Spectator yelled at Aly Raisman’s parents to stop cheering and sit down (PHOTO)
As Aly Raisman's parents have demonstrated during their daughter's triumphant U.S. trials and Olympics, you can be a loving, supportive parent and still be super obnoxious. These things aren't mutually exclusive.
But even folks who were put off by the spectacle Raisman's parents put on during the daughter's routines couldn't fault them for wildly cheering when Aly won a gold medal in the floor exercise on Tuesday night. A second gold medal and another bronze for a teenager who was an afterthought on Team USA behind her more decorated teammates Jordyn Wieber and Gabby Douglas? Go crazy, Raisman parents. Your daughter has earned it.
[ Related: Raisman's surprising medal haul ]
One gentleman at the Greenwich Arena disagreed. An older fellow sitting behind Aly Raisman's parents was hilariously annoyed by their standing and cheering after Aly's routine. When the camera first cut to him, he stared at Rick Raisman and shook his head in disgust. A few seconds later, he shouted at him to sit down.
I can sympathize with the man. Too often, people spurn the collective decision of the rest of the crowd to stand during games or performances. Hey, guy who smells weird and clearly smuggled Franzia into a concert; if you wanted to dance to Radiohead, you should have bought general admission tickets.
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But this guy needs to calm down. Should Raisman's parents have been more considerate of the people around them? Sure. Understand the situation though. The old man had to have known who they were. They don't exactly seem like the subtle types who wouldn't mention it 500 times.
Plus, what's that guy trying so hard to see anyway? The first shot is after one tumbling pass. The second, when he shushes, is following the routine. Unless this shoulder-draped sweater wearer has an unnatural love of watching judges confer over decimal deductions from afar, it's sort of like complaining about someone talking during movie theater previews.
Chill out. Years from now, you won't remember watching the final moments of the floor exercise, but you'll always remember that you sat behind the parents of a gold-medal winner.
More London Olympics coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• How U.S. soccer star Abby Wambach influenced controversial call
• Aly Raisman wins bronze in beam after protest
• Video: Marriage proposal saves devastating night for Olympian
