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Arnold Palmer's 'SportsCenter' ad was an instant classic

Golf lost a true legend on Sunday as Arnold Palmer died at 87.

Palmer remained an icon years past his prime, and even away from golf, he forever ended the dilemma of choosing between lemonade and iced tea. The drink, the “Arnold Palmer,” was indeed started by Arnold Palmer as a combination of iced tea and lemonade.

So simple, yet so delicious.

He explained the origin of the drink in a 30 for 30 short.

He said via USA TODAY Sports:

“My wife made a lot of iced tea for lunch, and I said, ‘Hey babe, I’ve got an idea.’ You make the iced tea and make a big pitcher, and we’ll just put a little lemonade in it and see how that works. We mixed it up, and I got the solution about where I wanted it and I put the lemonade in it. I had it for lunch after working on the golf course. I thought, ‘Boy, this is great, babe. I’m going to take it when I play golf. I’m going to take a thermos of iced tea and lemonade.'”

The idea was so great that AriZona Beverage Co., invested in his drink and launched an “Arnold Palmer” iced tea and lemonade brand.

It took off, and everything came together with his classic “This is SportsCenter” commercial from 2010. Arnold Palmer made an Arnold Palmer, and it was absolutely perfect.

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