Karl Hess tosses two NC State players
 

Make that former players. From the stands.

Link

Unbelievable....or not. But I love it.
I had a state tourney game today where 2 fans were removed...they were sitting behind the scorers table, and, unbeknownst to them, behind the site manager, who had them removed them for yelling disparaging statements about the officials. It turns out that they were the AD and Asst AD of the team that won by more than 20. Nice example.

That sort of behavior should be pubicized in the papers. Horrible that adults get away with this crap.

Karl Hess Ejects Tom Gugliotta, Chris Corchiani - YouTube

This is a youtube link of the guys getting tossed. Sitting right behind the scorers table I'm sure they got in some nasty shots throughout the game.

I don't know what was said but I know a few things.

1- if the idiot is right behind the table and is a distractions when we're trying to report, then I'm much more likely to get rid of them.

2- my guess is they got personal with Hess.

3- Hess bought himself some unneeded publicity.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7zhHTpzJMpE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Looks like Corchiani got an assist.

Great example setters for their kids.

Freaking clowns.....

ur right....Karl Hess is a freaking clown!

you're an idiot.

Why is it unneeded? Was he doing his job? That is all that matters. If they got very personal they needed to go. And the comments did not have to be directed at Hess, they could have been about his partners or something that would be totally inappropriate. It probably happens more often but this happened to be two former players of that school and it made SportsCenter. And with everything on YouTube and Twitter (Corchiani Tweeted comments about Hess and being ejected), not much you can do to avoid the publicity in these days.

Peace

I think BBR meant unneeded in the sense that Karl Hess could have gone to game management and told them that they needed to go instead of interacting with the culprits like he did. That's ideally how this situation should have been handled.

It's Not My Job, Man ...
 

Agree. He gave them the old baseball "You're Outta Here" heave-ho signal. I know more about medieval literature than I do about how to deal with an NCAA crowd, but in dealing with my high school crowds, I do not interact directly with unruly fans, I go directly to the site director, and let him deal with them. That's why he gets paid the big bucks.

He is at the table and they are saying things to him. I agree he could have walked away in a perfect world, but usually that is how you get in contact with GM is at the scorer's table. I doubt Hess or any of the officials would have gone to them at some other part of the arena unless they knew for certain where someone in charge could be.

Peace

The game manager with the badge showed up fairly quickly. Playing to the moron fans on the way out should have gotten a game ban from the school. Doubt that will happen, though.

The bottom line is Mr. Hess should not have interacted with them unless they were threatening him/partners physically.

It reminds me of a saying my parents told me while growing up.

"Stick and stones my break my bones but words will never hurt"

I am sure there is going to be something said from the conference office based on the report given by the officials.

And for all we know there could have been some previous problems at this school and with these guys. Sometimes officials are put on notice of these things and take care of what has been a problem. I just do not like to draw conclusions based on a very little part of the overall story. I can imagine throwing out a fan if they say some very specific things and not waiting to have them ejected. If we did this more maybe fans would realize that paying your money and being close to the floor is not a license to say anything you want. I love how one of the guys said Hess had "rabbit ears" but for all we know he could have said something that most of us would be inappropriate.

Peace

So if he made racial comments, sexual comments, comments about his family, those should be ignored?

Peace

1. You don't know enough to reach your bottom line.

2. Physical threats aren't the only thing we need to address.

3. It was a stupid saying when I was a kid, and it's a stupid saying now.

Somehow, I suspect very few guys with rabbit ears work ACC games.

And Big East. I think he is doing fine. ;)

Peace

I'm saying yes. You don't get to that level worrying about what people are saying from the stands. They don't know me or my upbring to even comment on it.

It shows their ignorance in my book.

You just smile and say thank you and keep it moving.

1. You don't know what I know.

2. Physical threats are the only things i would concern myself with.

3. Yep, I expected that mindset.

I never said he should not have gotten rid of them.

I said, he's gotten "unneeded publicity." If you think that it's a good idea to have all this negativity because of his actions, then you must be as big of an idiot as the two he tossed.

He should have followed protocol, gone to game management and had them take care of it instead of standing at the table, engaging them and giving them the old heave-ho.

That is wonderful, but that is a place of education and if they are calling people out by racial, sexual and other inappropriate comments like that, they would be gone. And those comments are not allowed in other aspects of any university life or on campus, why allowable here? And I have been called a racial slur and guess what you think happened to those individuals?

That is not ignorance, that is policy. I doubt seriously that the officials are told to ignore those kinds of comments even if you do not agree with them. I did not see the people at the school objecting and I am sure the conference did not either if those comments I mentioned above took place.

