**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Challenge for Sports Fans**

*Connections: Sports Edition* offers a new twist on the beloved [*New York Times* word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), tailored specifically for sports aficionados.

Similar to the original *Connections*, the objective is to discover “common threads among words.” Like *Wordle*, the game refreshes every day at midnight, with each new puzzle increasing in difficulty. If you find yourself at a standstill, we provide hints and tactics to assist you. And for those seeking today’s solution, simply scroll to the bottom of this article for the answer.

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### What Is *Connections: Sports Edition*?

*The New York Times* has collaborated with *The Athletic*, its sports-centric publication, to introduce this engaging daily word game. Available on both web and mobile platforms, *Connections: Sports Edition* invites players to group four words that share a common theme.

Each puzzle features 16 words, categorized into four groups. These categories can encompass anything from book titles to software, country names, or indeed, sports-related subjects. While it may appear that some words belong to multiple categories, only one grouping is accurate.

When players successfully identify a set of four, those words are eliminated from the board. Conversely, incorrect guesses are counted as errors, and players can only make four mistakes before the game concludes.

To aid in gameplay, players have the option to shuffle the board for spotting connections. Each group is marked with color codes indicating difficulty: yellow (easiest), followed by green, blue, and purple. Similar to *Wordle*, players can share their results on social media to compare outcomes with friends.

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### Hints for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories

Looking for a little guidance without revealing the answer? Here are some clues for today’s categories:

– **Yellow:** Extra player on different sports teams
– **Green:** Where to sit
– **Blue:** Creators of collectibles
– **Purple:** Portrayed by the comedian and singer from *Eight Crazy Nights*

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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories

Need further assistance? Here are the exact categories for today’s puzzle:

– **Yellow:** Substitute player
– **Green:** Stadium seating areas
– **Blue:** Sports trading card brands
– **Purple:** Adam Sandler characters in sports movies

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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Solution

Eager for the answer? This is your final chance to solve today’s puzzle before we disclose the solution.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* #84 is:

– **Substitute player:** *Pinch Hitter, Reserve, Sixth Man, Sub*
– **Stadium seating areas:** *Bleachers, Mezzanine, Suite, Upper Deck*
– **Sports trading card brands:** *Bowman, Leaf, Panini, Topps*
– **Adam Sandler characters in sports movies:** *Boucher, Crewe, Gilmore, Sugarman*

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### Don’t Worry if You Didn’t Solve It

If today’s puzzle eluded you, don’t be disheartened—tomorrow is a new day! A new *Connections* puzzle will await you, and we’ll return with more hints and answers to assist you.

In search of more puzzles? Visit [Mashable’s games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, complimentary crosswords, and much more.

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**Not the day you were hoping for?** [Here’s the solution to yesterday’s *Connections*.](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-16)