**Connections: Sports Edition – A Fresh Challenge for Sports Aficionados**
*Connections: Sports Edition* is the newest twist on the well-known [*New York Times* word game](https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections), crafted to challenge the expertise of sports fans.
Similar to the original *Connections*, this game focuses on uncovering “common threads among words.” Like *Wordle*, [*Connections*](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-28-2024) resets daily at midnight, with each puzzle becoming increasingly complex. If you’re finding it tough, we have hints and strategies to assist you.
If you’re searching for today’s answer, scroll down to the bottom of this article. But if you want to solve the puzzle independently, read on for useful clues, tactics, and insights.
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### What Is *Connections: Sports Edition*?
The *New York Times* has teamed up with *The Athletic*, its sports-centric publication, to introduce this new daily word game. [*Connections*](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-february-21-2024) can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices. The goal? To group four words that share a common theme.
Each puzzle gives players 16 words that must be categorized into four groups. These groups can include categories like book titles, sports terminology, country names, and others. Although some words may appear to fit into several groups, there is only one definitive answer.
Once players successfully identify a set of four, those words are eliminated from the board. However, incorrect guesses are counted as mistakes, and players are allowed a maximum of four errors before the game concludes. To aid players, the board can be shuffled to make finding connections simpler.
A color-coded difficulty system is also part of the game: yellow being the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Furthermore, like *Wordle*, players can share their outcomes on social media to compare with friends.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
Need a little push? Here are some hints for today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Acquire a player
– **Green:** Teams in the capital of Georgia
– **Blue:** Recent MLB champions
– **Purple:** Games that involve a pigskin
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Categories
If you’re still finding it difficult, here’s a rundown of today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Methods to include someone on a team
– **Green:** Teams based in Atlanta
– **Blue:** Last four World Series champions
– **Purple:** ______ football
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### Today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* Solution
Ready to see the answers? This is your last chance to solve the puzzle before we share the solution. Drumroll, please!
Here’s the solution for today’s *Connections: Sports Edition* #98:
– **Methods to include someone on a team:** DRAFT, FREE AGENCY, TRADE, WAIVERS
– **Teams based in Atlanta:** DREAM, FALCONS, HAWKS, UNITED
– **Last four World Series champions:** ASTROS, BRAVES, DODGERS, RANGERS
– **______ football:** AMERICAN, AUSTRALIAN RULES, FANTASY, FLAG
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### No Worries If You Missed It
If you didn’t solve today’s puzzle, don’t stress—tomorrow is another day! A new *Connections* puzzle will be available to stimulate your mind, and we’ll be here with additional hints and solutions to help you along the way.
Want to discover more games? Visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and much more. Or, if you’re engaging with *NYT Strands*, [here are today’s hints and answers](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-december-30).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Here’s the solution](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-30).