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Maybe you don't know the dreaded 7-10 split in bowling, but what a clever idea to imagine it as a time to leave.
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The fact that Katie picked and chose from the entire sporting universe, looking for odd and interesting terms that best lent themselves to reinterpretation, is exactly what made this puzzle stand out. Will Shortz has such a vast solving population to address that he usually pushes to the masses. Heck, even OFFENSIVE REBOUND might have that effect (unless you're a bball junkie like me). Moreover, I'd have suggested that terms like UNPLAYABLE LIE might turn off sportsball haters. Ladies, please let 34-across serve as a reminder to do your Kegels! I need to say a big thank you to my good friend Georgia for test solving this one. I was also determined that the rest of the puzzle did not have any other sports trivia or references. Once I settled on the theme set, the grid and the fill fell into place quickly (only two drafts saved, a record for me as I usually have about twelve). I wanted a wide range of sports and no repeats, so hopefully, there is something in there for everyone. From there, I found many pun-worthy sports phrases, and it was just a matter of narrowing it down. My brainstorming led me to OFFENSIVE REBOUND, which I thought was funny when clued as a dating term. I thought of a bunch of phrases that could cross between different sports but quickly realized that the puzzle would have limited appeal. It came from the phrase BAIT AND TACKLE, a fishing term that sounds like a football play.
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My original idea for this puzzle was a bit too niche. I'm a subscriber to Ade Koiki's philosophy over on Diary of a Crossword Fiend that "sports will make you smarter." I know sports puzzles can be polarizing, but Ade has made some that are accessible to solvers who may be put off by the genre, and I wanted to do something similar. I think this is the best puzzle that I've written so far.