Mike Bianchi: Smoking casts its carcinogenic cloud over golf

“It keeps me from killing certain people.”

Remember the old rock 'n' roll song Smokin' In The Boys Room about the teenage juvenile delinquents who used to sneak into the school bathroom and puff away on cancer sticks? "Smokin' in the boys' room Smokin' ... via The Orlando Sentinel

[Tom]

Mike,

You need to get a life. Smokers on the PGA tour is a non issue.

[FUNNY]

Biatchie, your a d**che.

[smokers stink]

No doubt the first two posters are smokers. If golfers are allowed to smoke on the course, then they should be allowed to drink while playing (a drug is a drug). If golfers want to be taken seriously by the youth of our country as athletes, then they should ban smoking during competition immediately.

[Bill]

I am not a smoker and I agree with the first two posters

Its a non issue and a waste of time energy and money. Leave them alone.

Maybe the writer has nothing else to do with his time or maybe we should find out what he does that we dont like and get someone to ban it

I never taught my children to look up to any athlete or anyone else except ma and pa.

Enough is enough

[Bill from Williamsport PA]

If you ever wonder why people around the world hate Americans, all you have to do is read this article. Mike Bianchi wants to force his personal opinion down the throats of all the international competitors who play the game. What nonsense! This from someone who loves to play golf and has never smoked in his life.

[Harv]

I DON'T SMOKE AND TO BE TRUETHFUL I HARDLY EVEN SEE A GOLFER SMOKE AND I'M RATHER ANTISMOKING AND MY BUTTON NEVER SEEMS TO GO OFF SO MAYBE YOU ARE WASTING INK ON A VERY MINOR PROBLEM. I DO SEE BIG JOHN SMOKE BUT HE'S SUCH A SAD CLOWN IT DOEN'T MATTER WHICH IS SAD. OH, BASEBALL PLAYERS SUCK AND CHEW TO GET THEIR CANCER. IF YOU ARE STUPID ENOUGH TO ENDULGE IN CRAP THAT WILL KILL YOU WHY DO YOU FEEL A NEED TO BABY SIT THEM. LET'EM DIE AND I HOPE IT HURTS LIKE HELL ON THE WAY OUT. PS. MAKE'M PAY FOR ALL OUR INSURRANCE PAYMENTS ALSO. HAPPY EASTER

[Brad]

Haha. I read your article and the opened the paper to find a huge spread on Pro rasslin.

You guys really don't have a clue what is a sport and what is not.

[TJK]

I just don't buy into golfers being athletes or golf as a sport, it's a activity, like walking is.
As for whether PGA players smoke or not while playing is a big who cares, I see dozens of golfers where I golf smoke and drink while playing, as a non-smoker myself it dosen't bother me one way or another, what bothers me is the ones that take 10 minutes to look for a $1 ball they lost while holding up the rest of the course...

[Reality Check]

TJK wrote:

I just don't buy into golfers being athletes or golf as a sport, it's a activity, like walking is.
As for whether PGA players smoke or not while playing is a big who cares, I see dozens of golfers where I golf smoke and drink while playing, as a non-smoker myself it dosen't bother me one way or another, what bothers me is the ones that take 10 minutes to look for a $1 ball they lost while holding up the rest of the course...

Please define athlete and sport so we know why you don't feel golf falls into these catagories. It's easy to make a statement, it's another thing to back it up with articulate reasons.

[mrjx]

Let's start off with Tobacco is a LEGAL Product that is LEGAL to use, without a persciption, unlike steroids. Smoking a cigarette will not impair your judgement as does alcohol...As for being a good role model for children, I think golfers could show up naked and wasted on crack....how many children would be effected by this site??? 3, maybe four...and two of them would be related to the golfers themselves. What I am getting at is like the first couple of posters said, this is a non issue. Tobacco use is a perfectly legal activity and golf is not as popular as golfers would like the rest of the world to believe. www.ourtownreport.com

[Golf Fan]

I don't really disagree with you but can't you find something more important to pick on.

[Golf Fan]

smokers stink wrote:

No doubt the first two posters are smokers. If golfers are allowed to smoke on the course, then they should be allowed to drink while playing (a drug is a drug). If golfers want to be taken seriously by the youth of our country as athletes, then they should ban smoking during competition immediately.

For the record I don't smoke and you are way off base here. A drug is a drug and the so called golfer athletes should be able to drink while playing. I guess should all the professional football and basketball athletes be able to smoke dope while they play. If they want to be taken seriously shouldn't they put down the bong. Go get a life and quit throwing stones at other people.

[Golf Fan]

mrjx wrote:

Let's start off with Tobacco is a LEGAL Product that is LEGAL to use, without a persciption, unlike steroids. Smoking a cigarette will not impair your judgement as does alcohol...As for being a good role model for children, I think golfers could show up naked and wasted on crack....how many children would be effected by this site??? 3, maybe four...and two of them would be related to the golfers themselves. What I am getting at is like the first couple of posters said, this is a non issue. Tobacco use is a perfectly legal activity and golf is not as popular as golfers would like the rest of the world to believe. www.ourtownreport.com

I agree 99% with you with the exception that between equipment, green fees and travel golf was well over a $50 billion dollar industry last year. So it actually is pretty big.

[Whiskeyman]

"Hey, if Finchem is going to allow cigarettes, why not set up a table at every hole so the golfers can have beer and pretzels, too?"

One of the best ideas you've published!!! But skip the pretzels,... too much salt.

By the way, steroids are used by cheaters in competition. Cigarettes are used by "hackers!"

[THE SHADOW KNOWS]

Mike...you losing your grip !

[Phil Garcia]

This writer must have a lot of free time to write such a worthless story. Get a life.

[NashPred]

I don't smoke but, seriously, who cares? I'm sick of the "what about the children?" defense when decrying every activity one considers unseemly. It was your own choice to bring more brats into the world, it should be your responsibility to shield them from everything you fear. If golfers want to smoke, then by God let 'em. Other than John Daly, I'm usually unaware that they do so. I had no idea how much Nick Price smoked till I read about it. I've never seen him smoke on camera. All the parents scared their kids might see something they don't approve of need to exit the Baptist Bubble and discover the real world the rest of us live happily in.

[Tinman13]

Phil Garcia wrote:

This writer must have a lot of free time to write such a worthless story. Get a life.

First I would like to thank all of the posters here. I almost didn't read the comments because I wasn't up for hearing a bunch of whiny, self righteous losers that want to stir up crap at every opportunity. What a pleasant surprise!

Hey Mikey, it's not the same thing walking down the fairway with a cig after you've played your shot and puffin' away running down a basketball court. Get a grip dude.

BTW, what are you Lefties going to try to take away next? Coffee? Pepsi? You know caffeine goes extremely well with a good smoke? Maybe the Orange Juice drinkers have an edge over the non-O.J. drinkers, so maybe you should make all competitors adhere to the same diet.

Your pitiful!!!

[Albert]

I think, its a silly idea to banned smoking from PGA Tour or in any golf courses. It is against a human rights. As long as you are not puffing or suffering anybody around you, its harmless.

[Bogey]

The players on the PGA are incredible at what they do. Most men dream of hitting ONE shot as well as a Tiger or a Cabrera in their life, and these guys do it every damn day. Hater's hate and players play. This would be interesting if it involved marijuana, but still barely newsworthy.