Tragedy in Miami, jubilation in the Meadowlands, a heavyweight fight on tap at Hofstra tonight… all of it takes a backseat to the passing of one of my heroes.

Arnold Palmer, one of golf’s great champions and a beacon of sportsmanship and integrity in the modern world, died yesterday at the age of 87.

Winner of 62 PGA tournaments and seven major championships, it was Palmer’s legacy off the golf course for which he will probably be best remembered. He was a one-man multinational corporation, back before anyone could have conceived of such a thing. His business interests ranged from golf courses to motor oil, and his name graces both an airport and a children’s hospital. The amount of money he and his various charities have donated over the years is virtually incalculable, and yeah, there really is a drink named for the guy. Legendary status confirmed.

Over the next few days you will hear much about Arnold Palmer and his hundreds of accomplishments on and off the golf course. The lists will be far more comprehensive than what I can put together here. In brief, he was an ambassador of his sport, greatly responsible for its growing popularity (and financial possibilities) in the 1950s and ’60s. In 1968 he became the first man to win more than $1 million in career prize money on the PGA Tour. His heirs can now pick that up in a weekend… thanks to him.

The Associated Press named him “Athlete of the Decade” for the 1960s. He’s on a very short list of athletes who could claim to be the greatest sportsman of the century.

Was he cool?

The man flew his own jet from tournament to tournament, back to business meetings, back to tournaments.

Sportsman. Idol. Friend of presidents.

Nickname?

Quite simply, “The King.”

Long live the King.