Embarking on the task of writing a column about the most often used sports terms and sports figures to appear in crosswords, I started by checking out a few months of puzzles from several of the more popular online crosswords.  I was almost certain that baseball or football would turn up in first place with the cluemeisters.  Wrong!  As it turns out, the most popular sport so far as the crossword composers are concerned is (prepare yourself)......

Which is not to say that the other sports are ignored by the men and women who construct the crosswords.  It is just that their priorities may not always be what we expect.  For instance, there seems to be a great fondness for the game of tennis, and expecially for the players.  At the top of their list is, of course...

ARTHUR ASHE...For years we were given simple and direct clues like "tennis champ Arthur" or "Arthur, of tennis," but following his death in 1993 the clues became more definitive.  "1968 U.S. Open champ," "1975 Wimbledon winner," "'Off the Court' author," and "memorable tennis champion" are a few examples of more recent indicators.
 
 

MONICA SELES..."tennis champ Monica" or just plain "Monica _ _ _ _ _" are all that seem to be needed to elicit a correct answer from puzzle solvers. Her dramatic story with its career peaks and valleys has made her a media favorite which has made her an obvious target for puzzle makers.

IVAN LENDL...The clue may be "Lendl of tennis" or "Ivan of tennis" since it works both ways with the cluemeisters who seem to love to use both names.  A Czech emigre who dominated the field in the 1980s, he continues to be in crossword vogue even though he retired in 1994. Recently the Universal puzzle had "poetry by Ivan Lendl?" as a clue for TENNISPROSE.

CHRIS EVERT... The cluemeisters have informed us that "Chris of tennis" is a "six-time U.S. Open champ" along with various and sundry other bits of information relating to a long and illustrious career.  "Wimbledon winner in '81" and "three-time Wimbledon champ" are additional descriptions you may have come across.

ANDRE AGASSI... This native Nevadan (Las Vegas, no less) is a continuing puzzle favorite with clues such as "tennis' Andre" and "'92 Wimbledon winner", even extending his celebrity to the clues themselves with references like "it's nothing to Agassi" for the word LOVE.

PETE SAMPRAS... As "No.1 in tennis for 5 years" he has earned his place as a crossword favorite to add to his popularity with tennis fans.  He's the "youngest to win the U.S. Open" (in 1990 at age 19) and is immediately identifiable as "Pete, of tennis".  If Sampras has his way in 1998, the clue writers will be coming up with "No.1 in tennis for 6 years" which will also mean that he can then be referred to as "all time No.1 in tennis", since he will have passed up Jimmy Connors five consecutive year record as No.1.  Scoring 100 aces on his way to victory in the 1990 U.S. Open and then scoring more than 1,000 aces in a single season in 1993, Pete Sampras inspired cluemeisters to give us "Sampras and others" for ACERS as well as "serves like Sampras" for ACE.

And while we are on the subject, I have also seen the recent clue "Org. of Agassi & Sampras" for USTA, the United States Tennis Association.  Read all about it by clicking on the high-lighted word.

And that's not the end of it for what must surely be the sport of crossword composers.  There is "tennis division" and "tennis unit" for SET and "seeded" for RANKED (and vice versa).  I'm aware that many of the frequent crossword puzzle solvers out there could probably add even more.

 Having acknowledged the popularity of Jai Alai and tennis as favorite subjects for crossword composers, we now come to the obvious question..What about other sports?  As it happens, if we stay with our plan to include only frequently used words from crosswords, there aren't a great many to add here.   It's not that the other sports are neglected by the puzzle makers, but for the most part the words and names they use are what I would term "one-timers" rather than words which are used so frequently by various composers that the clues become easily recognizable.  Following are some which are used often enough to be included in this column:

For baseball...

OREL HERSHISER  ....With such a unique and "crossword friendly" first name as Orel, he turns up often as "pitcher Hershiser" or "hurler Hershiser", and he's been around long enough that he has become a real stand-by for many a cluemeister.
 

RBI...The abbreviation for "runs batted in" makes frequent appearances in many puzzles with clues such as "stat for Barry Bonds" or "Ken Griffey, Jr. stat".  Each of the puzzle makers seem to have their own favorite hitters, however, since the same player name appears very infrequently in clues. The clue can also be reversed as in "RBI, e.g." for STAT.

As for baseball teams, only one seems to be used across the board in many puzzles.  That would be the

METS...It usually turns up as the "New York nine" or the "New York team", and so far as the puzzle makers are concerned the Yankees might as well not even exist, even if they are World Series champions once again.  The puzzle popularity of the Mets even extends to where they play.  Just think for a moment how often you have filled in the following:

SHEA...It might be listed as "home of the Mets" or "Met home", or they even might remind you that it was the "1986 World Series baseball stadium".
 
