Roland presents a challenging workout, with a classic theme that I have seen in a few Sunday puzzles, where you generally have a title rather than a reveal. A quick look at the record books shows this PUZZLE from the pre-Will Shortz NY Times. That cluing was much easier. The most impressive thing about this version is that Roland took two single words- SHORTSTOP + OVERHEADS and made them two word themers and took 2 two word phrases and made them a single word. Then we have the rest of the puzzle. Triple stacks of 7 letter down fill with many of the words very sparkly such as ALANINE, ENTOMBS, HABITAT, JOCKEYS, MORTARS, NAIROBI, ONE COAT, SCABBED, SHYSTER, USER FEE, WALKURE as well as E-TICKETS and ICE SKATE. This took me longer than most Fridays. YMMV.
17A. *Prepares to pass the football : BACKDROPS (9). A quarterback DROPS BACK to pass. LINK.
21A. *Baseball position : STOP SHORT (9). A SHORTSTOP is placed between 2nd and third base. LINK.
38A. *Strokes in tennis : HEADS OVER (9). OVERHEADS are the smash of tennis. LINK.
59A. *Basketball strategy : BREAKFAST (9). The FAST BREAK is where a team gets a rebound and attempts to make it downcourt before the other team can get back to play defense. LINK.
65A. Fair play? ... or the key to understanding the answers to starred clues : TURN ABOUT (9). It can be one or two words. The phrase has been in existence since at least 1755.
Okay now on to some very Friday clues/fill.
Across:
1. Fifth pillar of Islam : HAJJ. If you want more information READ.
5. Puts on a patch, say : SEWS. Does anyone patch clothes anymore?
9. Intestinal tract division : ILEUM. This is the third portion of the small intestine, between the jejunum and the cecum.
14. Moises of the 2002-'04 Cubs : ALOU. He was the outfielder in the famous Bartmann Cubs loss to the Marlins and he was a very good PLAYER.
15. Card in a baby straight : TREY. Babat straight ace, deuce, trey, four and five.
16. Playground retort : CAN SO. Cannot.
19. Butyl acetate, e.g. : ESTER. I will let our scientist handle this one.
20. Graphic novel artist : INKER. The page is drawn in pencil, then the lines inked, colored and the talk bubles lettered. 4 people plus the author and editor.
23. Is connected : TIES IN.
25. Water__: dental brand : PIK.
26. Curator's deg. : MFA. Masters of Fine Arts.
27. Word with idea or luck : ANY. Random.
28. Gaucho's weapon : BOLA. We get this about once a year.
31. Schmoozing sort : GABBER.
33. Hardy heroine : TESS. d'Urbervilles.
35. Sweeping : VAST.
37. Shocks, in a way : TASES.
41. Uppity sort : SNOOT. So - informal: a person who shows contempt for those considered to be of a lower social class.
44. Hospital fluids : SERA.
45. Hair adornments : BOWS.
49. Aerobic regime, familiarly : CARDIO.
51. Many a Black Friday worker : TEMP.
53. Casual negative : NAH.
54. First __ : AID.
55. Two-timer : CAD.
57. 100 percent : PURELY. Not 99 and 44/100 percent?
63. Big haulers : MACKS. The trucks. For SALE in Miami.
64. Comedic pianist Victor : BORGE. So entertaining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKeqaDSjy98
67. "Sneak Previews" co-host : EBERT. It started more than 40 years ago. LINK.
68. Niagara Falls source : ERIE. A CSO to Abejo and others.
69. Empty : BARE. This came to mind.
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give the poor dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.
70. Pranks : DIDOS. 1. a mischievous or capricious act : prank, antic —often used in the phrase cut didoes. Not a word I remember.
71. It may be payable monthly : DEBT.
72. Bodily passage : ITER. Anatomy. 1. a canal or passage.
Down:
1. Natural environment : HABITAT. Also the chosen name for Habitat for Humanity.
2. Amino acid used in protein biosynthesis : ALANINE. More CHEMISTRY that I have forgotten or never knew.
3. Derby VIPs : JOCKEYS. Both in Kentucky and the ORIGINAL race.
4. Diner devices, familiarly : JUKES. Juke boxes. Did you know restaurants are supposed to pay mechanical rights to the publishers? The LAW.
5. Orch. section : STRing.
6. Piccadilly Circus statue : EROS.
7. Turned on the waterworks : WEPT.
8. Network admin : SYSOP. While it was an abbreviation, it no longer is. LINK.
9. One of many seen at the NCAA's Frozen Four : ICESKATE. The hockey version.
10. Mascara target : LASH.
11. Puts to rest : ENTOMBS.
12. Cover charge relative : USER FEE.
13. Pestle partners : MORTARS.
18. Smidgen : DRIB. Dribs and drabs.
22. Barnyard rooter : PIG.
24. Stellar phenomenon : NOVA.
29. Fellows : LADS.
30. Corporate machinery, e.g. : ASSET.
32. Caustic remark : BARB.
34. Like racehorses : SHOD. Clecho with...
36. Went like racehorses : TORE.
39. Modern concert conveniences : E-TICKETS.
40. Mae West persona : VAMP.
41. Crossed a picket line : SCABBED. I do not like this as verb.
42. Capital east of Lake Victoria : NAIROBI. You might want to go, use this TRAVEL GUIDE.
43. Requested at a drive-thru : ORDERED.
46. Primer application : ONE COAT. Not necessarily. READ.
47. Wagner's "Die __" : WALKURE. It is pronounced like Valkurey (Valkyrie) a gimme for our German speakers.
48. Lawyer to avoid : SHYSTER. More German: mid 19th century: origin uncertain; perhaps related to German Scheisser ‘worthless person.'
50. Clumsy one : OAF.
52. Big cat : PUMA. We have them in Florida. They are endangered, they arecommonly known as the cougar, mountain lion, puma, panther, native to the Americas.
56. Old hat : DATED.
58. Religious leader : RABBI.
60. Prefix with industry : AGRO.
61. Unwavering : SURE.
62. Salt Lake daily, familiarly : TRIB. The daily TRIBUNE.
66. Realize : NET. How much profit did you realize?
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