it sticks.

Read more: The NYT has a link game for sports fans. I tried it

Tips for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

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

Yellow Group Tip: One more try.

Green Group Tip: Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee.

Blue Group Tip: Helpers for hoops.

Purple Group Tip: Team starters that have a different meaning.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: A second chance

Green group: Famous boxers

Blue Group: Men’s College Basketball Coaches

Purple group: First Names … or the beginnings of NFL team names

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 links

The topic is a second chance. The four responses are replay, mulligan, repechage, and retry.

The green words in today’s relationships

The subject is famous boxers. The four answers are Ali, Foreman, Lewis and Liston.

The blue words in today’s relationships

The topic is men’s college basketball coaches. The four answers are Drew, Several, Oats, and Me.

Purple words in today’s relationships

The theme is first names … or the beginnings of NFL team names. The four answers are Ben, Bill, Dolph and Pat.