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.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?
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
50 comments:
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Rearrange the letters of the second sports figure’s surname, and get some big vehicles. Nice puzzle. Congrats, Bobby.
ReplyDeleteI almost made it work with Sonja Oberem and LeBron James until I realized she is (5,6) not (6,5).
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Bobby.
ReplyDeleteThis 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.
ReplyDeleteI went the list route since I'm sports ignorant, but when I got the answer, I had to admit that I know both athletes.
DeleteI had never heard of the 2nd famous athlete, need to watch more TV. Liked Blaine's unclue though.
DeleteAthletes everyone knows: Not me! I am ignorant about sports.
ReplyDeleteBut I can consult lists. Take the even letters of the name of the
first athlete. You can rearrange them into something agricultural.
Nice, Rob.
DeleteI said to myself, "that's not going to work" then had a chuckle.
DeleteReminds me of a famous singer. Congrats, Bobby!
DeleteSweet, Rob. I just got it.
DeleteGolly, thanks. I will wait one year and then suggest it as a puzzle to Will.
DeleteIt would be a terrific Sunday puzzle. Ruined for us, here, but hardly! Well done, Rob!
DeleteSomething agricultural.🤣 Good one!
DeleteOm
DeleteAwesome!
DeleteSo 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...
ReplyDeleteGot it! Now to think of a clue...
DeleteRearrange the name of the second athlete to get something an astronomer does.
DeleteOff by a factor of 1000, according to a noted one.
DeleteI used to work out with the second athlete when I was very young.
ReplyDeletepi
ReplyDeleteThanks, everybody!
ReplyDeleteAfter the puzzle had aired and Blaine still hadn't posted it, I thought of a comment, but it would have been TMI. 😏
ReplyDeleteWith multiple false starts, this wasn't my neatest solve. But I got there.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone thought “toy”?
ReplyDeleteNow that you mention it, yes.
DeleteProudly solved without lists. Not a large challenge.
ReplyDeleteSweet puzzle.
ReplyDeleteIt would be ironic if someone got stuck on this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteAnother poorly worded puzzle. Are we supposed to rearrange only the last name, meaning that the two athletes have the same first name?
ReplyDeleteRearrange all letters.
DeleteThank you, Jaws!
DeleteThat's precisely how I read it. Haven't got it yet.
DeletepjbIsAlso"SportsIgnorant"ToSomeExtent
Just now got it, and then sent it in immediately!
DeletepjbHasUsedOneOfTheAthletes'FullNamesInOneOfHisPastCrypticCrosswords(OneOf39BeforeHisLatestOnP!ThisWeek)
Reminds me of a state capital.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteAfter a few weak guesses I got it.
ReplyDeleteI'm out of the sports loop. So, will wait for next week's puzzle.
ReplyDeletePS 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!
DeleteWelcome 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.
DeleteI'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).
DeleteI’m 77, probably a couple of years older than you, so I do remember when the Giants and Dodgers moved west, and I remember attending Mets games at the Polo Grounds before Shea Stadium was built. I also git to see Mantle, Berra, Kubrick, et al at the old Y@njee Stadium in the 60’s. While I’ve never been to a Mets game at Shea, I did see Joe Namath and the Jets play there in December 1971.
DeleteSorry about the typos….
DeleteCongrats to Bobby Jacobs, a brilliant puzzlemaker who is Klieg-light-bright... ("oh yes, and a great guy!")
ReplyDeleteLegoWhoNotesThatWhile"SomeBobbiesAreCopsOurBobbyIsTops!
Rearrange the first athlete's name to get something very dry.
ReplyDeleteFor once, I actually got Blaine's clue. Clever.
ReplyDeleteTwo jazz greats, each with a connection to Malcolm X.
ReplyDeleteThis is a neat puzzle. Well, not exactly.
ReplyDeleteTake the first name of the first athlete and the last name of the second athlete and remove all repeating letters. Rearrange what remains and you'll get no letters.
ReplyDelete