What’s the big deal?

I don’t know if this is big news, but golfer Tiger Woods recently had multiple mistresses and now he and his wife are contemplating divorce.

If my tone didn’t translate through the Web, then let me tell you: I’m being sarcastic.

The news broke about Woods in late 2009 and the Perez Hilton-wannabees are still buzzing about it. Even reputable journalism sources like ABC news have picked up a story or two about the rising number of women that Woods slept with outside of his wife.

Woods made a huge error and undoubtedly caused a huge stir trend of people blowing up celebrity divorce cases, even without any scandal in question.

People in the public eye, like movie and television actors and sports stars are constantly being talked about. Hell, there are countless blogs, Web sites and magazines devoted to tracking every minute of celebrity life.

I understand that people are fascinated with famous individuals, but when did splashing a less-than-scandalous divorce across page 6 qualify as news? And even more importantly, why are divorce cases being covered by major newspapers?

Case in point: 76er’s player Allen Iverson’s recent divorce from his wife Tawanna Iverson this week.

There is no evidence of domestic abuse, illegimate children or adultery. Iverson didn’t sneak around with nine(ish) women, participate in a dog-fighting ring or pretend to send his children around the state in a homemade hot air balloon.

And yet, the Philadelphia Inquirer, arguably the most prominent newspaper in the City of Brotherly Love, ran an article about Iverson’s divorce from his wife.

So let me ask you: What’s the big deal?

Iverson’s getting a divorce. Who cares? 3.5 per 1,000 people in the U.S. also split from their spouses, according to the Center of Disease Control Web site in the 2008 census.

In the case of Tiger Woods, for example, there are extrenuating circumstances because there was a fairly large scandal involved, but as of now, there is no scandal in the case of Allen vs. Tawanna. There is no reason for the split except for that the Iverson’s marriage was  ”irretrievably broken,” as claimed the article in the Inquirer.

Iverson is a very popular basketball player, and has been since he was a first draft pick in 1996. He has an impossible training schedule, is constantly traveling and clearly is not home often to be with his wife and their five children. Call me naive, but I’m sure that Tawanna probably knew what she was getting into when she married the Sixer’s star. Nevertheless, it’s no mystery why they are getting divorced.

So who cares? When did celebrity gossip get so important that newspapers like the Philly Inquirer decide to run pieces on Iverson’s unentertaining divorce? And why are people so enthralled with the rich and the famous that they want to read about celebrity heartbreak when eating their bagels on Sunday morning?

Instead of focusing on celebrity drama, major newspapers should be writing about things that actually matter, instead of making a mockery of print journalism (or at least what I thought print journalism was) by writing about drama that will inevitably be drawn out until late summer pending rumors and other craziness.

Leave that to Perez Hilton.

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