The Dwight Howard free-agency saga has been the highlight of the NBA offseason so far, as predicted on WPN back in May. Unfortunately, that saga includes the talented center’s apprehension in picking his new team.

Earlier today it appeared that the will-he won’t-he madness had come to a close as several sources reported that he had decided to take his much lusted after talents to Texas as a member of the Houston Rockets. What no one saw coming was his call to his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers, in which he reportedly said that he is 50-50 on whether to take Houston’s offer or remain in LA, which came just hours later.

The indecision of athletes and the headache that accompanies it is nothing new to sports fans; even those with no interest in the NBA remember the media circus that surrounded the Miami Heat’s acquisition of LeBron James.

Events like what occurred today are far too common in professional sports and only serve to further separate fans from athletes. When the money in question is in an amount most of us will never see it can be difficult to muster up the interest to follow the story to its conclusion. Even worse, they make a mockery of the sport, as evidenced by the outburst of quippy Twitter responses to Howard’s indecision.

Report: Dwight Howard now deciding between Rockets, Lakers, New England Patriots, Food Network, Olive Garden and the Chicago Blackhawks

— Drunk Baby (@HungoverBaby) July 6, 2013

Lost in the talk of Howard is how his holding the teams hostage affects other players. Current Houston Center Omer Asik, a valued player in his own right, has made it clear that he has no interest in playing either behind or alongside Howard.

In the end, Howard will get his money and be a coveted asset of whatever team he chooses. The fans of the franchise will cheer him and buy jerseys, and he may even help them win a championship. However, in a few years we may find ourselves in this same situation: caught up in the apprehensive decision making of an individual that we have so little in common with.