Posted on 10/07/2009 7:57:11 AM PDT by SmithL
San Francisco is asking basketball superstar Michael Jordan to snuff out the cigars, after he was caught on the front page of The Chronicle's Sporting Green breaking the city's ban on smoking on public golf courses.
City officials sprang into action after seeing the full-color photo Tuesday of the NBA Hall of Famer enjoying a good cigar while teeing off at Harding Park's 14th hole during a Presidents Cup practice round.
In an interview with PGATour.com, Jordan was asked how many cigars he planned to smoke during this week's tournament.
"Well," Jordan replied, "that depends, because I heard this is a public place, so they limit what you can smoke. I'm not even supposed to be smoking, but this was a practice round and no one said anything."
If he is permitted to smoke, Jordan said, "I would say (it's) a three-cigar round. I would try to keep it at a minimum of three."
And what is the city's response?
"You mean about Spare the Air Jordan?" said Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg.
"I've already sent off an e-mail to the PGA Tour director," Ginsburg said. "It was sort of a gentle nudge reminding them that smoking is illegal and that we would appreciate their support."
Initially, public golf courses were exempt from the city's many smoking bans. However, in 2006, after much debate, the Board of Supervisors narrowly voted to apply the same rules to golf courses as other parks - including the possibility of a $100 fine for violators.
"But don't expect me to ask him for it," said city attorney's spokesman Matt Dorsey.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
We all know trees can suffer from second hand smoke. Come on Michael, think about the trees. lol
I'm sure they'd make an exception for this guy. In fact they'll make it legal - just for him.
...and the practice round he participated in was probably a fund raiser as well where he's donating his time to appear or maybe paying for it as well with a hefty donation. (I might be wrong too...)
SF is wackytown.
I thought I kept running into homeless people talking to themselves but they actually have bluetooths and cellphones.
And I don’t call them homeless because they looked like stinking hippies 40 years later. I call them homeless because they had their hands out with begging signs.
Tobacco is a plant. When you burn a plant you are hurting the environment and you make Smokey The Bear CRY!!
I HATE smoke and think smoking is disgusting and stupid.
That said, outdoor smoking bans in wide open, public spaces are outrageous.
But, being San Francisco, if he was involved in too public same sex “affections”, that would be ok. But cigars offend the sensibilities of the liberal SF gov’t officials, not graphic sexual displays.
How in the world did the stupid humans in America decide that you can't smoke or even drink outside in the fresh air?
I quit smoking a few years back but I still imagine defending myself in a "second-hand smoking" lawsuit by asking for verifiable, measurable, life-threateneing lung damage inflicted by me and me alone as opposed to general air pollution, their own closer proximity to other smokers, their own possible smoking experiences (of all kinds) their proximity to their own car's exhaust pipe, outdoor barbecues, etc.
This prohibiting of legal behavior without demonstrable harm is ANATHEMA to a free society.
And it's getting worse by the day, if not the hour.
Are they going to ask them not to drink beer while golfing also?
Only geographically...
Smoking is unacceptable but cheating on your wife is cool!
I think they need to mind their own business.
LOL. Gasp! How will we explain it to the chiles.
I lived in the East Bay Area during my high school years. No matter where you go all you see is God's handy work in the beauty that surrounds you. The sight of the morning fog rolling across the bay from the Pacific Ocean will leave you breathless. It is such a shame that the scum bags that live there insure that I will never see that beauty again. But I do miss it.
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