Developmental rink org / TUE 9-6-16 / Qualifying match informally / Collectible art print in brief / Post-blizzard vehicle / Second longest river in Iberia / Cardio workout regimen

Constructor:Timothy Polin

Relative difficulty:Easy-Medium

THEME: phrases of resignation— five where "resignation" means "acceptance" (all clued [Phrase of resignation]) and one where "resignation" means "quitting" (clued [Literal phrase of resignation]):

Theme answers:

• THEM'S / THE BREAKS
• AND SO IT GOES
• WIN SOME, LOSE SOME
• QUE SERA SERA
• THAT'S LIFE 
• I QUIT 

Word of the Day:AHL(58A: Development rink org.) —

The American Hockey League (AHL) is a 30-team professionalice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the league has an affiliation agreement with an NHL team; before then, one or two NHL teams would not have an AHL affiliate and so assigned players to AHL teams affiliated with other NHL teams. Twenty-seven AHL teams are located in the United States and the remaining three are in Canada. The league offices are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and its current president is David Andrews. // The annual playoff champion is awarded the Calder Cup, named for Frank Calder, the first President (1917–1943) of the NHL. The reigning champions are the Lake Erie Monsters (since renamed as Cleveland Monsters). (wikipedia)

I thought this theme was going to be something semi-cool about answers "breaking" across black squares (see THEM'S / THE BREAKS) but then it just turned into a bunch of boring phrases with a corny-clever finale. Throw in the very below-average quality of the fill, and you get a semi-characteristically disappointing Tuesday. Seriously, look at the grid. Outside of the theme, there is NoThing of interest. It's all the fill from ye olde crossword attic, except perhaps EVITE (56D: Paperless party summons) and HATER (71A: Envious critic, in modern lingo), which can hardly be considered good. By comparison, Liz Gorski's most recent Crossword Nation puzzle (which comes out every Tuesday, and is roughly NYT-Tuesday difficulty level) is a witty, clean delight. Her puzzles are as good or better than NYT Tuesdays, most weeks. I SAY subscribe, or give a gift subscription to some beginner or easy-puzzles-only person you know.


Bullets:

• 69A: Flightless South American bird (RHEA)— also the name of shoulda-been-Emmy-nominated actress RHEA Seehorn ("Better Call Saul"); also the name of Casper Gutman's daughter in The Maltese Falcon (the novel—they (wisely) cut her from the movie)
• 5D: Former celebrity (EX-STAR)— I don't believe this is a thing. Googles very, very badly.
• 41D: Frolicking mammals (OTTERS)— "Mammals"? Soooo many mammals frolic! And yet I knew instantly this was OTTERS, as "frolicking" is their signature (crossword clue) move.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]