Not Quite a "Kyle" Trivia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Sometimes you only need to move one step in the alphabet to miss out on being a Kyle. Singer Lyle Lovett changed the "K" into "L" and won multiple Grammy Awards. Despite his music success, Lovett may be most famous for marrying an actress. What star of such films as "Erin Brockovich," "Pretty Woman," and "Steel Magnolias" was Lovett married to from 1993 to 1995?

Answer: Julia Roberts

Lovett and Roberts both appeared in the 1993 movie "The Player." After only three weeks of romance, the couple shocked Hollywood by announcing they had eloped. The busy careers of both stars forced them to spend large amounts of time apart and they divorced less than two years later.

The two remained friends and each achieved success after their marriage. Lovett won his fourth Grammy (Best Country Album for "The Road to Ensenada) and Roberts won her first Oscar (Best Actress for "Erin Brockovich").

2. People have missed out on being a Kyle with their last name too. Sparky Lyle just missed with his last name, but he did forge an impressive career as a Major League Baseball pitcher for several teams. In fact, in 1977 Lyle became the first American League relief pitcher to win the coveted Cy Young Award. He did so as a member of the team who won more World Series in the first 100 years of the championship than anyone else. For which team did he pitch that magical season?

Answer: New York Yankees

In his career, Lyle has pitched for five teams (Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox), but he won the award as a member of the Yankees. In addition to the Cy Young Award, Lyle made three All-Star Games and was twice a member of two World Champion Yankee teams.

At one point in his career he had more saves in the history of the American League and the most saves in history by any left handed pitcher, both marks which have since been broken. In 1977 he compiled 26 saves and a 2.17 ERA to help the Yankees reach the post season and win the Cy Young Award.

3. Not to be outdone by Sparky, Sandy Lyle also entered the sporting realm. In 1988 he had a memorable year by winning the Masters Tournament. What sport is associated with this tournament?

Answer: Golf

Sandy Lyle won the Masters Tournament, which is considered one of the four Major golf championships, along with the U.S. Open Championship, (British) Open Championship, and PGA Championship. Held in April of every year, the Masters is the only tournament to play at the same golf course every year (Augusta National Golf Club).

His win at the Masters was actually his second Major win, as Lyle also won the 1985 (British) Open Championship.

4. Some have felt more adventurous straying from the name Kyle, and instead of replacing the "K" with "L" moved a few more letters away and used the letter "P." One such example was Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ernie Pyle. What war did Pyle cover that brought him much success but also caused his death in 1945 when he was hit by machine gun fire?

Answer: World War II

Pyle gained fame for writing from the vantage point of the American soldier, not simply reporting battle events and strategy. His writings in 1944 were instrumental in getting combat soldiers "fight pay." Congress passed a bill aptly titled "the Ernie Pyle Bill" which gave combat soldiers an extra $10 a month.

In 1945 he was killed by Japanese fire while traveling by jeep in Okinawa. Pyle was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, one of a very few number of civilians to receive the honor.

5. It's bad enough when real people missed out on being called Kyle, but they are born with those names. However, Gomer Pyle is fictional, so one can only wonder why the character wasn't named Gomer Kyle. What actor portrayed Gomer Pyle on two television shows (and should have demanded a name change)?

Answer: Jim Nabors

Nabors first appeared as Gomer Pyle on "The Andy Griffith Show." The role was supposed to be for only one show, but due to the character's popularity, Nabors was made a regular on the show. As the character became more famous, a spin-off show, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. was created, with Nabors once again reprising the role. Nabors had the chance to correct the naming mistake when he parodied the role in "Cannonball Run II" but his character's name was Homer Lyle.

In addition to his acting ability, Nabors is known to have a rich baritone voice, releasing several albums and also sang before the Indianapolis 500 for over 30 years.

6. It's bad enough that some people miss out on being a Kyle by changing a letter, but not only does actor Noah Wyle miss out by a letter, but his last name does not even rhyme with Kyle. Despite this, Wyle was able to gain recognition for his work on a very popular medical television drama. What television show that followed the events of a Chicago based Emergency Room did Wyle portray John Carter?

Answer: ER

ER was a mainstay in NBC's "must see TV" Thursday night lineup, airing for 15 seasons. The show was the brain child of novelist Michael Crichton, who is also well-known for writing "Jurassic Park." Wyle was part of the original cast of the show, alongside Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, and Julianna Margulies among others. Wyle was the last original cast member to leave the show, exiting after 11 seasons.

He would later return in a guest role over the final four seasons of the series.

7. Kyla Weber may not be a household name, but this Canadian realtor's husband is a very famous comedic actor. What star of such comedies as "Old School," "The Breakup," and "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" did Weber marry in January 2010?

Answer: Vince Vaughn

Along with Will Ferrell, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, and Steve Carell, Vaughn is a member of "The Frat Pack." The group of actors have appeared in many high grossing comedies in the in the late 1990s and 2000s, often appearing in many of the same films.

The name is a play on the "Rat Pack" of the 1950s and probably has basis in the movie "Old School" where Vaughn, Ferrell and Luke Wilson create a fraternity despite all men being out of college. Despite being known primarily as a comedic actor, Vaughn's first movie role was in the sports drama "Rudy."

8. Sometimes instead of changing a letter, people decide to keep the name Kyle, but insert a letter. For example, Australian singer Kylie Minogue inserted an "i" into Kyle to come up with her name. Although she is primarily known for singing, she has also tried her hand at acting. In what 2001 Academy Award winning film did she play The Green Fairy, which also starred Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor?

Answer: Moulin Rouge!

Minogue is a Grammy Award winning singer and also a breast cancer survivor. Though most known for her singing, she has acted in a variety of Australian movies and television programs. Her appearance in "Moulin Rouge!" was nominated for a MTV Movie Award for best cameo.

The movie follows the love story between a terminally ill actress and courtesan (Kidman) and a poet (McGregor). Nominated for eight Academy Awards, the film won two, for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction.

9. Sometimes instead of changing a letter or adding a letter, people just remove a letter. United States Senator Jon Kyl has managed to win Senate campaigns, despite not having an "e" at the end of his last name. What state has Kyl represented in Congress, along with former Presidential candidate John McCain?

Answer: Arizona

Kyl was first elected to the Senate in 1994, and has won re-election campaigns in both 2000 and 2006. The conservative Republican was selected as one of the 100 most influential people by Time Magazine in 2010. McCain was first elected to the Senate in 1986 representing Arizona.

In 2008, he won the Republican Party's nomination for President, but lost in the general election to Democrat Barack Obama.

10. Former major league pitchers Darryl Kile could hardly hide the fact that he wanted to be a Kyle. Despite spelling his last name with an "i," Kile pronounced his last name the same as Kyle. Kile had a very good major league career, but will be most remembered for passing away in the middle of the 2002 baseball season. His death shocked the baseball world as it was the first time since 1979 that a big league player had passed away during the regular season. What former New York Yankee catcher and captain preceded Kile in death when he died in a plane crash during the 1979 season?

Answer: Thurman Munson

Unfortunately, all listed players died during their playing careers. Adenhart and Hancock both died in traffic accidents, while Lidle and Munson died in airplane crashes. Kile, a three-time All Star and author of a no-hitter, died during the 2002 season due to blockages of over 90% in two coronary arteries.

In his career, Kile pitched for the Houston Astros, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals. Munson was the first Yankee to ever win both the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards.

Source: Author kstyle53

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

There may not be that many famous "Kyles" out there, but a lot of people have just missed out by just a letter. See what you can identify about some "near" Kyles.

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