HOW TO PLAY

THE LOOP

We give you a seed athlete. You name another whose first name starts with the last-name initial of theirs. Keep the chain alive against the clock.

EXAMPLE

SCORING

Each pick scores 1–10 points based on obscurity:

• 🟢 CASUAL (1–3) · global icons
• 🔵 FAN (4–6) · solid starters
• 🟣 DEEP CUT (7–8) · diehard territory
• 💀 SICKO (9–10) · journeymen, minor leaguers

MULTIPLIERS

RARE letters (Q, X, Z, U, V, Y, I, O) = 1.5×.
Double-initial names (Mickey Mantle, Wade Wilson) double your next pick.

HOW YOU DIE

Wrong starting letter. Repeating a name. The clock hitting zero. The judge not knowing your name is only a −5s penalty.