Not really. We love a good backstory. We love stories about athletes who express their humanity. People, whether we agree with it or not, want to have a personal connection with athletes. We want to believe that athletes are no different than the next man.
A lot of people support Ray Lewis and Tim Tebow because they express their faith every chance they get. I know Brandon Marshall is very open about his mental health struggles. There are people who can relate to that.
You have Jay Cutler who speaks about how he deals with diabetes. RA Dickey wrote and spoke extensively about him being sexually abused as a kid. How often have we heard someone say after hearing one of these personal stories folk say, "Dang, I didn't know that. I'm a fan now?" Or "because Lance Armstrong beat cancer, it inspired my recovery?"
It happens a bunch.
As far as the locker room goes, Rodman was out in public with wedding dresses on, and I don't think it distracted the Bulls from winning three rings with him on the roster.
Pro locker rooms have dealt with a lot worse than a dude coming out.