Jordan reminded of no-smoking zone

If this had happened a month ago, the San Francisco Chronicle and city officials would have been another party skewered in Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame induction speech.

The newspaper published photos Tuesday of Jordan smoking a cigar during a practice round at Harding Park, despite the city’s ban on smoking on public golf courses. City officials asked the PGA Tour to remind Jordan he can’t smoke while being an honorary assistant at the Presidents Cup.

“It was sort of a gentle nudge reminding them that smoking is illegal and that we would appreciate their support,� Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg told the Chronicle.

As for enforcing the $100 fine on Jordan? Matt Dorsey, the spokesman for City Atty. Dennis Herrera, remains unsure how that will play out.

Said Dorsey: “But don’t expect me to ask him for it.�

Trivia question

How many former Lakers players are in the top 10 of the NBA’s all-time scoring list?

Money talks

Though Forbes magazine recently calculated that golfer Tiger Woods became the first athlete to reach $1 billion in earnings, Woods says he hasn’t made that much . . . yet.

“I don’t know where that number came from,� Woods told reporters at the Presidents Cup news conference.

Golf.com’s Michael Walker Jr. suspects the public may never know when he reaches that plateau.

“He likely won’t know right away either,� Walker Jr. wrote, “and when he does learn, the only acknowledgment of the fact will probably be a private smile behind the tinted windows of a Buick SUV.�

The last home run

Take this as another reason why children should not accept gifts from strangers.

On July 16, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard hit his 200th career home run, which landed in the hands of 12-year-old Jennifer Valdivia at the Florida Marlins’ Shark Stadium. Afterward, Phillies officials escorted Valdivia alone to the clubhouse and persuaded her to accept an autographed ball from Howard in exchange for the home-run ball, which the girl accepted, the Miami Herald reported.

Valdiva’s family wasn’t happy about that trade and filed a lawsuit Monday asking to get the home-run ball back -- and Howard promptly sent it to them. But the action Valdiva’s parents took doesn’t set a good example, according to NBC Miami’s Todd Wright.

“It would have been a far better life lesson to congratulate the girl for being a good sport about it,� Wright wrote, “and understanding that the ball probably had far more emotional significance to Howard than to her family, which probably hopes to make a pretty penny off the historic ball at some point.�

Trivia answer

Three. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is first (38,387 points), Wilt Chamberlain fourth (31,419) and Shaquille O’Neal fifth (27,619).

And finally

Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com, on the possibility that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh would own the NFL’s St. Louis Rams: “When the Rams go 1-15, Limbaugh will blame it on the liberal media. Or ACORN.�

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