[May 22, 2013] The Sacramento Bee Leading Off column Tweet May 22, 2013 (The Sacramento Bee - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- After registering at Bed Bath & Beyond for gifts for his upcoming wedding -- an act meant to provide guidance to people invited to the nuptials -- Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III and his fiancee received gifts purchased at the store not by friends but by his fans. These folks learned, originally through a story in the Washington Post, where the couple were registered, then filled the wish list that included basic stuff such as bath towels, a melon baller, cookware and picture frames. It's cool that Griffin is down-home enough to have registered at BB&B. He showed he doesn't want his family and friends to go broke celebrating his big day. As for the modest windfall he received from fans, he used social media to thank them, posted a photo of himself with his fiancee and has defended their generosity. Why defend Maybe because, though there's nothing essentially wrong with buying gifts for complete strangers, there is something sort of weird about it. Etiquette holds that gifts should be provided by those invited to the wedding -- not those who wish they were invited. Reality, though, stomps on such arcane notions. Hard-core fans who desire a deeper bond with their heroes seek ways to get some love, whether as a Facebook friend, Twitter follower or gift-giver. But -- spoiler alert! -- those gifts aren't getting anybody invited to RG3's next party. Not only that, but it's a good bet those fans bought up most of the really inexpensive stuff, leaving Griffin's real guests stuck buying that $65 jerky maker. What to watch NBA, Indiana at Miami, 5:30 p.m., TNT: The Pacers look for the upset in Game 1 of Eastern Conference finals. Today's poll Why would you send a gift to a sports figure --Wedding --Sympathy --Birthday --I wouldn't Vote above or leave your comments in the comment field Tuesday's results Should Mayor Kevin Johnson have his jersey retired at a new downtown Kings arena --Yes, he deserves it: 66% --No, Kings players only: 34% Total votes: 376 ___ (c)2013 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) Visit The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) at www.sacbee.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]