Sports Themed Crossword Puzzles by George Barany and Friends
The table below lists in reverse chronological order those of our puzzles that deal with sports events — both on-field and off-field — and personalities from the world of sports. Some puzzles respond to breaking news while others provide the long view informed by historical perspective. For the record, my favorite sports are, in prioritized order, baseball, tennis, and basketball, with football and hockey relatively far behind [and for all, professional preferred over collegiate, although I do get into the summer Olympics every four years]. The majority of these puzzles are generally accessible, but they do contain any number of clues and answer words that are more readily solved by those who are sports-savvy. I routinely try to provide a picture/graphic as a "hint;" in some cases, additional information is provided for your interest to be viewed after completing the puzzle [or immediately, if you want to forego the puzzle entirely].
The page you are currently viewing can be reached quickly by using http://tinyurl.com/sportspuz and our full menu of puzzles can be reached by clicking here. Enjoy!
E-mail barany@umn.edu to be added to a bcc distribution list.
GB
| Title | Date | Authors | Comments (and note that our "midrashim" have spoilers) |
| Rookie Rossi | 5/30/2016 | George Barany and Friends | This "mid-week level" puzzle was created within hours of the exciting conclusion of an annual sports event. |
| Come What May | 5/7/2016 | George Barany | Timely "mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle (13x14 puzzle). |
| Back-and-Forth in Omaha | 46-Across 2015 | George Barany, Barbara Barany, Brent Hartzell, and Karen Kaler | "Early-week level" sports-themed puzzle, complete with "midrash," released at a highly relevant time that solvers will uncover as they work through it. |
| Wisdom | 12/2015 | Steve Bachman and George Barany | "Mid-week level" puzzle companion to Wit, also posted on the bachblog. |
| Goldy Oldie | Fall 2015 | Tom Pepper / Edited by George Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle with a definite local flavor that should be as timeless as the entity it memorializes. |
| A Man Who Loves Buster Keaton and Buster Posey | 11/17/2015 | George Barany | "Mid-week level" puzzle, complete with "midrash," celebrated the birthday of one of my cyberfriends (15x16 puzzle). |
| They "Met" Their Waterloo | Fall 2015 | Alex Vratsanos and George Barany | "Late-week difficulty" sports-themed puzzle that shares four theme answers [albeit with different clues] with our earlier Mighty KC; posted coincident to the publication of another puzzle in the New York Times. |
| Snowed Grass | Fall 2015 | George Barany and Charles Flaster | "Mid-week level" puzzle that honored several memorable baseball players. |
| Mighty KC | Fall 2015 | George Barany and Alex Vratsanos | "Mid-week level" puzzle that commemorated the 2015 World Series. |
| Citi-zens United | 10/2015 | George Barany, Christopher Adams, John Child, Charles Flaster, and Brent Hartzell | Sunday-sized sports-themed puzzle released just before a long-anticipated showdown of key interest to the puzzle's authors (21x21 puzzle). This puzzle also appeared in Natural Selections (December 2015), as accessed here. |
| Now Playing ... | 10/2015 | George Barany and Friends | "Mid-week level" puzzle released at an exciting time to look forward and backward at baseball in real life and on the big screen. |
| The Confines' Friendliest | 2/3/2015 (reposted 10/21/2015) | George Barany, Nancy Herther, Tom Pepper, and Tariq Samad | "Mid-week level" tribute to a sports icon, reposted on a timely occasion. |
| Seimone Says! | 10/14/2015 | George Barany | "Mid-week level" puzzle released a couple of hours before a pivotal sports contest. Updated the next day. |
| The Play's the Thing | 4/23/2014 (reposted 10/16/2015) | George Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed tribute puzzle that commemorated two milestone anniversaries, and was reposted in honor of recent success for one of the key entries. |
| Dream Catchers | 10/2013 (reposted 10/13/2015) | George and Barbara Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed tribute (17x15 puzzle), reposted on the eve of a climactic game—we'll be glued to the TV. |
