Sportico Estimates Highest Paid Athletes Of All Time: Tiger, Arnold, Jack In The Top 4

Based on inflation adjusted earnings and some guestimating about endorsement income, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus landed in the top 4 of Sportico’s list of highest paid athletes of all time.

Phil Mickelson landed 11th and Greg Norman 15th. Not bad for a niche sport.

Flashback: Arnold Palmer On Larry King Live

Longtime personality and interviewer Larry King, who passed away at 87, loved sports and while he didn’t know much about golf, managed to draw plenty out of the few golfers he talked to over his career.

This chat with Arnold Palmer was played during the 15th Club with Scotty Sayers and Ed Clements today, where yours truly was also a guest. The opening story about Arnie’s Army should draw you in.

Arnold Palmer Stamp Coming To The Post Office This Week

The debut is Tuesday at the API. But as Jeff Himler notes, the “Forever” stamp goes on sale Wednesday and they’ve ordered plenty in Latrobe.

But there’s one major hitch for the members of Arnie’s Army in Latrobe: The First Day of Issue ceremony will be held at his Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with the opening of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Tournament.

Hometown fans still should be able to buy the Palmer stamp beginning Wednesday at the Latrobe post office, which has ordered 80,000 of the 25 million stamps printed. The stamps will be sold in sheets of 20, totaling $11 at the current first-class rate of 55 cents per stamp.

You can also pre-order the stamp online.

So It Seems Greg Norman Still Hasn't Worked Through All Of His 1994 Issues

Greg Norman is a bit miffed at Rory McIlroy’s “out” declaration related to the Premier Golf League. And naturally, because it’s the Shark, it really has little to do with the positives and negatives of the proposed tour.

Josh Sens caught up with Norman in Mexico and taking time away from finding his biggest fan—hit the link if you thought April 1 had arrived early this year—and Norman seemed to take McIlroy’s invocation of Arnold Palmer personally.

With a TV deal in place and the support, Norman believed, of many players, the concept seemed to have legs. But it foundered in the face of savvy PGA Tour maneuvering and vocal opposition from the King. Shortly after Norman announced his plan for the global series, Palmer came out publicly against it. Norman, who had what he describes as a close relationship with Palmer, was devastated.

“I was blindsided, I felt backstabbed,” Norman said. “I’m listening to Arnold, with [then-PGA Tour commissioner] Tim Finchem standing beside him, chest puffed out for a 5-foot-4 guy, and I’m thinking, ‘Are you kidding? Why are you saying this?’”

Well, he could be an intimidating 5’4”…

Anyway, he goes on to say IMG planted the negative thoughts with Palmer to go against the Tour and accuses McIlroy of taking his stance against the PGL as part of his Golfpass/Golf Channel relationship ala the King back in 1994.

But other than that, he’s really worked through any lingering issues over the World Tour effort…of 25 years ago.

Arnold Palmer's 90th Birthday: Plans Still Very Much In The Works For His Memorabilia

September 10th, 2019 would have been Arnold Palmer’s 90th birthday and you’ll want to check out #lifewellplayed as the day goes to see some tributes to the King. (The Empire State Building will also be lit in the Palmer umbrella shades.)

While many fine stories will undoubtedly be posted, Roxanna Scott’s Golfweek update on Palmer’s memorabilia and some of the plans floated for displaying them. I vote for a permanent Bay Hill museum, but I don’t have a vote.

Scott reminds us of this year’s display at Bay Hill:

There are a few options Podany and his team are considering. The obvious one would be to create an archive or museum to learn more about Palmer’s life either in Latrobe or at Bay Hill. During this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, fans could see some of his trophies, clubs and other curated memorabilia that told stories of his days playing at Wake Forest, serving in the Coast Guard and winning seven major championships. The experience, which included a short film about Arnie’s career, reached thousands of fans during tournament week, said Cory Britt, vice president of strategic affairs for Arnold Palmer Enterprises and the Palmers’ foundation.

