I have no problem with someone who has lived in the spotlight for years retreating and basically being asked to be left alone. DiMaggio sort of did that (though also continued to get then lucrative advertising gigs). What I have a real problem with is someone coming to a card show and putting themselves out there for a a payday and then acting like a a-hole. No one is asking you to do it. Don't act like your skin is crawling that I just handed you $50 for an autograph. You signed on for it.
I also think a lot of bad athlete-fan interactions clearly are the fault of the public. You see a guy at a nice restaurant with his family enjoying dinner, don't walk up to his table in the middle of a meal and ask him to sign something. See a guy rushing through the airport, say hello and leave him alone. I read an article about Paul McCartney once, an amazing cool person, and he said everytime he goes anywhere now a dozen people ask him to stop for a picture. No matter how grateful you are, that has to get grating after a while.
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