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.
Muhammad Ali
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| Photo by: Getty Images |
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.
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| Photo by: Getty Images |
Arnold Palmer
Palmer, who died Sept. 25 at age 87, turned pro in the mid-1950s. 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 1960-63 he won 29 PGA Tour events, including five major tournament victories, in only four seasons. He built up a wide fan base, often referred to as “Arnie’s Army,” and in 1967 he became the first man to reach $1 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour. A golf course designer and owner, Palmer helped found Golf Channel in 2007 and negotiated the deal to build the first golf course in China in the early 1980s. And Palmer was a pioneer in the sports agency business, becoming the first client of Mark McCormack in the formation of IMG in 1960. 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
Dennis Byrd, former New York Jets player
Bud Collins, tennis journalist and commentator
John Cooper, former Daytona International Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway president
Eddie Einhorn, Chicago White Sox minority owner and vice chair
Betty Jane France, former NASCAR executive vice president and assistant treasurer
Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins pitcher
Joe Garagiola, baseball hall of famer and commentator
Howard Garfinkel, founder of Five-Star Basketball Camp
Dennis Green, former head coach, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals
Carl Haas, former IndyCar team owner
Joao Havelange, former FIFA president
Gordie Howe, hockey hall of famer, “Mr. Hockey”
Monte Irvin, baseball hall of famer and first black executive in MLB
Bill Johnson, 1984 Olympic gold-medal skier
W.P. Kinsella, author of “Field of Dreams”
Blake Krikorian, Sling Media co-founder
Aubrey McClendon, Oklahoma City Thunder investor and former owner
Michael McGinley, Pittsburgh Steelers investor
Dave Mirra, action sports athlete
Eugene Parker, Relativity Football partner and agent
Edward “Rusty” Rose, former MLB Texas Rangers co-owner
Buddy Ryan, former head coach, Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals
John Saunders, ABC/ESPN broadcaster
Jim Simpson, former ABC/ESPN sportscaster
Ed Snider, Comcast Spectacor and Philadelphia Flyers co-founder and chairman
Pat Summitt, basketball hall of famer and former Tennessee women’s basketball coach
Nate Thurmond, basketball hall of famer
John Wolfe, Columbus Blue Jackets minority owner
John Young, founder of Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program