Video: Lerner On The (Legible) Player Autograph

Rich Lerner helmed this swell Golf Central feature on Arnold Palmer's legacy of autograph signing and eye contact. The footage of Deacon's tractor is fun, as is the bigger point conveyed makes this one a good story for young players to absorb.

Arnold Palmer No. 2 Of Top-Earning Celebs Who Have Passed

Zack O'Malley Greenburg summarizes the Forbes list of deceased celebrity earners and while Michael Jackson's catalog continues to sell, Arnold Palmer's brand continues to thrive a year since his passing.

Greenburg writes:

Golf legend Arnold Palmer claims the No. 2 spot with $40 million. Barely a year after his death, more than 400 stores still sell Palmer-branded apparel in Asia, and AriZona Beverages produces 400 million cans of its Arnold Palmer line annually. Peanuts creator Charles Schulz ranks third with income of $38 million—MetLife recently retired Snoopy and Charlie Brown from its ad campaigns, but the cartoonist’s contract does not expire until 2019.

"The Other Arnold: Palmer's daughter reflects on the chasm between the brand and the man"

Carve out a few minutes for Michael Bamberger's Golf.com story on Peg Palmer if you haven't already. A year after her father's death, the 61-year-old is celebrating her father's legacy but also lamenting many things, from the production values of her father's funeral to the $25,000 designated for Doc Giffin in the estate. Mostly, however, she fears the Arnold Palmer "brand" will "subsume any real sense of whom her father was."

It's a fascinating read on many levels and clear the 61-year-old has no interest in tainting her father's legacy. However, she's not a fan of some.

The power, the fame, the money, at some point it distorted who he was," Peg said. "Marketing turned Daddy into somebody who was pretty bland, and he was not bland." Mark McCormack and Alastair Johnston and the company they worked for, IMG, comes up often in her conversations. McCormack, the founder of IMG, was a marketing genius. Johnston got the deals signed and tracked the numbers. Peg finds Johnston, a native Scot, to be opaque and cold in their business dealings. But her standards are outside the norm. She is uncommonly giving and open.

For all of her concerns expressed, there was also this endearing image of her father:

"He put the time into his clubs because he loved doing it—he was a man who did what he loved. My dad was a manly man, kind of macho, kind of a chauvinist, but he was also a very creative person. The workshop gave him a chance to be creative. It wasn't mindless repetition. It was part of a process. He was at his most focused, his most engaged, his most peaceful, when he was in the workshop. It was a tonic for him. He liked seeing sparks fly, he liked all the stimuli of the workshop.

"Working on the clubs also kept him in touch with his working-class roots. I think my dad really celebrated the working class, and he felt connected to people who did things for themselves, as he did. That helped him be the architect of his own destiny. Doing things with his own tools, with his own hands, that was part of his identity.

Giffen Speaks As Anniversary Of Arnie's Passing Approaches

Josh Sens of Golf.com catches up with Doc Giffen, close friend, confidante and trusted assistant to Arnold Palmer as the September 25th anniversary of The King's passing approaches.

There are so many ways we miss people who were close to us after they’re gone. But is there anything in particular you miss about Arnold?

I should point out that Arnold was here in Latrobe about five-plus months a year, and in Florida the other six-plus months. And I did not spend time with him in Florida, only when he was here. Over the five-plus months, we would get together not every day but several times a week, when it was convenient. Usually around 4:30 or quarter to five in the afternoon, he’d say, "Come on up to the house and we’ll debrief." So I’d go up there, maybe with the two secretaries and another guy from the office, possibly joined by some of Arnold’s golfing buddies. We’d just sit around talk and have cocktails. A lot of the times, Arnold would make the drinks for us. Often, there was golf on television, or in some cases, a Western would be on. Arnold was a big fan of Western movies and novels

Video: New And Incredible #ArnieWould Ad For The Open

Given that he won here in 1961 and in doing so, re-validated The Open at a time when it was not at peak strength. And still so soon after his passing, this is obviously a sentimental week for Arnold Palmer fans who have two nice tributes to enjoy.

The R&A has a tribute to him at the 18th (and to Roberto de Vicenzo), while the club has commemorated his epic shot at the 16th (then the 15).

