"Backcourt Fundamentals" - April 30, 2021

A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
Locked
Susan Goldberg
Posts: 379
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2019 7:16 pm
Location: Wellesley, MA

#381

Post by Susan Goldberg »

LadyBird wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 7:52 am I KNEW that LARRUPS>>LAYUPS was a rabbit hole, but I was drawn repeatedly there like a moth to the flame. Then I figured that with NBA as an abbreviation, I was looking for team abbreviations at the back ends of the theme answers. Nope, but there was that reference to a frontcourt STAT, so I spent some time looking for basketball stat abbreviations. Then I just happened to notice the backwards SPUR in LARRUPS, my husband said isn't there a backward PACER in SHARE CAPITAL. And I was off........to the answer NASIC. Who knew that the NY Nets were the NJ Nets were the Brooklyn Nets. I didn't--but Google did!
Exactly! Same thing for me - I finally found the backward team names (after the lay ups for larupps rabbit hole and the larrups for Larry Bird rabbit hole) and asked my husband where the teams were located. So, of course he said New Jersey Nets and there I was with Nasic. At this point I felt sure I was on the right track, so I ask him ok, what stadium do they each play in? So he says well the Nets play at Barclays stadium. Having seen Barbra Streisand perform there (amazing by the way) I say wait that’s in Brooklyn! Not New Jersey. He says ohhh, right, they moved. Meanwhile he has no real idea what I am actually doing with all of this information, but in the end, he knew I solved a puzzle.
User avatar
C=64
Posts: 684
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:29 pm
Location: PDX

#382

Post by C=64 »

JeanneC wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 12:58 am Brooklyn Nets? That is like saying the Queens Mets or Bronx Yankees. Doesn’t work for me.
Or Indiana Pacers... Fortunately, the official solution says "The first letters of the team locations spell the contest answer."
User avatar
Cindy
Posts: 1247
Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 5:39 pm
Location: Matthews

#383

Post by Cindy »

KscX wrote: Sun May 02, 2021 8:26 pm Are there any other tax accountants in here? Just wondering. I love a good professional commiseration. With other CPA’s who puzzle. It’s a great taxcrastination method. Among other hobbies. Procrastibaking, procrasticrochet, procrasticocktails, etc.

And here’s a “YOU CAN DO IT!” to any who can’t pull themselves away from Isaac.
Accountant yes - tax no

Charlotte no - Matthews yes
User avatar
hunkra
Posts: 265
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:35 pm
Location: Hudson Valley, NY

#384

Post by hunkra »

Bob cruise director wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 10:42 am The biggest problem I had was that what is now the Brooklyn Nets were for years the New Jersey so my first take was NASIC which made no sense.
I did EXACTLY the same thing (was a Jersey Girl for 23 years, so...)
Channeling Molly Weasley on a good day.
User avatar
auee89
Posts: 1068
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:55 am
Location: Indiana

#385

Post by auee89 »

EVJ wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 10:29 am This was not a 1.5 for me. It was easy once one saw it but isn’t that the truth about all the metas? I had a hard time seeing the entry point. I saw spur but it was at the end of the word and given the backcourt clue I kept looking for something at the end of the themers. I kept coming back to Mark Wahlberg. The Kwah was confounding me. It took awhile for me to see it in reverse. Only then was I sure that spur was something. So this was not easy-peasy for me. I rated this 2.5. I urge everyone to rate the puzzle. Only 53 of us rated it this week which is only about a quarter of us. I’d like the rating to represent all of us, not just those smarty-pants that breeze through these every week! LOL!
Mark Wahlberg broke it open for me. Kept staring at Kwah, too, and wasn't getting anywhere. At this point in the process, the puzzle rating was a 5. Then, I saw Backcourt and said, ahhh, Hawk. The puzzle rating then plummeted to a .5 :-). So, I guess I will think of ratings in terms of how long it takes me to stop staring at larrups trying to make it into layups somehow - even though it's a front court skill!

I gave this one a 2. I have seen metas with more steps and others that I still have trouble solving after seeing the answer! I would say my meta-solving skill rating is hovering between a 2 and a 3 on a 5 point scale. A huge improvement from pre-January, 2021.
Kevin
User avatar
mheberlingx100
Posts: 516
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:39 am

#386

Post by mheberlingx100 »

KscX wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 10:52 am
mheberlingx100 wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 10:51 am I saw Bull first then worked backwards on the long clues. I used to be a big NBA fan but developed higher priorities in my thirties.
E.g. meta crosswords?
That ... and getting married and raising children. Not in that order.
User avatar
boharr
Moderator
Posts: 3182
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:57 am
Location: Westchester, NY

#387

Post by boharr »

hunkra wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 11:27 am
Bob cruise director wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 10:42 am The biggest problem I had was that what is now the Brooklyn Nets were for years the New Jersey so my first take was NASIC which made no sense.
I did EXACTLY the same thing (was a Jersey Girl for 23 years, so...)
The Nets have been in Brooklyn for 9 years. Maybe it says something about basketball, basketball fans, or the quality of Nets basketball.
User avatar
Ben B
Posts: 171
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2021 11:50 pm
Location: Houston

#388

Post by Ben B »

I also saw the mechanism and ended up with NASIC. Then my son told me “Dad it is Brooklyn Nets”. He had no idea they used to be in New Jersey!
Doc
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2021 1:09 pm

#389

Post by Doc »

