Today’s NYT Links: Sports Edition Tips, Answers for January 12, #111

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.

I didn’t do so well today Links: Sports Edition. For one thing, I’m not aware of which colleges certain athletes attended. If you need help, 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: You can beat them.

Green Group Tip: Cheerleaders have that.

Blue Group Tip: O’Connell is another.

Purple Group Tip: They were volunteers.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Easy opponent

Green Group: Spirit

Blue Group: NFL head coaches

Purple group: Alumni of Tennessee

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 subject is an easy opponent. The four answers are a breeze, a cupcake, a pullover, and a can of tomatoes.

The green words in today’s relationships

The theme is spirit. The four answers are taste, enthusiasm, vigor and diligence.

The blue words in today’s relationships

The subject is NFL head coaches. The four answers are Bowles, Campbell, Quinn and Ryans.

Purple words in today’s relationships

The subject is Tennessee Alumni. The four answers are Helton, Manning, Parker and Witten.