Monday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: January 21, 2019

My time: 5:16, a little rusty.

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This Martin Luther King Monday, Sean Biggins embiggens the smallest mind with this puzzle celebrating CIVIL RIGHTS leaders.  Their names are found the last word of the phrases FIT FOR A KING, NATIONAL PARKS, and THE WHOLE TRUTH.

I was held up by having a total brain-burp and quickly writing in *DAD for "Luke, to Darth Vader."  And then I didn't notice until I finished the puzzle and it told me something was wrong.  It's SON, of course, for those who choose to parse the clues correctly.  I also had (and have) a hard time with the answer SKETCH UP for "make a quick drawing of."  That's not a real phrase!

There were also two unknown sports guys, and as I have stated many times, I am the most clueless man in America about sports...

I've never heard of Mike SCHMIDT, "three-time NL MVP with the Phillies."  As a fielder, Schmidt won the National League Gold Glove Award for third basemen ten times. Schmidt was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 and is often considered the greatest third baseman in baseball history.

And then more sports: ODELL Beckham Jr., "three-time Pro Bowler for the New York Giants."  He seems to be an offensive rookie.

"Green building certification" is LEED, for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The term for a hot-rod engine, HEMI, has appeared before, and this time I filled it in with no trouble.

Tennis great ROD LAVER appeared on November 23, 2018.

Beloved baseball manager GIL Hodges last appeared on August 7, 2018.

It's HELLA frustrating to not zoom through a Monday.  Stupid sports guys!  Anyhoo, very nice puzzle.  I enjoyed the timely theme.