Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for March 5, #163

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Connections: Sports Edition made me look ahead to a certain sports tournament happening this month. That category wasn’t too tough, but to solve the blue group, make sure you know a lot about a certain kind of footwear. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl SundayFeb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Fore!

Green group hint: Get ready for Selection Sunday.

Blue group hint: Just do it.

Purple group hint: Check your watch.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Golf accessories.

Green group: Associated with March Madness.

Blue group: Nike shoes.

Purple group: ____ time.

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 Connections

The theme is golf accessories. The four answers are bag, glove, headcover and rangefinder.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with March Madness. The four answers are bracket, bubble, Cinderella and seed.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Nike shoes. The four answers are Blazer, Dunk, Pegasus and Shox.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ time. The four answers are full, hang, prime and tee.

Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories

The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.

That said, it’s hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing recently.

#1: Series A ClubsJan. 11. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.

#2: WNBA MVPsJan. 21. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.

#3: Premier League team nicknamesJan. 17. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.

#4: Homophones of NBA player namesJan. 26. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.