Solution to Rivalries

by Aaron Dinkin


Each item on the wordlist is an "antonym" (in a loose sense) for the name of a North American major-league sports team—e.g., COWS clues [Chicago] BULLS; CONVENTIONAL THINKERS clues [Dallas] MAVERICKS, and so on. Enter the real names of the teams in the criss-cross grid. The letters at which teams that play the same sport intersect spell out SMALL WHITE DOG. This is an antonym for "large black cat", or in other words "panther"; and PANTHER is the anther answer to the puzzle.

The completed grid and full mapping of antonyms to team names are below.

ACADEMICS → ATHLETICS
AMERICAINS → CANADIENS
APPALACHIANS → ROCKIES
BLACK GLOVES → WHITE SOX
BREEZES → HURRICANES
BRIDGE BURNERS → TRAIL BLAZERS
BROWNIES → CUBS
CAPITALISTS → REDS
CHILL → HEAT
COINS → BILLS
COMMONERS → ROYALS
CONVENTIONAL THINKERS → MAVERICKS
COWARDS → BRAVES
COWS → BULLS
CRANKSHAFTS → PISTONS
CRAWLERS → FLYERS
DOES → BUCKS
DOUBLE BOGEYS → EAGLES
DOVES → HAWKS
DOVES → RAVENS
DWARFS → GIANTS
ÉPÉES → SABRES
EWES → RAMS
GEESE → DUCKS
GREEN FINS → RED WINGS
GROSSES → NETS
HIJOS → PADRES
INTERCEPTORS → DODGERS
JOY → BLUES
LANDLUBBERS → MARINERS
LOCALS → NATIONALS
MAINLANDERS → ISLANDERS
MOONS → SUNS
MUGGLES → WIZARDS
NINJAS → PIRATES
OLYMPIANS → TITANS
ONLY CHILDREN → TWINS
PACIFISTS → WARRIORS
PAKISTANIS → INDIANS
POLAR BEARS → PENGUINS
PREY → PREDATORS
QUEENS → KINGS
REBS → YANKEES
REPRESENTATIVES → SENATORS
RETREATERS → CHARGERS
ROADRUNNERS → COYOTES
ROUNDHEADS → CAVALIERS
SAXONS → CELTICS
SCIENCE → MAGIC
SINNERS → SAINTS
SUBORDINATES → CHIEFS
TAME → WILD
TRAITORS → PATRIOTS
UNLOADERS → PACKERS