| Fast Ball | 10/6/2015 | George Barany and Friends | "Mid-week level" puzzle released on the exact 50th anniversary of a watershed moment in American cultural and sports history. This puzzle also appeared in Natural Selections (November 2015), as accessed here. |
| Rex Sports | 6/2015 | George Barany, Charles Flaster, and Brent Hartzell | "Mid-week level" puzzle was released within a week of a historic event in sports history (16x15 puzzle). |
| A Major Accomplishment | 4/2015 | Tim Croce | "Mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle constructed over an amazing four-day period culminating on April 12, 2015. |
| The Confines' Friendliest | 2/3/2015 | George Barany, Nancy Herther, Tom Pepper, and Tariq Samad | "Mid-week level" tribute to a sports icon. |
| Even Odds | 10/26/2014 | George Barany and Charles Flaster | Timely "mid-week level" sports-themed tribute. |
| Go Gophers! | Fall 2014 | George Barany, Brent Hartzell, and Karen Kaler | Timely yet timeless "mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle (23x15 puzzle). |
| He's Number 2! | 9/25/2014 | Alex Vratsanos / Edited by George Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed tribute, released on an auspicious day in the career of its honoree. |
| Hello Loneliness ... | 8/23/2014 | George Barany and Steve Bachman | "Late-week level" sports-themed puzzle, complete with "midrash," that reflected fast-breaking news (15x16 puzzle). |
| Horse Power | 7/2014 | Tim Croce / Edited by George Barany | "Mid-week level" tribute puzzle, complete with a "midrash," marked a significant anniversary in sports history (15x21 puzzle). |
| King James Version | 6/16/2014 | George Barany | Sunday-sized tribute that celebrated and analyzed a very recent accomplishment in professional basketball (21x21 puzzle). |
| It Was Thirty Years Ago Today | 5/8/2014 | Brent Hartzell and George Barany | "Mid-week level" puzzle released on a significant anniversary in sports history. |
| The Play's the Thing | 4/23/2014 | George Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed tribute puzzle that commemorated two milestone anniversaries. |
| Ladies and Gentlemen ... | 4/2014 | Tim Croce / Edited by George Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed tribute that represented its constructor's debut to our pages (17x17 puzzle). |
| Three Days in Nerdvana | 4/11/2014 | Tom Williams / Edited by George Barany and Friends | "Mid-week" level puzzle for its target audience, attendees of America's largest gaming convention—and very tough for the rest of us—but we can all enjoy the "midrash." |
| Fast-Breaking News | 4/8/2014 | George Barany, Barbara Barany, Brent Hartzell, and Karen Kaler | This Thursday-ish, sports-themed puzzle was constructed once we learned some particularly welcome fast-breaking local news. |
| Barn to Garden | 4/7/2014 | George Barany, Barbara Barany, Brent Hartzell, and Karen Kaler | "Mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle that reclues our earlier Start Spreading the News with an angle of local pride. |
| Start Spreading the News! | 4/1/2014 | George Barany, Barbara Barany, Brent Hartzell, and Karen Kaler | Tuesday-ish sports-themed puzzle that should delight fans of four outstanding college basketball programs. |
| What Do These Great Sluggers Have in Common? | 2/2014 | Brent Hartzell and George Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle with a punchline worthy of O. Henry. |
| Olympic Hockey Shticks | 2/22/2014 | George Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle reprising an exhilarating heartbreak, depending on which side of the border you live on. |
| Chris Christie's Shadow | 2/2/2014 | George Barany and Friends | "Mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle for a secular national holiday coincident with an annual celebration and in the shadow of a burgeoning political scandal (17x15 puzzle). |
| Chicks Dig the Long Ball | 1/2014 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | This "mid-week level" puzzle was constructed on the same day as we learned some not-altogether-surprising sports news. |
| The Puck Stops Here (at Ridder) | 1/2014 | George Barany and Karen Kaler | This puzzle paid tribute to one of the greatest collegiate athletic accomplishments of all time. Difficulty a function of how much the solver knows about our theme. This puzzle was reprinted in Ski-U-Mah magazine, as accessed here. |
