Okay, so I was messing around with the crossword puzzle today, and I got totally stuck on this one clue: “College basketball coach Barnes.” I’m a huge sports fan, but my mind was just blanking. I racked my brain, thinking of all the famous coaches I knew, but none of them seemed to fit.
First, I tried just guessing. You know, throwing out some common last names, hoping I’d get lucky. “Smith”? Nope. “Jones”? Strike two. I was starting to feel a little defeated, to be honest.
Then, I decided to get a little more systematic. I started listing out all the major college basketball programs I could think of. Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Kansas… still nothing. I even went through some of the smaller schools, thinking maybe it was a trick clue. No dice.
So, I pulled out my phone, because, let’s be real, that’s what we all do when we’re stumped, right? I typed in “college basketball coach Barnes” and… bam! There it was. Rick Barnes, the coach at Tennessee.
Of course! I knew that name! I’d seen him on TV tons of times. I just couldn’t pull it out of my brain when I needed it. That’s the way it goes with crosswords sometimes, I guess. You stare at a clue for ages, and then the answer seems so obvious once you find it.
Anyway, I filled in “Rick” and felt that little rush of satisfaction you get when you finally crack a tough clue. It’s a small victory, but hey, I’ll take it!
