I’m reading Franklin Foer’s How Soccer Explains the World right now which is actually a pretty good read. Sports often offer a telling insight into a culture, and Foer is a great storyteller. Coincidently, the ESPN E-Ticket this week is about women’s basketball in Russia where Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are playing in the winters between WNBA seasons. They are getting paid 5-10 times what they make in the WNBA, have a free house, drivers, cooks, the whole nine yards. While both are born in the States, they play under an Israeli and Italian passport respectively, since Russian clubs have to have a minimum of Russian and European players. It’s a fascinating article.

ESPN.com is carrying Sheryl Swoopes’ — what should I call it? — announcement, I guess, that she’s gay. The article is in Swoopes’ own words and it’s yet another interesting look into the personal decision process that gays have to go through when choosing to come out. Beyond that, though, my original reaction is, “Oh, ok.” I filed it away as a bit of trivia, and moved on.

I don’t mean to trivialize her decision or the pain or process she had to go through to come out. My point is that I think we’re just at a point that unless their sexuality contradicts something about their public persona, well, it’s not news. So, for example, if a hard core Republican and Christian conservative comes out it’s big news. If Anne Heche decides she’s really bisexual after being very loud and proud about being a lesbian, it’s news. I guess I should add “to me” when I’m talking about this. But Sheryl Swoopes… her abilities and my perception of her has nothing to do with her sexuality in the same way that I don’t care that she’s a mom or a divorcee or lives wherever she does. So, I’m happy for her, but I’m not really going to linger on that story like I would something else.

Jim Rome just took Swoopes to task on his show about this statement:

Male athletes of my caliber probably feel like they have a lot more to lose than gain. I don’t agree with that.

He doesn’t believe that this is true, and he’s probably right from his perspective. Professionally, it’s probably very hard for a male athlete to enjoy the same professional life if he were to come out. Keep in mind, the male equivalent to Swoopes would be Shaq, Kobe, Iverson, or one of that tier of guys. Life would probably be different (and get pretty ugly) if someone with that visibility and those endorsement deals came out. I still think Rome missed Swoopes’ point, though, which was about the personal, not the professional:

To me, the most important thing is happiness. I could have all the endorsements and all the money in the world, but if I’m not happy with who I am, that other stuff is not going to make me happy either. I know I’ve got to deal with the consequences of coming out, but I feel like I’ll be able to be free.

To be me.

Good for her.