Gallery: Athletes Smoking Cigarettes and Cigars

When we think of professional athletes, smoking isn't usually one of the things that we associate with them. After all, the habit isn't usually the best thing to take up when you're trying to do anything that could even remotely physical. How's a guy supposed to run down a pop fly when coughing up tar, anyway? Lighting up every now and then (or even every day) hasn't stopped any of these people from having a successful career, though. Michael Jordan, Arnold Palmer, and Mario Balotelli have all been photographed taking a few puffs. Obviously, we aren't saying that anyone should take up the habit, but you can't help but be impressed by a list like that. Click through to peep the photos of them and other sporting legends blowing a little smoke.

The self-proclaimed "Luckiest Man on the Face of This Earth" is showing just exactly why that was. Chilling in your clubhouse, having a beer, and smoking a cigarette. What more could you want?

[Insert bad pun about Kournikova's tennis career burning out, flaming out, etc.]

John Daly is that type of guy who knows that he's kind of a train wreck, knows that everyone else knows it, and yet continues to just give no fucks about it.

When all else fails...Balotelli. *Drizzy voice*

Name the last time an athlete made the cover of SI while he was casually smoking a cig.

If a boxer was going to be smoking, then Don King couldn't not be in the photo.

Looks like he's chewing the cigarette rather than smoking it.

Maris was under a lot of stress during the season when he broke Babe Ruth's home run record, having to deal with hate mail, death threats, and checkered relationship with the media. Can't fault the guy for taking a minute to relax with a Marlboro here.

Woosie looks like he barely even knows he's playing a golf tournament right now.

Bill Parcells back when he still smoked. The Big Tuna eventually had to quit because of heart and weight issues.

Tommy Heinsohn celebrating another Celtics title the right way.

Clarke has always caught a bit of flack for his smoking and hard-drinking ways, so how did answer his critics when he won the 2011 British Open? By having pint of Guinness delivered to him during his press conference. Stay winning, Darren.

Female hockey players are a tough breed. Canadian female hockey players? Something else altogether.

You know you've found the right caddy for you when he'll light one up with you on the course.

Two legends of the sport just sharing a smoke at the tee box. Perfect.

Ah, the 1960s. A time when love was free, the world was constantly changing, and the Dodgers could actually make the playoffs. Seems so far away...

Stan Mikita is often called the best center of the 1960s. Apparently, the man couldn't even be stopped by a smoking habit. Impressive.

Although we don't promote smoking, we do have to say that Hogan looks classy as hell here.

Austrian snowboarder Dieter Krassnig lights one up in between runs at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Back when he was on the team, star slugger Mark Teixeira apparently took issue with Washington's smoking and profanity in the dugout. Smoking is one thing, but not being able to handle a few curse words? Dude, what are you? 12?

Is it any suprise that there's a Frenchman on this list?

During the Mets' 1986 World Series run, Hernandez reportedly smoked two packs of cigarettes a day. Two! How could this guy even get around the bases without hacking up a lung?

This is not the face of a professional golfer, it's the face of the dude driving the range cart at your local municipal.

If you asked me to name a football player who likes to fish and smoke, Randy Moss probably would've been the last guy I chose.

This picture pretty much sums up exactly why Yankees fans hate A-Rod so much.

Jim Leyland is as old school as it gets in baseball. Honestly, if you ever asked him to stop smoking, he'd probably just put his cigarette out on your face.

Pictured here: MJ enjoying yet another victory cigar. He's earned a lifetime supply of them.

Despite the fact that he was the face of an anti-smoking campaign run in 2002, Zidane was pictured here smoking a cig during France's World Cup run in 2006. Nice.

Dave Parker was known as "The Cobra" during his playing days, which is perfect because a 40 oz. of King Cobra would fit right in this photo.