Thanks @Fooch1993 for helping me locate the Arnold Palmer plaque @RoyalBirkdale_ 16th. The wild roses distracted me! #nofuturecaddying pic.twitter.com/r9PHayFxnw

— Geoff Shackelford (@GeoffShac) July 17, 2017

And this new Mastercard ad set to run during The Open is especially well done.

DVR Alert: Arnold Palmer's Final Television Interview Sunday

The final round of The Masters starts Sunday at 2 pm ET, but the warm-up shows should be incorporated into your viewing schedule.

Jim Nantz Remembers has become a staple of the pre-final round Masters viewing and this year's is extra special given that it turned out to be Arnold Palmer's last television interview.

Nantz told writers on CBS's conference call of how the option was placed before his friend Mr. Palmer to do a chat following the 2016 Masters honorary starters shots. After that special moment with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, Mr. Palmer gave Nantz the thumb's up that he was up for it, CBS raced to set up Butler Cabin and Nantz relayed how, when the lights went on, The King provided over 20 minutes of great stories and memories.

The full press release description for Sunday's show airing from 1-2 pm ET on CBS:

Arnold Palmer.  JIM NANTZ REMEMBERS AUGUSTA: ARNOLD PALMER – HIS LAST VISIT TO THE MASTERS relives Palmer’s years at Augusta National, beginning with his first victory in 1958 through his emotional final walk to the 18^th green in 2004.   The one-hour special includes segments narrated by the other two members of the “Big Three” – Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, along with a segment narrated by the player most often compared to Palmer’s go-for-broke style of play, Phil Mickelson

Prior to that at 12:30 pm ET Sunday, Bill Macatee sits down witih Phil Mickelson to detail his Masters wins and I've heard throgh the grapevine that it's a fascinating chat for any Masters fan.

The full press release description:

THE MASTERS: PHIL! is an inside look at the remarkable career of Phil Mickelson, framed by his three memorable victories at the Masters.  From his first swings as a toddler at his family’s San Diego home to his unforgettable trio of Masters victories, Mickelson has enjoyed a career spanning three decades to become one of the game’s most beloved champions cementing his place among golf’s greats.

WGC's The Only Reason Arnold Palmer's Event Faces Hurdles

I think we all hate dwelling on the future of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in the year following The King's passing. But Palmer was a businessman who loved and nurtured this event. So discussing its past, present and future would presumably resonate with him even as he would undoubtedly be uncomfortable taking attention away from the players.

Jeff Babineau did a super job for Golfweek.com summing up Wednesday's ceremony at Bay Hill to remember The King, but also reflected on how far this event has come and where it may go without Palmer.

I loved this anecdote:

The API, which moved to Bay Hill from nearby Rio Pinar (Florida Citrus Open) in 1979, has come quite a long way. The purse has been bumped to $8.7 million, and this week’s winner not only will leave $1.56 million richer, but will receive a three-year PGA Tour exemption, not the usual two a winner grabs.

This week’s event will celebrate the everyday fan who connected with the blue-collar likes of Palmer, with large public grandstands now sitting up close to seven of the course’s greens.

It’s a far cry from Year 1 at the then-named Bay Hill Citrus Classic in 1979, when the makeshift grandstand that sat behind the 18th green was borrowed from nearby Boone High School.

That little nugget is a perfect reminder that is was events like the Bay Hill Citrus Classic, the Western Open, the Los Angeles Open, the Houston Open, the Bob Hope and on and on we can go with 10-12 events that built and stabilized the PGA Tour.

And with too much regularity, the focus of these events revolves around their weaker-than-normal fields, their strange new dates or their difficulty in attracting a sponsor. Nearly all have been adversely effected by many factors, but it's the creation of World Golf Championship events that consistently tops all side-effects.

We all understand the globalization of golf and market forces, but when those forces so adversely impact even an event nurtured by a modern sports legend. it's time for all current players and executives to take a hard look at the tour's purpose. Because if this is, as they say, about playing opportunities and charitable dollars, it's these core founding events that deserve to be treated as kings.