New York Times, Friday, October 2, 2020

I submitted this puzzle in October of 2019. The seed entry was QUID PRO QUO which was in the news a lot at the time. I also like the entry JAIL BREAK which has been in the puzzle before, but not with this meaning. I like the new clues for 3-Down and 19-Across (new fun fact). I did not know when I wrote this puzzle is how relevant the LIVE STREAM entry would become, or how timely RBG would be.

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Debbie! I've had the pleasure of working with Debbie on a few crosswords, always a pleasure. I loved BINGO NIGHT, already a strong entry, but it's even better with that "… people making a row" misdirect. That's row, rhyming with low, not with now.

Great to get some rare letters, too, the two Qs in QUID PRO QUO worked in with buttery smoothness. Note how Debbie placed that entry so the two Qs begin down entries, giving her much needed flexibility.

I also liked the X and Z up above. Most editors value multi-word answers because in general, they can be more colorful than single-worders, but AXIOMATIC is interesting (even if I couldn't remember what it meant).

I just finished watching "The Last Dance," the gripping, ten-part series about the Chicago Bulls' sixth and final championship run, so ZEN MASTER resonated with me even more strongly than it usually would have. It's hard to imagine how Phil Jackson kept these huge personalities and egos in check, keeping everyone headed in the right direction. Even harder to imagine why Jerry Krause broke up the team. Not giving Michael Jordan the chance for a seventh ring? There aren't enough Os in the world to spell BOOOOOO properly.

A 72-word themeless has to have nearly flawless use of long slots, and virtually no dabs of crossword glue, so a bit of weirdness in GNAR, RAKER, and the tough ARA kept this one from achieving POW! contention. Still, a lot of great color in the long slots — JAILBREAK in the sense of unlocking a cell phone, THIRD PARTY, LIVESTREAM were standouts — kept my solving experience lively.