Peace

As a spectator I understand to an extent what he did, but I don't know what they said either. I think it shows thin skin. Players/coaches get heckled all the time, why are officials above this and untouchable? Just looking from another view point, coaches and players have to answer for their mistakes, why not officials? Not saying he did bad during the game because I didn't watch it. I've always wanted to see officials be open to the media, not about specific calls, but for questioning and comments. People would get more insight on what the thought process is behind certain things.

You don't think people at that level are going to take care of an idiot fan who is saying obscene comments (sexual/racial/ethic slurs, etc) loud and clear enough to be identified? :confused:

NC State is fully supporting the two former players in this situation.

"I have spoken to Commissioner John Swofford and Karl Hicks, Associate Commissioner for Basketball Operations, regarding our concerns and our need for clarification as to why this occurred," said NC State athletic director Debbie Yow. "We expect fair treatment of our fans at State athletic events."

Further, they are now planning an impromptu ceremony honoring the 1989 Wolfpack team on Tuesday that was not previously planned. The two players were part of the '89 team.

You have no way of knowing if the official had thin skin or not as you don't know what was said. And it's not as if he went out of his way to address this...the freaking idiots are right at the scorer's table where officials are at all the time taking care of our duties throughout the game.

Also officials do answer for their mistakes...we all have bosses we have to answer to if something goes wrong. There would be little point in having officials open to the media...we know exactly what the questions would be.

Maybe my vision is bigger?

I truly doubt anything racial, sexual and other inappropriate comments was said to Mr. Hess. If so, I am quite sure someone would have spoken up before Mr. Hess took the actions he took.. So thats quite a reach Mr. Rutledge.

This isn't about officials having to answer for their mistakes. This is about two fans who thought they were untouchable and could say what they wanted to.

As for your suggestion, the only thing that would come from officials being interviewed by the media is that more fans would post that time honored comment, "The refs think the game is about them."

Come on, how do we know any sexual, racial, ethic slurs occurred? This is quite a reach. I belive if those things happened. Someone other than Mr. Hess would have taken care of it. I know I would have if I was in the stands witnessing this behavior.

This just shows a lot of ignorance on your part. Players/coaches a lot of times address issues with officials about things fans do. I have even had game management ask me and my partners to watch out for certain behavior of student sections and to tell them if they are going over the top. Actually they expect us to address it or to monitor certain actions and comments. So you have no idea what you are talking about really if you think these things are not addressed at many levels. My state during the playoffs has a required statement that must be read before every contest about fan behavior and many conferences do the same during the regular season. And if there is a problem with fans we as officials are instructed to remove problems from the stands. It is not like he went up into the stands and got rid of the guys, he has security and the police to address this issue.

Peace

This goes to show that game managment should have more staff on hand to handle those situations.

I thought we were talking in a more general sense...not specific to what the Mr. Hess did...your reply to JRut, saying you would ignore racial/sexual slurs or at this level, made it seem like you believe those type of comments are routinely ignored or that you would ignore them. I got that sense from your "sticks and stones" bit...if I was wrong then I apologize.

As far as what Mr. Hess did, we don't know his side of the story, nor what he heard say. We only know what the fans told the local media what they said. The only thing we DO know is Mr. Hess should have gone through game management and had them deal with the fans.

There is more than one way to handle a situation.

1. I can include the behavior in my report after the game. Silently bring attention to the situation with the University and allow them to handle it.

2. I would do this at do this at the high school level too. File a report with the state and allow them to address the behavior. (At the high school level most scorekeeper, timers work for the school district) So if i hear it they can hear it too.

You do not know what they said and we cannot assume that those things were not said. I know I just posed the question because I know of situations where things were said that were of that nature. I know I would not hesitate to get rid of a fan in those cases.

I also find it funny that people have standards for ejecting players or coaches if they use a certain word, but we are supposed to just turn the other cheek in a educational environment that would not be acceptable in any other aspect of life.

Peace

I cannot speak for this situation, but attending the college and pro games I have in the past, there are a lot of those individuals around than what we would see at the HS level in most cases. Some places at the HS level have several police officers at games and other places have just teachers or administrators that are hard to find in a big crowd. As I said I saw a police officer that was removing the men from the arena.

Peace

What makes you say this? Personal vendetta or something?

Wonder if you would make derogatory comments about another official if your real name showed rather than 'twocentsworth'.

I don't know Karl Hess personally ... but he sure works a LOT of games for someone who's a clown.

1. How can we assume they were said?

2. It is indeed funny.

Honestly, I was hoping that the incident could have been handled in a more appropriate manner.

Appropriate by who's standard's? Yours? How would you know what was appropriate unless you knew what was said that led to the ejection? I think most (read: ALL) officials...here or anywhere would give Hess the benefit of the doubt. He's probably earned that much based on his stature, experience and reputation.

Look here guy, You damn sure don't wait until the second half to address this behavior if it warrants getting tossed.

