#705 - “Ten by Ten”

[Bird Lives]

I did the version with no instructions and no across clues and found it a wonderful challenge.

I did the version with no instructions and found it impossible. If you solved it without the prompt, hats off, way off. It's like giving the first letter of the answer and and number of letters but not the question.

[Dannyvee]

I enjoyed the downs-only part of it but I agree with others that there really was no way to confidently submit without the prompt.

[HeadinHome]

On the board waaaayyyy down… just printed and completed this afternoon (big cookie swap at my house this morning… cleaning the house and decorating all week!)

Not a fan of sports themes in general, but glad that when we do have them, they don’t demand a working knowledge in order to “get it” — just a trip to google-land. (This one i kinda knew but googled to confirm.). Like others, the significance of 10 by 10 escaped me for a while, then I went “ooohhhh! Yeah.”

Beam me up to join the big crowd in the brig.

[Barney]

Tossed off an answer hours ago that I felt 1000% sure of, but I’m not on the reader board. This will be interesting.

Could I have gotten it wrong?

[BarbaraK]

Tossed off an answer hours ago that I felt 1000% sure of, but I’m not on the reader board. This will be interesting.

Could I have gotten it wrong?

It looks like the last update was 8:33 EST.

If you choose the “Overall” tab on the leaderboard, do you see your name? If it’s there but not on the “This Week” tab, you were marked wrong.

If it’s not on either, it might have got lost. Try submitting again or send Matt an email.

[Barney]

Tossed off an answer hours ago that I felt 1000% sure of, but I’m not on the reader board. This will be interesting.

Could I have gotten it wrong?

It looks like the last update was 8:33 EST.

If you choose the “Overall” tab on the leaderboard, do you see your name? If it’s there but not on the “This Week” tab, you were marked wrong.

If it’s not on either, it might have got lost. Try submitting again or send Matt an email.

I don’t understand this.

Will wait to see is my answer is right or wrong.

[Joe Ross]

Tossed off an answer hours ago that I felt 1000% sure of, but I’m not on the reader board. This will be interesting.

Could I have gotten it wrong?

It looks like the last update was 8:33 EST.

If you choose the “Overall” tab on the leaderboard, do you see your name? If it’s there but not on the “This Week” tab, you were marked wrong.

If it’s not on either, it might have got lost. Try submitting again or send Matt an email.

I don’t understand this.

Will wait to see is my answer is right or wrong.

Check your PMs.

[Bird Lives]

I'm #463. Since you have to scroll to get there rather than click, I'm counting that as Page One.

[Barney]

It looks like the last update was 8:33 EST.

If you choose the “Overall” tab on the leaderboard, do you see your name? If it’s there but not on the “This Week” tab, you were marked wrong.

If it’s not on either, it might have got lost. Try submitting again or send Matt an email.

I don’t understand this.

Thanks.

No you can’t (and I didn’t) get this wrong.

Will wait to see is my answer is right or wrong.

Check your PMs.

[jhseeman]

Beamed up....finally moved into my house and since my stuff isn't here yet no printer...but thanks to @Joe Ross I have a grid to get it done. Thanks.

[Joe Ross]

Matt Gaffney's Weekly Crossword Contest

Know anyone who'd dig MGWCC? Let me know -- I have 20 free 3-month subscriptions to give away!

Dear MGWCC Solver,

Thanks to the generosity of two MGWCC superfans, I have 20 free three-month (Dec., Jan., Feb.) MGWCC subscriptions to give away this holiday season.

If you know a solver you think might like metas, please e-mail me at crosswordcontest@gmail.com. Please put "3-Month Subscription" in the subject line, and then their e-mail address and name in the e-mail, and I'll sign them up.

Thanks!

--Matt Gaffney

[BarbaraK]

Since I know nothing about football, after finding all the JJs, I googled "JJ football" and found J. J. Watt who plays for the Arizona Cardinals. OK, that must be the answer, the Cardinals.

But.. he doesn't seem to be particularly noteworthy... only played with the Cardinals for one year, Texans before that...currently injured and not playing at all. Is there some 10x10 connection? He's in the "100 sacks club" - is that a big thing? Worthy of a meta?

And for a week 1, if that were really the answer, wouldn't Matt have asked for the name of a player, not a team?

OK, let's google a list of NFL teams and see if there's anything striking there. Aha - Jacksonville Jaguars! That seems better.

Still don't get the 10 by 10 thing (beyond J being the 10th letter and 10 of them in the grid). Does that have some football connection too? All google got me was betting pools.