Sunday, August 24, 2025

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 24, 2025): A Tale of Two Athletes

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 24, 2025): A Tale of Two Athletes
Q: Take the first and last names of a famous athlete. Change the first letter of the last name to L, and rearrange the result to get the first and last names of another famous athlete. In each case the first name has 6 letters and the last name has 5. These are athletes everyone knows. Who are they?
Drop the last two letters of the first athlete's first name and add a P. I tried to rearrange the result, but I couldn't do it.
Posted by Blaine at 6:39 AM
Labels: , , ,

46 comments:

  1. Dr. KSun Aug 24, 06:47:00 AM PDT

    Rearrange the letters of the second sports figure’s surname, and get some big vehicles. Nice puzzle. Congrats, Bobby.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BlaineSun Aug 24, 06:51:00 AM PDT

    I almost made it work with Sonja Oberem and LeBron James until I realized she is (5,6) not (6,5).

    ReplyDelete
  3. ChuckSun Aug 24, 06:54:00 AM PDT

    Congratulations, Bobby.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LancekSun Aug 24, 06:59:00 AM PDT

    This is a great puzzle, Bobby! I doubt Will's assertion that "these are athletes that everyone knows," though. Not everyone familiar with one will be familiar with the other.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TortitudeSun Aug 24, 07:23:00 AM PDT

      I went the list route since I'm sports ignorant, but when I got the answer, I had to admit that I know both athletes.

      Delete
    2. RudolfoSun Aug 24, 10:15:00 AM PDT

      I had never heard of the 2nd famous athlete, need to watch more TV. Liked Blaine's unclue though.

      Delete
  5. RobSun Aug 24, 06:59:00 AM PDT

    Athletes everyone knows: Not me! I am ignorant about sports.
    But I can consult lists. Take the even letters of the name of the
    first athlete. You can rearrange them into something agricultural.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LancekSun Aug 24, 07:02:00 AM PDT

      Nice, Rob.

      Delete
    2. BlaineSun Aug 24, 07:07:00 AM PDT

      I said to myself, "that's not going to work" then had a chuckle.

      Delete
    3. TortitudeSun Aug 24, 07:20:00 AM PDT

      Reminds me of a famous singer. Congrats, Bobby!

      Delete
    4. Dr. KSun Aug 24, 07:59:00 AM PDT

      Sweet, Rob. I just got it.

      Delete
    5. RobSun Aug 24, 08:02:00 AM PDT

      Golly, thanks. I will wait one year and then suggest it as a puzzle to Will.

      Delete
    6. BenSun Aug 24, 08:06:00 AM PDT

      It would be a terrific Sunday puzzle. Ruined for us, here, but hardly! Well done, Rob!

      Delete
    7. SplainitSun Aug 24, 08:23:00 AM PDT

      Something agricultural.🤣 Good one!

      Delete
    8. Word WomanSun Aug 24, 08:32:00 AM PDT

      Om

      Delete
    9. Scarlett Sun Aug 24, 12:15:00 PM PDT

      Awesome!

      Delete
  6. JAWSSun Aug 24, 07:05:00 AM PDT

    So far, I have thought of three famous athletes that fit the 6,5 pattern. All of them have an L somewhere in the name, which means they all could be either the first or second name. This might take a while...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JAWSSun Aug 24, 08:28:00 AM PDT

      Got it! Now to think of a clue...

      Delete
    2. JAWSSun Aug 24, 08:42:00 AM PDT

      Rearrange the name of the second athlete to get something an astronomer does.

      Delete
    3. janSun Aug 24, 11:34:00 AM PDT

      Off by a factor of 1000, according to a noted one.

      Delete
  7. SnipperSun Aug 24, 07:26:00 AM PDT

    I used to work out with the second athlete when I was very young.

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  8. BobbySun Aug 24, 07:39:00 AM PDT

    pi

    ReplyDelete
  9. BobbySun Aug 24, 07:41:00 AM PDT

    Thanks, everybody!

