My take:
1. Dont engage in conversation with fanatics.
2. If you do & they happen to one-up you, don't try to "do the right thing" now.
Working with a guy last weekend & he chose to acknowledge a loud mouth in the stands. They went back & forth, then the loud mouth came over the top & obviously got a good one in.
Partner now looks to me saying, "red tie, red tie!!"
I gave him the look like, you got yourself into this now get yourself out of it... Dont you see me & lil' Johnnys hottt mom making goo-goo eyes
A couple games later, now dude is in a back & forth with a coach. After a couple trips up & down the court, coach must've got a good one in because... *WHACK*
My point is, WE (any level, any season) shouldn't take matters into our own hands, then try to get all professional & toss/whack fans & coaches when they get the best of us.
If Joe tossed the ball & the CEO tossed it back and they left it at that, it probably wouldn't have escalated the way it did.
How in the hell are you gonna have someone removed after you threw a ball at him??? Just my .2