Have no experience, one way or the other, with Mr. Hess, but is must be a really slow sportsnews day in Charlotte. The article suggests the antagonist, "questioned several of Hess's calls" yet strangely fails to suggest exactly what those "questions" were, or how they were presented, but details the response causing the controversy.
Given that the response was not the most "artful", or polite, without knowing the provocation it's hard to decide whether or not it may have been reasonable, or even appropriate.
Exactly when, and by what authority, did it become a requirement that spectators at sporting events, much like protesters dealing with Police on today's sidewalks, obtained license to bellow anything they want, in what ever form and volume they choose to project whatever ire they may feel, whether reasonable or totally irrational, without any expectation of response, recourse or correction?
There once was a time when people seemed to understand that choosing to throw (verbal) rocks opened the door to enduring the potential consequences of rocks being thrown back. It seems that all the removal of those consequences accomplishes, is removing any, and all, of previously expected restraints and considerations for the content of "questions", or the manner in which, they may be "asked".
The fact that sports officials should exhibit a higher level of calm and composure, is now seen by far too many as some license to allow fools to act out imune to consequences. When your personal sensibilities can't handle challenge, perhaps one should keep their observations to themselves, and simply avoid any possible confrontations.