Recently on facebook, friends started a game where participants had to answer 20 questions about their life. Questions like: favorite movie?, worst vice?, first job?, etc. One of the questions was, Who is your hero? I had to think about that question for awhile. I grew up in the 50's and 60's with superheros like Superman, Batman, and the Green Lantern - and superstars like Mickey Mantle, Johnny Unitas and Ted Williams. It was also the era of JFK - John Fitzgerald Kennedy. It made sense that one of those would be my hero, but then I remembered golf and my love for golf. And as I thought about golf I thought about Nicklaus, Palmer, and Player - the trinity of golf as I was growing up. If you were a golfer during their careers, you wanted to be one (or all) of them - swing, wins, charisma - whatever it was they had, you wanted it.
So I knew my hero answer had to come from golf - but who was it and why. Nicklaus seemed to win everything, Player travel the world, and Arnie had an Army!
Who was my hero - all three were (are) wonderful and deserving of my hero worship - but I couldn't pick three, it had to be one? Finally I made my choice and I chose Arnie - Arnold Daniel Palmer - the "King". Arnie, with the wild swing, the hitching of the pants, and the massive crowds. I made my pick and filled out the rest of the questions. And I didn't have to give any reasons why - which is great. Except for this one about my hero. I want people to know why Arnold Palmer is my hero.
On September 10, 2009, Arnie will celebrate his 80th birthday. On the eve of that occasion, Tom Stine, Editor, PGA Tour Partners magazine, wrote a tribute to Arnie in the September/October issue. Below is his tribute - and the answer of Why Arnold Palmer Is MY Hero.
ARNIE IS TURNING 80, LONG LIVE THE 'KING'
On his 80th birthday on September 10th I shall hit my knees and thank God for Arnold Palmer. The world is a better place because of Arnold Palmer, and golf-the game, the business, the passion, the recreation, the industry, the mystique and the fundraising machine - would not be the same without him.
Without Arnold Palmer, there would be no "Charge!" in golf.
Without Arnold Palmer, an umbrella would only signify rain.
Without Arnold Palmer, television would have taken a lot longer to discover golf.
Without Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus might have had two more majors [1960 U.S. Open and '64 Masters], which would have made his record even harder for Tiger Woods to break.
Without Arnold Palmer, there would be no Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital and thousands of little kids wouldn't be happy and healthy today
Without Arnold Palmer, tens of thousands of people would be living on golf courses designed by guys named Mike or Bob or Ed.
Without Arnold Palmer, a golfer hitching his pants would mean the guy forgot his belt.
Without Arnold Palmer a guy named Mark McCormack may never have started a company that turned the game into a business, and that business spread the game for a lot more people to enjoy
Without Arnold Palmer, a guy driving an old tractor in a TV commercial would just be a farmer.
Without Arnold Palmer, tens of millions of dollars wouldn't have been raised for charities allover the country for the past 50 years, and that would leave a big void in many lives.
Without Arnold Palmer, we would have missed out on one of world's biggest heroes, one of the most recognizable faces, one of the most charming smiles and one of the most identifiable personas ever to walk the planet.
And without Arnold Palmer, golf would have no "King."
Arnold Palmer is a guy's guy and a lady's man. Mention his name in a bar in New Jersey, a sushi restaurant in Hong Kong, a piazza in Rome or a soccer game in Argentina, and you will find someone who knows about Arnold Palmer.
Without Arnold Palmer... well, we don't have to worry about that, because we have Arnold Palmer, and we will always have Arnold Palmer, and we thank God for that.
Happy birthday, Mr. Palmer!
Reprinted with permission from Tom Stine, Editor, PGA TOUR Partners Magazine.
I, too, love the King.
ReplyDeleteI only wish he had retired only once. If you look back, he did his own 'Brett Favre' thing when he would 'retire' only to accept invitations to play.
It sounds like you had your second calling first and your first calling second. Another of God's great mysteries...
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