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Social media continues to bring athletes, fans closer in ways never before possible

"Before Facebook, Twitter and e-mail, if a fan wanted to reach a professional athlete, there generally were two routes: either some personal connection or a pen and paper," Amy K. Nelson writes. "You’d stuff the paper in an envelope, stamp it, ship it, wait and hope. The letter probably would sit in a tub on the ground in the athlete’s locker room. If the athlete was a superstar, it likely was wedged between thousands of others. Technology has allowed social-networking sites to change the dynamic between player and fan. In particular, the emergence of smart phones has brought fans and athletes even closer."
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