I can concur with Jim on this, though my personal experience is with Olympians. I try to get signatures from any and all Olympians, especially Americans. I have had a few send back unsigned notes that they do not sign through the mail. There is a 1950's gold medalist who keeps a log of who he receives requests from. He gives one signature with a full name personalization. I sent him a copy of a new photo from my collection last year and received an unsined note "I signed for you in 1993 when you lived in ****, MA and in 1999 when you lived in (different city), MA. I now live in Virginia and it is 14 years later. On the opposite side of the spectrum one Olympian was kind enough to include a note that he had not signed an autograph since competing in London in 1948, 64 years earlier. We have since corresponded several times including me sending him a nice 8x10 b&w copy of a photo of him competing in London that is in my personal archives.
You never know how someone will react. I was talking to an Olympian (1988 gymnast) at The National three weeks ago. She is President of the MidWest Olympians chapter of the US Olympians, the alumni association of athletes. She downplayed her career as being insignificant to that of Bob Beamon and Dick Fosbury who she was hanging out with. She was surprised I asked her to sign a few index cards. Like many earlier baseball players who retire and go on with life, there are quite a few Olympians who are the same way.
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