# Lateral Thinking Puzzles - third time is best! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 18, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214 "2023-07-18T13:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/421 "2023-08-10T13:11:43Z")
Wait, was he a member of 5 “one hit wonders”? **You got it!** [Tony Burrows, five time one hit wonder.](https://lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/music-monday-tony-burrows-five-time-one-hit-wonder) Anyone want to field the next one? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/422 "2023-08-10T13:20:26Z")
Good job, @Cheesesteak . I was confused what the heck it could be. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/423 "2023-08-10T13:45:10Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > You got it! Very cool! ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/424 "2023-08-10T13:55:22Z")
Agreed, excellent puzzle and a neat story. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/425 "2023-08-10T13:59:23Z")
I liked that one. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/426 "2023-08-11T21:13:19Z")
**He won one of his sports highest awards, but no one knows who he is. Why?** I believe Google would solve this one immediately, so extra care not to look anything up. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/427 "2023-08-11T21:44:27Z")
When you say “no one,” do you mean, Literally nobody but himself? Literally nobody, including himself? Literally nobody except possibly his friends and family? Literally nobody but his team/employers/a group of people involved in his achievement? “Nobody” in a figurative sense, like he’s just not very famous and you wouldn’t expect a random person off the street to have heard of him? Was his identity intentionally kept secret? Was he a professional athlete? Was the achievement related to a particular game/sporting event? Or something like a Lifetime Achievement award or place in the Hall of Fame? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/428 "2023-08-11T21:45:52Z")
Is this a team sport? An individual sport? Is the sport itself so obscure that few people would be expected to know about award winners? Is (was?) our guy one of the competing athletes? Or a behind-the-scenes person, such as a coach, trainer, scout, dietician… whatever? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/429 "2023-08-11T21:50:59Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > Literally nobody but himself? > Literally nobody, including himself? > Literally nobody except possibly his friends and family? > > **I’d say nobody except his friends and family…and himself.** > > “Nobody” in a figurative sense, like he’s just not very famous and you wouldn’t expect a random person off the street to have heard of him? > > **NO** > > Was his identity intentionally kept secret? > > **NO, not to my knowledge.** > > Was he a professional athlete? > > **NO** > > Was the achievement related to a particular game/sporting event? > > **YES** > > Or something like a Lifetime Achievement award or place in the Hall of Fame? > > **NO** > [@dirtball](#): > > Is this a team sport? > An individual sport? > > **TEAM SPORT** > > Is the sport itself so obscure that few people would be expected to know about award winners? > > **NO** > > Is (was?) our guy one of the competing athletes? > > **YES** > > Or a behind-the-scenes person, such as a coach, trainer, scout, dietician… whatever? > > **NO** Good questions. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/430 "2023-08-11T22:26:41Z")
Wait just a minute. This is a team sport, but only friends, family, and the guy himself know who he is. Does that mean the team doesn’t know his real identity? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/431 "2023-08-11T22:37:49Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Does that mean the team doesn’t know his real identity? It is unclear if that is entirely true, but yes, I think that is the case. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/432 "2023-08-11T22:51:40Z")
Did he wear a mask? A helmet? Some other face-concealing headgear? Was he a wrestler? Is he still active in the sport? Was he active recently? Did this happen in modern times? In history? In classical times? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/433 "2023-08-11T22:53:22Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Did he wear a mask? A helmet? Some other face-concealing headgear? > Was he a wrestler? > > **No to everything about this.** > > Is he still active in the sport? > Was he active recently? > > **No to the two above questions.** > > Did this happen in modern times? In history? In classical times? > > **Modern times** This was the early 20th century, folks. So modern times, but not today. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/434 "2023-08-11T23:22:57Z")
Did he play as a part of the team? Did he play as a part of the team from the beginning of the game/event to the end? Did he play as a part of the team for only one game/event? Is this a “ball” sport? Was he a last-minute substitute for an absent team member? Was he part of the crowd who somehow stepped in and won it all? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/435 "2023-08-12T00:03:52Z")
Was his sport Basketball? Baseball? American Football? Soccer? Hockey? Boat racing? A track-and-field event? Cricket? Rugby? Was he American? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/436 "2023-08-12T00:04:17Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > Did he play as a part of the team? > > **YES** > > Did he play as a part of the team from the beginning of the game/event to the end? > > **YES** > > Did he play as a part of the team for only one game/event? > > **YES** > > Is this a “ball” sport? > > **NO** > > Was he a last-minute substitute for an absent team member? > > **YES** > > Was he part of the crowd who somehow stepped in and won it all? > > **NO** Yeppers ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/437 "2023-08-12T00:04:35Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Was his sport Basketball? Baseball? American Football? Soccer? Hockey? Boat racing? A track-and-field event? Cricket? Rugby? > Was he American? Boat racing Non-american ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/438 "2023-08-12T00:07:01Z")
I think I’ve heard of this. Was this a British event? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/439 "2023-08-12T00:12:03Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was this a British event? **NO** kkkkkk ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/440 "2023-08-12T03:31:21Z")
Was the award an Olympic medal? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=23)