| They Sure Managed | 12/15/2013 | Jeff Strickler and George Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed tribute puzzle accompanying a Minneapolis Star Tribune article commemorating the 100th birthday of the modern crossword puzzle. |
| A Tale of Two Crossword Prodigies | 11/16/2013 | George Barany and Friends | This "late-week level" puzzle honored a bright young cruciverbalist on a day he will always remember (13x13 puzzle). |
| Raiders vs. Irish | 11/14/2013 | George and Barbara Barany | "Mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle with a timely "trick" (explained in a "midrash") that may dazzle many solvers. |
| Take It to the Bank! | 10/30/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | "Mid-week level" puzzle reprising one of the most thrilling days in recent local sports history (17x17 puzzle). When done, please read our "midrash." |
| Fall Classic 2013 | 10/2013 | George Barany and Friends | This "mid-week level" puzzle paid tribute to a sports-related current event. |
| Dream Catchers | 10/2013 | George and Barbara Barany | Timely sports-themed tribute ("mid-week level" 17x15 puzzle). |
| Lights Out! | Fall 2013 | George Barany and Friends | Tribute ("mid-week level") to a living legend closing out his future first-ballot baseball Hall-of-Fame career. |
| Number 46 | 9/29/2013 | George Barany | This "mid-week level" puzzle honored a special friend on a special day, and is a bit heavy on sports (14x14 puzzle). |
| Love Forty | 9/20/2013 | Brent Hartzell and George Barany | "End-of-week level" tribute to an important anniversary in sports history (15x16 puzzle). |
| Crosswords with Friends ... of the University of Minnesota Libraries | 9/12/2013 | George Barany and Friends | "Mid-week level" puzzle commissioned to complement a very special visit to the University of Minnesota campus. When done, please read our "midrash." |
| Mauer's Double | 7/24/2013 | George Barany and Ben Geisbauer | "Mid-week level" puzzle in response to headline news in the local sports pages. |
| Cheer Ye O's! | 7/2013 | Daniel Silversmith and George Barany | Sunday-sized tribute to my co-constructor's all-time favorite baseball team (21x21 puzzle). This puzzle was reprinted in the Baltimore Post-Examiner (November 2014), as accessed here. |
| Cross This Puzzle When You Get To It | 6/2013 | Paul Schoenholz and George Barany | "Early-week level" puzzle about one of the games people play. |
| Stan(d by) the Man | 5/2013 | Alex Vratsanos | This puzzle ("early-week level"), covering sports news that broke in December 2011, is by a new friend. |
| 29-Down to 36-Down | 4/21/2013 | George Barany and Friends | A timely salute to heroism and history-in-the-making (13x13 "early-week level" puzzle). |
| Barn Stormers | 4/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | "Mid-week level" puzzle covering current University of Minnesota sports news, a sequel to Marooned and Galled (13x13 puzzle). |
| The Final Four | 4/6/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | "Mid-week level" puzzle inspired by sports in the current news (15x16 puzzle). |
| Marooned and Galled | 3/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | Heavily weighted towards sports at the University of Minnesota, and responsive to current events ("mid-week level" puzzle). |
| Irish Miss? | 2/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | This "mid-week level" puzzle was inspired by a sports-related news item. |
| 1/25/2013 | George Barany and Paul Luftig | "Early-week level" tribute to a sports icon (15x16 puzzle). | |
| Skol is Out | 1/06/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | Difficult miniature (7x7 puzzle) that was a sequel to Purple All Day, written as an exercise in self-consolation. |
| Purple All Day | 1/05/2013 | Brent Hartzell and George Barany | Heavily weighted towards sports, this puzzle celebrated an exceptional recent accomplishment (two versions). |
| Amazin' | 6/04/2012 | George Barany | Heavily weighted towards sports, this "mid-week level" puzzle celebrated an exceptional recent accomplishment. |
| Crossword Puzzle That's the Reel Deal | 5/11/2012 | Ben Geisbauer and George Barany | Regional (upper-Midwest) and seasonal (Mother's Day) flavors. "Mid-week level" puzzle. |
| Classic October | 10/31/2005 | George Barany and Michael Shteyman | Heavily weighted towards sports, this "early-week level" puzzle celebrated a historic accomplishment that had just occurred. |
View My Stats