The Thursday edition of NYT Connections Sports Edition arrives with puzzle #591, and this one is a trivia gauntlet that tests your knowledge of baseball history, golf's toughest venues, and sneaker culture, with a Hollywood twist that'll catch film buffs off guard.
What Makes Connections Sports Edition Tick
For newcomers, NYT Connections Sports Edition presents 16 sports-themed words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist?
You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.
Connections Sports Edition brings the same addictive puzzle format to the world of athletics, featuring athletes, teams, sports terminology, and legendary moments. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple sports categories but belong in only one.
Today's Grid at a Glance
Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #591:
AMAZIN' METS | LITTLE GIANTS | NEW BALANCE | BIG RED MACHINE
THE BAD NEWS BEARS | WINGED FOOT | SAUCONY | PEBBLE BEACH
MURDERERS' ROW | TORREY PINES | UNDER ARMOUR | RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
CONVERSE | REMEMBER THE TITANS | SHINNECOCK HILLS | GAS HOUSE GANG
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: You've probably laced up a pair of these at some point, think footwear first, logos second.
Green Category Clue: These are the kinds of places where professionals chase a trophy on manicured grass, and they've all hosted one of golf's most prestigious tournaments.
Blue Category Hint: These phrases are etched into baseball lore, you'll need to know your diamond dynasties and old-school squad slogans.
Purple Category Teaser: The trick here is that each title appears to be about sports, but the real connection is hiding in plain sight, look for a specific word that ties them all together.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Sneaker Brands): CONVERSE, NEW BALANCE, SAUCONY, UNDER ARMOUR
Four footwear giants that need no introduction. Converse owns the court, New Balance rules the pavement, Saucony keeps runners happy, and Under Armour outfits the training room, a straightforward yellow win if you know your sneaker labels.
Green (Golf Courses to Host the U.S. Open): PEBBLE BEACH, SHINNECOCK HILLS, TORREY PINES, WINGED FOOT
This is a bucket-list foursome of U.S. Open venues. Pebble Beach's coastal cliffs, Shinnecock Hills' punishing wind, Torrey Pines' La Jolla bluffs, and Winged Foot's legendary West Course, each has tested the world's best under USGA conditions.
Blue (Famous Nicknames for MLB Teams): AMAZIN' METS, BIG RED MACHINE, GAS HOUSE GANG, MURDERERS' ROW
Baseball history buffs, this one's yours. The Amazin' Mets (1969 champs), Big Red Machine (1970s Reds dynasty), Gas House Gang (1930s Cardinals), and Murderers' Row (1927 Yankees) are four of the most iconic monikers in MLB lore.
Purple (Movies That Contain an NFL Team Name): LITTLE GIANTS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, REMEMBER THE TITANS, THE BAD NEWS BEARS
The sneakiest category of the day. Each film title embeds an NFL team name, Giants, Raiders, Titans, and Bears, making this a wordplay trap that rewards pop culture and football knowledge in equal measure.
The Verdict
Puzzle #591 registers as moderate difficulty with a sting in the tail. Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes the sneaker brands, while green requires deeper golf course knowledge.
Blue separates the true baseball historians from casual fans. Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender, requiring serious lateral thinking about movie titles and NFL team names.
The real trap? "Winged Foot" sounds like it could be a sneaker brand or a baseball nickname if you're not careful, and "LITTLE GIANTS" might trick you into a baseball category given the other MLB-themed entries. Don't let "REMEMBER THE TITANS" fool you into thinking it's purely a sports movie category, the NFL team name connection is the key.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone. Until then, reflect on today's performance: did the baseball nicknames trip you up or did the U.S. Open courses send you scrambling?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden sports connections.
For now, puzzle #591 is solved. See you at midnight for round #592.