 
 

For football...

When it comes to frquency of use in crosswords for football, I come up with hardly any words at all.  At best we'll have to settle for...

UCLA...There's no arguing with the fact that it is the "Bruins' home" as well as a "USC rival".  It also was also clued as both "Bruins of football" and "Bruins of college sports".
 

We might also fill in here with a few less frequent but occasional references such as "linemen" for ENDS; "East Coast eleven" for JETS; "halftime holler" for RAH; and "school sports org." for NCAA.

For boxing...
He's the one....the only.... ALI...Muhammad Ali, that is, clued and clued often as everything from "The Greatest" to  "originally Cassius Clay" and "Olympic torch lighter" (in 1996).  He was also known as "boxing's poet", a reference to his penchant for writing poems in which he would predict which round he would defeat his opponent. We do want to point out, however, that he shares his famous crossword name with other Alis such as "_ _ _ Baba" and "moslem caliph".

For soccer...

PELE..   During the 1960s and 1970s he was every bit as famous as Ali, and the clue writers consistently included "soccer great" and "soccer star" in their puzzles.  Today he still turns up quite often, usually as "soccer legend".
 
 

For fencing...

EPEE...This is the "fencing weapon" which is also clued as "dueling sword" and "fencer's stiletto" along with many, many other clues in many, many crossword puzzles.  I covered it quite thoroughly in my Crossword Column on French Words and Phrases, and you can read all about it by clicking your mouse on the high-lighted word.

For golf...

Now we come to what would seem to be the sport which is second only to tennis in the hearts and puzzles of our crossword composers.  There seems to be a definite fondness for several of the golfers considering the numerous times they appear in puzzles.  Additionally, the cluemeisters are also quite knowledgeable about all aspects of the game as evidenced by clues relating to same.

TEE...Think of the number of times you've filled this word into a crossword for the likes of "golfer's gadget" or "links item".  You may also have responded to something like "driver's aid" or "get ready to drive".  Used as often as it is, it offers a rather special challenge to the clue writers to present us with new and interesting identifications for the word.  Then there is also the additional meaning related to "suits one to a _ _ _" (exactly or precisely).  Obviously it's a puzzle word destined to be with us for a long time to come.

ARNOLD PALMER...The clue reads "Palmer of golf" and the answer is ARNIE for the man who has had over a half-century run as one of the best known golf pros in the country.  All of which means he has earned a place in the unofficial Crossword Hall of Fame.
 

SAM SNEAD..."Golfer Sammy" has been around even longer than Palmer.  Known and  for with  "four-time Masters winner" and a "golf partner of five presidents".  Much

admired for his long fairway drives, he has more than earned the right to often be clued by his nick-name "Slammin' Sammy".

ISAO AOKI..."Golfer Aoki" is not really that well known outside of golfing circles, but  with a name like Isao Aoki it is easy to see how he has become an obvious target for crossword composers.  Think how either his first or last name might fit nicely into some tight corner of a puzzle.
 
 
 

TIGER WOODS...Here's a relative newcomer to puzzledom, but all of those commercials and all of that TV and press coverage are working to turn him into a crossword favorite.  Whether he appears as "golfer Woods" or "he's a Tiger at golf", he seems about to be giving Arnie, Sammy and Isao a run for puzzle fame.  And he's even able to steer clear of competition with "Pooh's friend" TIGGER.

The golf references don't just stop with the above players.  Many a crossword composer must also be an avid golfer as well to be able to come up with such as "score 2 under par" for EAGLE;"birdie-eagle difference" for STROKE; and "golfer's alert" for FORE.

If Sports and Crosswords turn you on in equal measure I'd suggest that you try the Sporting News weekly interactive puzzle from Universal.  It's a real challenge, and you need to know the legendary players from years past, not just the familiar ones I've listed above.  I might also add that the puzzle is a lot of fun!  Just click on the high-lighted Sporting News magazine title above to go to their Games page, and then click on Crossword to go to this week's puzzle.

Among the thousands of websites about Crossword Puzzles, I've found two that are especially helpful both to the novice as well as the veteran puzzle solver.  You might enjoy checking them out.

If you are into online crosswords, and have a Java-powered browser, you might like to try Timothy Parker's Universal Crossword.  Just click on the logo below.

 Copyright 1998 C. Schnebel
All rights reserved

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