Was it theft or just being opportune?  When you are a spectator at a sporting event or rock concert and the athlete or singer throws something in the crowd, who does it belong to?

For one fan at the 2012 Australian Open tennis tournament she feels she was robbed!  A huge fan of Serbian star and 2012 champion Novak Djokovic, she had cheered her hero on for more than five hours.  She was sitting in the front row not far from his seat.

After the match Djokovic rewarded her by reaching into his tennis bag and pulling out a shirt.  He then walked directly toward her and tossed the shirt.  A woman seated three seats down from the girl reached out and snagged this shirt before it reached its final destination.

You Decide – theft or opportunity?

Melissa Cook, 14, had a front-row seat cheering on Djokovic during his epic victory over Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final. When the world No. 1 finally defeated Nadal after five hours, 53 minutes, Cook managed to get his attention as he was changing clothes. 

That was pretty cold of that lady. She was like that guy at a baseball game who fights a little kid for a foul ball. There's nothing wrong with an adult catching something from an athlete. To take it from the hands of a child is unacceptable.

Cook wanted Djokovic's shirt to hang on the "Novak Wall” in her bedroom. From the looks of the video, it looks like the tennis star intended for her to get it.

The “thief” has been identified as mother of three, Yael Rothschild. She's heard Melissa's story and insists she's keeping the shirt, saying that it was fair game for any of the spectators in the first few rows.

I feel badly for the girl, but such is life.  I think I fall on the side of the “thief,” but had it been me, I would give the shirt back to the girl.  Maybe Djokovic, who is sure to hear about this, can send Cook a few things to add to her wall.  It would be nice if I could do a follow up about that!

You can watch the video below:

Source: Yahoo Sports