    ReplyDelete
  10. WolfgangSun Aug 24, 07:59:00 AM PDT

    After the puzzle had aired and Blaine still hadn't posted it, I thought of a comment, but it would have been TMI. 😏

    ReplyDelete
  11. SuperZeeSun Aug 24, 08:01:00 AM PDT

    With multiple false starts, this wasn't my neatest solve. But I got there.

    ReplyDelete
  12. ChuckSun Aug 24, 08:02:00 AM PDT

    Has anyone thought “toy”?

    ReplyDelete
  13. BenSun Aug 24, 08:11:00 AM PDT

    Proudly solved without lists. Not a large challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Word WomanSun Aug 24, 08:16:00 AM PDT

    Sweet puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  15. CritoSun Aug 24, 08:37:00 AM PDT

    It would be ironic if someone got stuck on this puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  16. DaveSun Aug 24, 08:50:00 AM PDT

    Another poorly worded puzzle. Are we supposed to rearrange only the last name, meaning that the two athletes have the same first name?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JAWSSun Aug 24, 09:33:00 AM PDT

      Rearrange all letters.

      Delete
    2. DaveSun Aug 24, 09:49:00 AM PDT

      Thank you, Jaws!

      Delete
    3. cranberrySun Aug 24, 11:56:00 AM PDT

      That's precisely how I read it. Haven't got it yet.
      pjbIsAlso"SportsIgnorant"ToSomeExtent

      Delete
    4. cranberrySun Aug 24, 02:00:00 PM PDT

      Just now got it, and then sent it in immediately!
      pjbHasUsedOneOfTheAthletes'FullNamesInOneOfHisPastCrypticCrosswords(OneOf39BeforeHisLatestOnP!ThisWeek)

      Delete
  17. NoddSun Aug 24, 09:26:00 AM PDT

    Reminds me of a state capital.

    ReplyDelete
  18. skydiveboySun Aug 24, 09:31:00 AM PDT

    I know zip about famous athletes, but when I saw the name of the first person the first name of the second person jumped out at me. I would have to google to discover what sports they are involved in.

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  19. MusinglinkSun Aug 24, 09:50:00 AM PDT

    After a few weak guesses I got it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Clark a pseudonymSun Aug 24, 10:26:00 AM PDT

    I'm out of the sports loop. So, will wait for next week's puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clark a pseudonymSun Aug 24, 12:40:00 PM PDT

      PS I'm in the age group that remembers the Brooklyn Dodgers so when the first name I could think of was PEE WEE REESE I knew this puzzle wasn't for me!

      Delete
    2. SuperZeeSun Aug 24, 12:50:00 PM PDT

      Welcome to my world. Even though, I’m an ex-New Yorker, and a Yankee’s fan, I too will never forget Ebbett’s Field, Lou Campanella, Gil Hodges, and the immortal Jackie Robinson.

      Delete
    3. BenSun Aug 24, 04:39:00 PM PDT

      I'm an aged and annoying New Yorker, too young to remember the Giants or the Dodgers, but I still call them the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Especially when I'm out in California, mostly so my friends and family know that I'm ever and always an aged and annoying New Yorker (not that they need a reminder).

      Delete
  21. legolambdaSun Aug 24, 10:32:00 AM PDT

    Congrats to Bobby Jacobs, a brilliant puzzlemaker who is Klieg-light-bright... ("oh yes, and a great guy!")

    LegoWhoNotesThatWhile"SomeBobbiesAreCopsOurBobbyIsTops!

    ReplyDelete
  22. janSun Aug 24, 11:44:00 AM PDT

    Rearrange the first athlete's name to get something very dry.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Dr. KSun Aug 24, 12:13:00 PM PDT

    For once, I actually got Blaine's clue. Clever.

    ReplyDelete
  24. ZenoCosiniSun Aug 24, 03:45:00 PM PDT

    Two jazz greats, each with a connection to Malcolm X.

    ReplyDelete

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