In a span of about 16 weeks this summer, the sports world mourned the deaths of two icons in their respective sports: Muhammad Ali and Arnold Palmer. Though their styles and sports could not be more different, each man was remembered for his skill, leadership, passion and vision.
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| Palmer (l) and Ali both left lasting legacies in the sports world |
Muhammad Ali
On June 3, the death of Ali at age 74, from complications of Parkinson’s, was treated like the passing of a world leader, which many saw in him. “Muhammad Ali shook up the world. And the world is better for it. We are all better for it,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “The Greatest” was an inspiring and polarizing figure in and out of the ring, from his Olympic gold and professional boxing championships, to his refusal to be drafted during the Vietnam War. He traveled the world as a statesman, visiting refugee camps in Lebanon, raising awareness for the victims of famine in Sudan, and participating as a U.N. messenger of peace in Afghanistan. Ali’s funeral procession through the streets of his boyhood home in Louisville, Ky., on June 10 attracted tens of thousands who paid their respects with flowers, tears and chants.
Arnold Palmer
Palmer, who died Sept. 25 at age 87, turned pro in the mid-'50s. He took what was then a country club niche sport and pushed the game into the mainstream while building a global licensing and business empire. From '60-63 he won 29 PGA Tour events, including five major tournament victories. He built up a wide fan base, often referred to as “Arnie’s Army,” and in '67 he became the first man to reach $1M in career earnings on the PGA Tour. A golf course designer and owner, Palmer helped found Golf Channel in '95 and negotiated the deal to build the first golf course in China in the early '80s. And Palmer was a pioneer in the sports agency business, becoming the first client of Mark McCormack in the formation of IMG in '60. Combined with a remarkable ability to connect with people, the authenticity of “The King” had an indelible impact on sports executives and the business for more than 50 years.
- Walter Bush, former USA Hockey President and Minnesota North Stars Founder
- Bud Collins, tennis journalist and commentator
- John Cooper, former Daytona Int’l Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President
- Eddie Einhorn, White Sox Minority Owner and Vice Chair
- Betty Jane France, former NASCAR Exec VP and Assistant Treasurer
- Jose Fernandez, Marlins P
- Joe Garagiola, Baseball HOFer and commentator
- Dennis Green, former NFL coach
- Carl Haas, former IndyCar team owner
- Joao Havelange, former FIFA President
- Gordie Howe, Hockey HOFer
- Monte Irvin, Baseball HOFer, first black exec in MLB
- Aubrey McClendon, Thunder investor and former owner
- Michael McGinley, Steelers investor
- Dave Mirra, action sports athlete
- Eugene Parker, Relativity Football Partner and agent
- Edward “Rusty” Rose, former MLB Rangers co-Owner
- Buddy Ryan, former NFL coach
- Craig Sager, Turner Sports broadcaster
- John Saunders, ABC/ESPN broadcaster
- Jim Simpson, former ABC/ESPN sportscaster
- Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor and Flyers co-Founder & Chair
- Pat Summitt, Basketball HOFer and former Univ. of Tennessee women’s basketball coach
- John Wolfe, Blue Jackets Minority Owner
