A Sports Filled Weekend It Was

As Rory Mcllroy celebrated his victory in a four-hole playoff that gave him the PGA Tour championship and the FedEx Cup (and $11.5 million) on Sunday night in Atlanta, word began to circulate that ailing golf legend Arnold Palmer had died.

Palmer, 87, built golf into the pastime and marketing giant it is today. As a young player with a ton of fans – Arnie’s Army – he brought a stuffy, country club game to the masses. He led the PGA Tour in wins five different times, won seven majors and became a marketing legend and sports icon. Order yourself an iced tea with lemonade today in his memory – it’s known as an Arnold Palmer.

This sad news followed closely the report of the death of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez in a boating accident. Fernandez, 24, was one of the three who died in an early morning crash into a jetty near Miami. The grieving Marlins canceled their Sunday game with the Atlanta Braves and baseball lost a true standout.

NFL

Only two teams can claim 3-0 records and they’re not the ones you would think. The Philadelphia Eagles, who traded quarterback Sam Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings to start rookie Carson Wentz, are one. The Vikings are the other. The Eagles dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-3 with Wentz throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns; the Vikings spotted the Carolina Panthers a 10-point lead in Charlotte, N.C., and then beat them 22-10. Minnesota sacked Cam Newton eight times and intercepted him three times.

College Football

Firing time arrived Sunday and it was ugly. LSU, after falling to Auburn and unhappy with a 2-2 record, fired coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Florida International (0-4) dismissed head coach Ron Turner. Notre Dame, 1-3, bounced defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder. … The AP college football poll’s top five remained the same: Alabama, Ohio State, Louisville, Michigan, Clemson.

Elsewhere
Kevin Harvick won the Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the second race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. The victory moved Harvick into the round of 12. Matt Kenseth was second and Kyle Busch third. … Ryan Moore was named the final captain’s pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Play begins later this week at Hazeltine. … Charlie Culberson’s two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning on Sunday night gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies and their fourth straight National League West Division title. Boston beat Tampa Bay 4-3 in 10 innings for the Red Sox’s 11th straight victory. They’ve clinched a playoff berth.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman