ON A SWELTERING Sunday in July, a 14-year-old basketball superfan walks to a mailbox in central Connecticut. He holds 14 letters and fans them out like a poker hand, before pushing them through the mail slot. Some are addressed to his favorite NBA and WNBA players. Others, to his favorite coaches. All of them are written, by hand, with some words of encouragement, some questions about the basketball bubbles and one simple, final question: Can I have your autograph?
He approaches the mailbox with a general suspicion that this might all be a colossal waste of time.