‘Sports Wives’ skips a few bases

America may not have a formal system of royalty, but there is certainly an argument to be made that professional athletes have become a kind of nouveau riche aristocracy. Like rappers, movie stars and rockers, professional athletes enjoy lifestyles lavish enough to stir the interest of commoners -- or at least TV viewers.

One might suppose that this is the point of tonight’s A&E; presentation, “Sports Wives,” but that would be slightly off base. If its title suggests a tete-a-tete between, say, Vanessa (Mrs. Kobe) Bryant and Kay (Mrs. Karl) Malone, it’s actually a fairly straightforward documentary on the hectic, if gilded, lives of four women married to current or former professional athletes.

The program adoringly shows off the families’ multiple, well-appointed homes and vehicles while simultaneously stressing the just-plain-folks regularity of their children-centered lives. It’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous -- Family Values Edition.”

“I’m not sure a lot of people would want my life, or our life,” says Debbie Clemens, deeply underestimating the public’s capacity for envy. Clemens, the wife of likely Hall-of-Fame pitcher Roger, is alluding to the separations imposed by her husband’s rigorous travel schedule -- though his current contract with the Houston Astros allows him to miss road trips when he’s not starting -- and the pressures of living in the public eye.

Fans of celebrity-gazing, however, may be so taken with the luxurious Hummer she drives or the Clemens’ opulent digs -- which include an indoor workout space that would put your local Bally Total Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness to shame -- that they might be willing to put up with the inconvenience.

Beyond the rampant materialism, however, there is much to admire about the women. Pattie Petty, wife of NASCAR driver Kyle and a member of one of stock car racing’s most famous families, deals with the death of her 19-year-old son, Adam, in a 2000 racing accident by fundraising and maintaining a camp for chronically ill children.

Charisse Strawberry, whose husband, former baseball star Darryl, has faced a long battle with substance abuse, tirelessly works as an advocate for families and friends of those suffering from alcoholism and other addictions.

The family of Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre and his wife, Deanna, has faced a string of tragedies and adversity, with Deanna having to hold them together.

All four women are high-energy types who make time for charity while being fiercely protective of their husbands and families.

You can’t help but notice that many of the challenges the women face are very similar to those of the average soccer mom -- cushioned by extreme privilege. Three of the women -- Clemens, Favre and Strawberry -- are literally shown chauffeuring their children to various athletic and school events in SUVs and though their schedules are packed, it’s the families’ wealth that allows them to be so devoted in the first place.

The show uses sports-style graphics -- bubble-gum-card-inspired “stats,” information conveyed in a crawl along the bottom of the screen and a telestrator to identify supporting figures and point out minutia -- to enliven things visually. But at two hours, “Sports Wives” is too long by half, and the emphasis on ostentation detracts from the more interesting aspects of these lives.

What’s distinctive are the stories of the women themselves. Dallying over their possessions accomplishes little, other than potentially boosting lottery ticket sales.

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‘A&E; Special Presentation: Sports Wives’

Where: A&E;

When: 9 p.m.

Ratings: TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children)

Deanna Favre...Herself

Debbie Clemens...Herself

Charisse Strawberry...Herself

Pattie Petty...Herself

Executive producers Nancy Dubuc, Michael Morrison, Nancy Saslow and Carolyn Carmines.