Cancer Society Burns Jordan Over Cigar Shots

Posted Sep 2nd 2008 3:05PM by TMZ Staff

Millions of kids still wanna be like Mike -- and according to the American Cancer Society, that's a bad thing.

The ACS is fuming over several photos TMZ posted earlier of MJ playing softball with a fat stogie hangin' out of his mouth. Now, the ACS has unleashed a mouthpiece of their own, their former president Cary Presant MD, who told us, "When high profile athletes publicly display unhealthful habits they can mislead young people to emulate their behavior. According to the American Cancer Society tobacco use in this country is responsible for 1/3 of all cancers and remains the most preventable cause of death in our society. 8.6 million Americans suffer from chronic smoking-related disease. Since 1964 smoking has cause more than 12 million premature deaths in the U.S."

Calls to Jordan's reps were not returned.

Filed under: Talk Sports


Tags: american cancer society, AmericanCancerSociety, cancer, cigar, michael jordan, MichaelJordan, mj

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1. AGAIN!!!!! HERE IS A SITUATION WHERE TMZ.COM CREATES CONTROVERSY INSTEAD OF REPORTING IT... THEY ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH STARTING GOSSIP ETC... ALL TABLOIDS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF SCRUTINY IMPOSED UPON THEM THAT THEY IMPOSE UPON OTHERS. TMZ.COM EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE STALKED AND THEIR HOME ADDRESSES AND FAMILIES STALKED THE WAY THEY STALK OTHERS...LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD. ITS NOT THAT HARD TO FIND INTERNAL COMPANY EMPLOYEE LISTS AND POST THEM ON THE INTERNET FOR ALL TO SEE. USE THE SAME LEVEL OF RESEARCH UPON TMZ AND ITS EMPLOYEES THAT THEY USE UPON OTHERS

Posted at 3:15PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by TOM

2. Michael's smoking is HIS business, and the ACS should mind their OWN!

Posted at 3:16PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by my2.5cent

3. Gimmie a break. worried about a cigar? why not all the artificial sweetener? Bunch of idiots.

Posted at 3:17PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by real k

4. Hasn't Jordan been out of the limelight now for a few to several years? Are these people expected to live the lives of saints the rest of their lives once no longer in the limelight?

Posted at 3:20PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by The Observer

5. yea we're going to see a bunch of inner city kids running around with cigars hanging out of their mouths

Posted at 3:23PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by Switch

6. They are talking crap about Mike and the poor image that he's displaying. But all will be fine and dandy if Mike wrote them out a check.

Posted at 3:23PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by cheese925

7. Damn. These celebrities had better start doing a better job raising my kids!

Posted at 3:26PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by grow up

8. While I do agree that people are free to do as they wish, I also agree with the ACS. I smoke, but think that smoking should be banned everywhere kids are. Ban it in cars if there are kids under 18 or 21, ban it in parks, ban it anywhere near a school (Even on the sidewalk in front of the school), ban it in front of restaurants (Not bars, kids would not be there). Anyways, point being, if the nasty habit were banned the way drugs are, there would be a lot less kids starting to smoke. Kinda, sorta...

Posted at 3:27PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by kinda sorta?

9. Can you say "parental guidance?" Too many political and health organizations in the homes of perfectly able families (though those are dwindling). If I wanted Michael Jordan to be responsible for my child's health, I would have had a baby with him. That is how far fetched this.

Posted at 3:28PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by Blooz

10. Michael Jordan is a citizen of the United States which means he has the freedom to do whatever the hell he wants, barring it does not break the law.. Cigar smoking does not. The ACS needs to jump down off his back. Who do they think they are getting pissed because he chose to smoke a cigar? He's a grown-ass man. All these organizations that piss and moan because celebrities do something they don't like can blow me. Since when did we decide it was up to Michael Jordan or Lindsay Lohan to raise our children?

Posted at 3:31PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by Mackenzie

11. You cant even enjoy a simple pleasure like a cigar anymore....without some freakin group coming down on you with a guilt trip... People should just mind their own damn business

Posted at 3:31PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by Anonymous

12. If you hate TMZ so much why do you visit it, and are the first to comment it everyday. Get a life.

Posted at 3:33PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by Shut Up Haters

13. Athletes smoking should be the least of the ACS's concerns ... drugs, gang violence, shootings, prostitutes cruises.

Posted at 3:36PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by draax

14. 7. Damn. These celebrities had better start doing a better job raising my kids!

Posted at 3:26PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by grow up

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Thanks!! I needed a good laugh today!!

Posted at 3:40PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by Kitty Angel

15.
just like the good ol' chicago boys " smoked " his dad and

forced M.JOKER to quit playing basketball in his prime......

Posted at 3:41PM on Sep 2nd 2008 by jeffrey dahmer

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