Explanation: A bit of a SAD one, perhaps? There are seven longer entries in the grid that "split" the word TEN, either as TE * N or T * EN, suggesting our meta answer. Note the "anchor" entries (first and last) of BOLE and LING, suggesting the sport in question. We also have a quasi-connection to the puzzle number, since 7 x 10 = 70.
KayW 🤓10:42 · 2023-09-16T18:18:05.354Z
woohoo! I got a sportsing one! On the second try! (first guess was BIG TEN) loved the cluing as always. Clever meta.
whimsy 🤓22:13 · 2023-09-16T18:37:39.465Z
Gah! Just noticed the NW and SE this very minute! Makes sense in MikeyG world!
Nice puzzle!! I first failed to notice the raven, tells on, and tres bien so I only considered the four 11 letter entries… saw that TEN was split with exactly 8 letters in-between so I googled if 8-10 split was a thing and wondered to myself why didn’t Mikey go with 7-10 split instead? It’s infinitely much more familiar
I K Snamhcok 2s · 2023-09-16T20:52:05.425Z
Fun puzzle, Mikey! NOW PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO GET THE CUBS WINNING AGAIN!!!!!
Thank you for 1A and 69A or I never would have gotten it! Oh hey, 7 times 10 is 70, hmm...
Joe 🤓11:06 · 2023-09-17T12:39:11.263Z
Good lord. I submitted a wrong guess because I misread the prompt every single time I looked at it! Thought it said "team" instead of "term." So I was like, is "The 700 Club" a bowling team somehow?? Very cute meta. I also loved BOLE and LING.
And I didn't even realize it was leaning in that direction!
Berto 🤓2:56 · 2023-09-17T15:11:05.390Z
Took me a few attempts before I realized I needed to add “split” to complete the term! No longer feeling like a turkey..
Qmark 3s · 2023-09-18T02:04:09.773Z
Another fun meta puzzle, Mikey...thanks!
Love that 7 & 10 "factored" into the answer for puzzle #70.
Laura M 🤓17:43 · 2023-09-20T19:07:05.041Z
Nice one! Unfortunately I made two incorrect guesses based on assuming there must be a sports term I was unfamiliar with. Not an unreasonable assumption, to be fair :-)
HeadinHome 🤓2:06 · 2023-09-20T22:39:05.503Z
Tried split tens first… a poker term (apparently)… and apparently poker is considered a sport?? Seven ten-splits makes more sense. ( :
ReB 3s · 2023-09-22T01:07:01.508Z
Indeed, I was one of those who read the prompt as TEAM instead of TERM.
Once I saw that first nudge to correct that misreading, along with your private nudge of looking at the first and last word (which sounded out as BOWLING), I immediately knew the answer - as I had been spot on about the mechanism except that the misdirection I encountered from my misreading plus an inadvertent red herring (31D) sent me down a rabbit hole.
I still think that 76ers is a viable alternative had the prompt been TEAM. Very cleverly done.