Sport Parents: Old news?

This Fall Lincoln started T-Ball; I know I know, old news you all say. However the sentiment old news has another meaning today for me. We have all heard, and seen to an extent, the wrath of the Sport Parent. You know, it's that guy directly behind the backstop in baseball who has his fingers entwined in the chain link screaming at his kid.. or the coach, or Umpire, or in some horrendous situations, another parent. Old news. Well Lincoln's last game was a bit comical from my point of view. Well it was at least for the first 15 minutes of the game. We had a Father who was most likely under the influence of an illegal substance, yelling stupid stuff during the game. "That's my son! He's the best one out there swing the bat son just like I taught you, you know how to do it just like we practiced in the back yard, you know how to do this, look at me son I'll show you....(yes all that in one sentence). After that I just wanted to knock the guys cup of soda (totally laced with alcohol) in his face. Add to the fact he had to pull his cigarette out of his mouth to yell to the coach to give his kid a practice swing. Okay so first of all, It is T-Ball, and the kid never strikes out. Props to the coach for saying "He's just fine." to the parent by the way. Secondly, it is obvious this parent who claimed that he had practiced with his kid for "at least 16 hours this week already" (the game was on Tuesday) was totally lying, because his kid couldn't even hit the ball off the tee... And third I can't see a Dad, who didn't even know the t-ball rules after 5 games, and was wearing slippers, outside playing a little catch with his son!
So why is this old news new? Well for me I suppose it because this is my first son to play in a little league sport. For other more seasoned parents, who have a hard time letting the coach coach, I am guessing it is because they haven't learned from others mistakes. I did a little research and found an interesting article about this Sport Parent syndrome.

According to the National Alliance for Youth Sports — a Florida-based organization that provides training to adult volunteers for youth sports teams — adults seemed to have learned nothing since the deadly encounter between Junta and Costin during their sons' hockey practice in July 2000.

So knowing all this, the one thing that really sticks in my mind, is the look on that poor little boy's face. That face I have seen a hundred times on my old sports teams. It's the,"Do I listen to my coach or my Dad" face. That is why more secure parents want to throw soda laced with alcohol in faces. My opinion, Let the kid play and have fun! That Dad should have been A LOT more embarrassed about wearing his old man slippers to a T-Ball game, then about his son not being perfect on the field!