On Wednesday, Chicago’s city council made the use of smokeless tobacco illegal inside sports stadiums in the Windy City. The law applies to everyone from fans to players and managers.
As you might expect, not everyone is pleased about being told they won’t be able to feed their addiction and partake in a harmful act that has become a baseball tradition. Cubs pitcher John Lackey is among those who are miffed.
“We’re grown men,” Lackey said, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. “People in the stands can have a beer, but we can’t do what we want? That’s a little messed up.”
Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who doesn’t even use smokeless tobacco anymore, agrees with Lackey.
“I’m into personal freedoms,” he said. “I don’t understand the point with all that. Just eradicate tobacco period if you’re going to go that route. I’m not into over-legislating the human race, so for me I’ll just have to listen and learn.
“I stopped chewing tobacco 15 years ago. I know the pitfalls. I’m into education. Educate the masses, and then everybody can make their own decisions. That’s what I’m all about.”
Cubs catcher Jesus Montero expressed a slightly more optimistic view on the ban, but we know there are going to be plenty of people like Lackey who oppose it. The law will become official in 90 days, and we doubt players will adhere to it all that closely.
