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Brandon Jacobs receives note and $3.36 from six-year-old Giants fan (photo)

Jason Rowan
| June 6, 2012

In one of the sweetest, tugs-at-the-hearstrings stories you’ll likely read in some time, Joe, a six-year-old New York Giants fan, sent former Giants player and current San Francisco 49ers running back Brandon Jacobs a heartfelt note in the hopes that his message and the $3.36 he sent along with it would somehow help Jacobs return and continue to be a member of the Giants squad.

Jacobs was released by the Giants in March and Joe was informed by his mother that the reason behind Jacobs’ departure was that “The Giants didn’t have enough money to keep him.” Joe, with his mother’s help, sent his message to Jacobs, along with the few dollars and change he had in his possession.

Photo of Joe’s letter, as well as tweets from Jacobs about how much this little boy’s actions moved him, follows.

(click to enlarge)

Jacobs, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers in late March, was clearly charmed by young Joe’s message, as illustrated by the several tweets below:

It’s great that Jacobs says he is going to do something special for the boy and I hope he follows through on his promise.

Despite the lengths we go to lamenting how much the business of pro sports has changed players for the worse, causing them to become even more greedy and appear unappreciative of the dedication fans routinely display for them; and how that greed further corrupts our ability to relate and feel a connection with them, isn’t the way in which a young child can be affected so dramatically by their perceived closeness to their favorite athletes really at its core what sports are all about? And doesn’t Joe’s letter take you back and remember what is like to be his age and remind you of why you loved sports in the first place? It certainly does for me.

[H/T Deadspin]