During this time of year, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the big name in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.  The Steelers hold their annual summer training camp activities at St. Vincent College in the town.  Hotels are jammed with Steelers fans looking to catch a glimpse of how their team is coming together.  Restaurants get many strayed hungry fans. 

Even St. Vincent College benefits from the Steelers' presence.  They were able to build improved sporting facilities from the financial backing that they receive by hosting training camp.

With the Palmer statue at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport

Given that the Steelers are defending Super Bowl champions, the interest in '09 training camp is even more heightened than usual.  In just a few short days, the parking lot for fans across from St. Vincent has turned to mud due to the volume of cars and people.

Provided how busy Latrobe is right now, one would think that the Steelers are the biggest name in town.  While that may be true each August, the driving name in town for the other eleven months of the year is Arnold Palmer.  Latrobe is Palmer's home town and - by extension - a town that has his name pasted everywhere.

A new real estate development in the town has his namesake in the title.  They're the Palmer Estates.  In a blue-collar town like Latrobe, the estates are modestly sized homes. 

Palmer also proliferates his own name as the owner of a GM dealership on US Route 30 - the main through road in town.  His dealership sells Buick, Pontiac, and Cadillac vehicles.  Soon that will be just two makes, but the town will still be filled with cars that don Palmer's well-recognized signature on the front license plate holder of cars sold from his dealership.

The King is a noted pilot.  He bought the first Cessna Citation X.  Knowing his passion for flight, it only seems natural that Westmoreland County's airport  was renamed in his honor in 1999.  With recent cuts in the passenger air industry, Arnold Palmer Regional Airport does not see a lot of daily traffic.  Today, the airport serves more as an homage to Palmer while it processes few flights each day.

Despite the omnipresence of the Palmer name and brand throughout the town, The King himself maintains a humble personal presence in Latrobe.

Palmer lives just across the street on Arnold Palmer Drive from his own Latrobe County Club, the club that his father Deacon designed after World War I and he bought in 1971.  Latrobe County Club is kind of hidden away from plain view.  Few cars pass by the course during the day.  The town seems to lack gawkers - residents or visitors - digging for the latest on Palmer and his club.

Despite that, the town and surrounding area is filled with golfers who have stories of their encounters with Arnold Palmer while at Latrobe Country Club.  People tell stories of Palmer riding around the grounds of the club, playing one hole at a time with a group.  Or golfers telling of how they somehow managed to get paired with Palmer on the course built into the hilly Laurel Highlands landscape.

On the verge of his 80th birthday, Palmer plays golf less than he did when he was younger.  He makes the rare professional appearance, but still shows occasionally to the delight of members and their guests.  Despite Palmer's age - and competition for fame from Fred Rogers - his name continues to be synomymous with the hard-working, humble spirit of Latrobe, PA.

No wonder the Steelers train here.  They can learn something from the values that transformed Arnold Palmer into a champion, golf legend, and statesman for the game.