This week's was an easy meta for me but there have been many times I've been down a number of rabbit holes so it was nice to see a number of people posting their examples of the rabbit holes they went down for this meta. That will definitely encourage me to keep pushing on the metas that I struggle with.
Ergcat
Posts: 761
Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:12 pm
Location: Seneca SC

#390

Post by Ergcat »

LadyBird wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 7:52 am I KNEW that LARRUPS>>LAYUPS was a rabbit hole, but I was drawn repeatedly there like a moth to the flame. Then I figured that with NBA as an abbreviation, I was looking for team abbreviations at the back ends of the theme answers. Nope, but there was that reference to a frontcourt STAT, so I spent some time looking for basketball stat abbreviations. Then I just happened to notice the backwards SPUR in LARRUPS, my husband said isn't there a backward PACER in SHARE CAPITAL. And I was off........to the answer NASIC. Who knew that the NY Nets were the NJ Nets were the Brooklyn Nets. I didn't--but Google did!
LadyBird, you described my journey/thinking to the answer EXACTLY!
User avatar
hcbirker
Posts: 1985
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:24 pm
Location: Studio City, CA

#391

Post by hcbirker »

LARRUPS was one hole I first explored, then BRIC at 60 across. "Brick" is a basketball term, too. Then I pulled myself out of that hole and found the answer.
Heidi
User avatar
MikeM000
Posts: 579
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 11:31 am
Location: Metro Detroit

#392

Post by MikeM000 »

LadyBird wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 7:52 am Who knew that the NY Nets were the NJ Nets were the Brooklyn Nets. I didn't--but Google did!
I like this answer as they moved from New York to New Jersey in 1976 when they were one of 4 ABA teams to join the NBA after the merger. Oddly, the Denver Nuggets were the only one not included in this puzzle (Pacers & Spurs were the other 2). At least you'll be set if the Kentucky Colonels or Memphis Tams show up one week.... :)

Note to self: get crackin' on a USFL meta....
Dplass
Posts: 1739
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am

#393

Post by Dplass »

MikeM000 wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 12:36 pm
LadyBird wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 7:52 am Who knew that the NY Nets were the NJ Nets were the Brooklyn Nets. I didn't--but Google did!
I like this answer as they moved from New York to New Jersey in 1976 when they were one of 4 ABA teams to join the NBA after the merger. Oddly, the Denver Nuggets were the only one not included in this puzzle (Pacers & Spurs were the other 2). At least you'll be set if the Kentucky Colonels or Memphis Tams show up one week.... :)

Note to self: get crackin' on a USFL meta....
And then the XFL!
hoover
Posts: 1220
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:26 pm

#394

Post by hoover »

LadyBird wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 7:52 am I KNEW that LARRUPS>>LAYUPS was a rabbit hole, but I was drawn repeatedly there like a moth to the flame.
I figured that LARRUPS >> LAYUPS was a mental nudge for the basketball theme, like MARK WAHLBERG, who costarred in The Basketball Diaries, and the title words BACKCOURT (a basketball term) and FUNDAMENTALS (a term used in basketball and other sports) and several clues.
JRS51
Posts: 322
Joined: Sun May 17, 2020 7:14 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

#395

Post by JRS51 »

mitchel674 wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 7:59 am LARRUPS -----------> LAYUPS had me searching for other types of basketball shots, moves or passes for a good 30 minutes before I saw SPUR and solved the puzzle quickly.
Same process for me!
With a brief stop at “NASIC” at which point a little voice in my head said “I’d better double check, didn’t the Nets move to Brooklyn?”
stmv
Posts: 296
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2020 5:12 pm

#396

Post by stmv »

Dplass wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 9:24 am SHARE CAPITAL broke me. That's not a thing.
Investopedia begs to differ: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... 4istNKdCaD
Dplass
Posts: 1739
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 10:09 am

#397

Post by Dplass »

stmv wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 2:43 pm
Dplass wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 9:24 am SHARE CAPITAL broke me. That's not a thing.
Investopedia begs to differ: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... 4istNKdCaD
Huh, I stand (sit) corrected.
User avatar
LadyBird
Posts: 872
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2020 4:20 pm
Location: Chicagoland

#398

Post by LadyBird »

Wendy Walker wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 8:20 am Hey! If you add a Y, you get not only LARRY (Bird) but also LAYUPS. And speaking of birds, you can change the clue from "thrashes" to "thrushes." Really thought I was on to something there for a while.
Now these are the kinds of rabbit holes that I SHOULD have been going down! :D
User avatar
LadyBird
Posts: 872
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2020 4:20 pm
Location: Chicagoland

#399

Post by LadyBird »

Doc wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 11:52 am This week's was an easy meta for me but there have been many times I've been down a number of rabbit holes so it was nice to see a number of people posting their examples of the rabbit holes they went down for this meta. That will definitely encourage me to keep pushing on the metas that I struggle with.
Reading about the rabbit holes is always interesting--and can be informative. This week's rabbit hole could be next month's meta mechanism solution!
JeanneC
Posts: 616
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 11:25 am
Location: Florida

#400

Post by JeanneC »

Softie wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 1:19 am
JeanneC wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 12:58 am ...Brooklyn Nets? That is like saying the Queens Mets or Bronx Yankees. Doesn’t work for me...
Brooklyn Dodgers, perhaps?
True. Until the team moved and became the Los Angeles Dodgers. Funny, though, when a team wins a championship, EVERYBODY in that city celebrates!
“I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions”. Lillian Hellman
Locked