by Kent Rupe

There has been no shortage this week of newspaper articles and sportsradio talk show time devoted to John Amaechi, the former college and professional basketball player who's "coming out" this week...with a book, to be released on Valentine's Day, detailing his life as a gay man in the NBA.

And as the headlines continue to come and go...and the radio discussion rambles on...I've wondered what all the fuss is about.  I covered the Jazz when Amaechi played for them, I may have even suspected he was gay, but I do not remember caring about his lifestyle choices or sexual preferences then...and I couldn't care less about those things now.

Amaechi was by no means a key player for the Jazz, but I don't suspect his lifestyle affected his play on the court.  And whether his teammates knew about his homosexuality or not, I have no reason to think it affected the way they played the game either.

If an NBA player chooses to marry or stay single, we don't care.

If he's smart with his money or more carefree, it doesn't matter.

If he dresses up on game day or prefers jeans and t-shirts, what's the difference?

Gay or straight, I don't care...just work hard on the court and do everything you can to help your team achieve its goals...and we're all cool, right?