New York ? The silence is deafening, like sitting up in Section 229 at the Meadowlands for a Net game in November. Where were the voices, to the right or to the left, for Bush or for Kerry or for the Green Party? We are only athletes, most of the sports standouts will tell you. The fans don’t want to hear our views, and the corporate sponsors want nothing to do with such controversy.

But Tuesday was Election Day, and surely professional athletes must have owned opinions on such matters as Iraq and health care systems and estate taxes. If actors, rock ‘n’ rollers and country western singers can state their cases, then why not sports stars?

Curt Schilling was one of the few guys talking, and talking, telling people in New England, of all places, to vote for George Bush on phone messages and in public appearances. It’s easy to mock him. Even those of us who don’t agree with him, however, must admit that Schilling, neck outstretched, was making an effort.

“Red Sox fans … trusted me when it was my turn on the mound,” Schilling says on the phone recording. “Now you can trust me on this — President Bush is the right leader for our country.”

Silly? Well, a bit. But it is no dumber than most paid political pleas and, again, at least Schilling was out there pitching. Turns out, he is more than a bloody sock. Schilling is a fiscal conservative. His flesh and bones have opinions. The next time Schilling takes the mound against the Yankees, we’ll have more reasons to cheer or boo him in New York than Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. We’ll remember: The guy liked Bush.

Few other athletes have followed suit, zipping their lips and pocketing their wallets. In the numbing tradition of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, most stars were sitting on their brains and their checkbooks. They play their sports, celebrate when they score and represent two-dimensional cartoon characters to the American spectator.

This is why it’s both a relief and a revelation to go to a Nets practice in North Jersey and find two athletes who are paying some attention.

Richard Jefferson, patriotic enough to donate his summer to the U.S. Olympic team, made a point of telling reporters in Athens that he didn’t vote for Bush in 2000, and was no fan of the president. Travis Best donated $2,000 to John Edwards’ primary campaign, and continued to be an active supporter of the Democratic team.

Best sort of fell into the whole political scene. A mutual friend was raising money and spoke well of Edwards. Best read up on the guy and then became, remarkably, one of only five NBA players to donate money to either a Democratic or a Republican presidential candidate, according to the Federal Election Commission rolls. Only 31 active athletes and coaches in any pro sport donated money to either candidate, although there were additional contributions from owners and league officials.

Fred Wilpon and George Steinbrenner each gave $2,000 to Bush. David Stern donated money to Democratic candidates not involved in the presidential race.

Women athletes may be more open to political banter. Both the U.S. Olympic softball and soccer players this summer held dialogues on the presidential contest. Julie Foudy led some of that discussion, and campaigned openly for Kerry (as did Andre Agassi and Grant Hill).

Foudy is out there, like Schilling, like Bruce Springsteen. They are the exceptions, the jocks who have joined the public debate.