Today’s “Weekend Recap” won’t be dealing too much with what happened on the field. Truth be told, I’m only going to give a brief preview and my pick for Monday Night Football. Sports can wait for one day, because yesterday brought the tragic death of a budding star and the passing of a legendary figure. Before I delve into the morbidity of Sunday, I want to first pass my heartfelt condolences to the families of Arnold Palmer and Jose Fernandez.

Palmer rightfully will be remembered as a legend of his sport and left behind an indelible legacy. His impact will still be felt for years to come. Words can’t properly put into context what he meant for the sport of golf. I’m too young to have seen “The King” play in his prime, but the things I learned about him over the years truly gave me an appreciation for the athlete, but more importantly the man that Palmer was. Those that have met him and had the opportunity to speak with him all universally have great things to say about him. It’s not often you see a person with that kind of likability. The sport of golf lost one of the faces on its Mount Rushmore yesterday.

There really isn’t a terrific way to transition from one sad story to a truly tragic one. Tragedy is really the only way to describe the passing of Jose Fernandez at the age of 24 in a boating accident early Sunday morning. Maybe this hits me a little harder since I’m the same age as Fernandez, but I was shocked when I saw the news of his death when I woke up yesterday. I’m sure that as more information comes in on the accident, we’ll get a better idea of what led to the incident. But for now I want to focus on the person. Any baseball fan will tell you that Fernandez was the “next big thing” for baseball.

He was a budding superstar, and already was the ace of the Miami Marlins. His story is an amazing one. Escaping Cuba at the age of 15 to find a better life in the United States, Fernandez sought the American Dream. There have been some truly gripping stories about his four attempts to leave Cuba since news of his passing; all are worth giving a read if you have the chance. Fernandez was another person that was universally liked and respected by his peers. He meant so much to the Cuban community in Miami, and his passing is heartbreaking.

I may just be a voice among the masses, but I would have been remise if I didn’t offer up my thoughts on the passing of both these men.

So now onto a lighter topic, and that is tonight’s game between the Saints and Falcons. 10 years after the famous “Steve Gleason/Return to New Orleans” game, these division foes square off for the first time this season. I think this will be an offensive display all game long. Matt Ryan is on fire to start the season, and Drew Brees can still sling the ball all over the field. Lots of points will be put up by both of these explosive offenses. I’ll take the Saints tonight in a shootout.

Thanks for bearing with the somber recap today. Tomorrow I’ll do a full recap of the NFL and throw some college football in as well. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon on Facebook to keep the conversation going.