Really guy? When did the behavior start? How could you have any opinion on when to address it? Unless you were sitting within earshot, you have no clue when or how it should be addressed. How do you come on an officials' discussion board and rip a highly regarded DI official without a clue as to what lead up to his actions?

Once again GUY, I have not ripped Mr. Hess,

1. I have stated I wish it could have been handled in a less publicized manner.

2. Just like you identify a problem player is the say concept towards problem spectators. You identify it early and put them on notice.

ESPN gave the big name anchor a 30 day suspension for Jeremy Lin comments, but the no name headline writer got canned. So, to see these guys milking this story is irritating, to say the least.
He got rid of those guys a lot quicker than if he had searched around to find game management, which should have been prominently seated at the table.

Well Hess did not handle it in an entirely appropriate fashion according to the ACC. Surprised nobody has posted this yet but here is the statement from John Cloughtery:

“Under Rule 10, when circumstances warrant, an official has the authority to request home game management to eject fans when the behavior, in the officials’ judgement, is extreme or excessive. It’s unfortunate in this instance that ACC protocol of communicating directly with the home game management was not followed, and instead, a building security officer was solicited. We will re-communicate this policy with all officials to ensure proper protocol is followed.”

Obviously I wasnt there and as an official I am inclined to give Hess the benefit of the doubt. But based on the limited info I have I am of the opinion that Hess would have been better served by ignoring these two for the remaining 2:19 of the game. Or by following protocal and attempting to have a less visible conversation with game management. Also, what was a pretty one sided game without a lot of extracurriculars became very chippy after the incident including a double T.

Corchiani is claiming that both he and Gugliotta had their families with them and did not use any profanity or say anything particularly offensive. And I have a good friend who is the videographer for NC State who claims that the two were very vocal throughout the game but did not cross any lines that arent normally crossed by a good number of fans during any conference contest. Of course this is one side of the story and again I am inclined to give Hess the benefit of doubt.

But if I had to guess, I would think that given the opportunity to do it over again, Hess would like to have handled this a little differently.

You are truly a true rookie.

I think a number of us (including me) have stated that Hess didn't go about this the correct way if he wanted the fans ejected.

Exactly!

I'm amazed at the media and ADs, etc. that immediately come to the defense of the guys that got kicked out without having any knowledge of what actually occurred. Do you really think that these guys are ever going to admit wrongdoing?

I don't know the specifics of what happened, but I do know the official in question has 25+ years of Division I experience, has worked the Final Four several times and the championship game once. Do you really think that he got to where he is by having rabbit ears and throwing fans out of games? I'm sure that these guys crossed the line and he had a damn good reason to stop the game, in front of 17,000+ other fans, and have them ejected — that's not something you do lightly.

I agree, but I also think none of us know what was said and why the issue was handled the way it was. I can see many things being said that would make me do exactly what he did without knowing or having a clear policy.

Peace

But there is a clear policy in place and Hess did not follow it.

Corchiani also admitted in his tweets that they always get on the officials. But then complained that they were embarrassed in front of their children.

Gugliotta showed his maturity by tipping his cap to the crowd as he was leaving.

Fine example they set for their kids.

Let's call it an educated guess:

Yep, you don't know. Looks like I guessed right. I'm shocked.

I have no idea what was said or to whom; but I can tell you that the same comments will get you booted whether you say them to the officials, players, coaches, or table.

Heckling won't get you tossed unless it crosses a big bright line.

When you say clear policy, clear to whom? These guys do not work in one conference and one conference every night. If it was so clear why was it not followed? Must not have been clear enough.

Peacce

To say it was not clear just because it wasnt followed is false logic at its worst. My understanding is that the policy is on paper and it's clear enough that Clougherty feels comfortable publicly stating, "It’s unfortunate in this instance that ACC protocol of communicating directly with the home game management was not followed, and instead, a building security officer was solicited. We will re-communicate this policy with all officials to ensure proper protocol is followed."

I know he doesnt work in the same conference every night but going through game management is pretty standard practice. And it's not like we are talking about an obscure conference that Hess works a few times a year. This is the ACC. Hess should know their policies. A lot of us don't work for the same assignors all the time but are still expected to follow the policy of where ever we are on a given night.

Like I said before, as fellow officials we are inclined to give Hess the benefit of the doubt. But I don't think blind support is a good thing. Even the best of us make mistakes, have moments we'd do over, etc. IMHO based on the limited info I have, I think Hess made a regrettable decision. Easy for me to say, I know. But that's my opinion. And what is pretty factual is that Hess did not follow stated ACC policy and protocol in how he handled the decision.

I am saying that when you work in a different building or conference every night it is possible that a policy can be misunderstood and possibly defaulted to what the rule says. And there is a policy on this from the NCAA, not just in the conference. And just because they say something in a statement does not mean it is entirely true or accurate. Remember they are trying to convince the public, not the staff what they were doing.

So where do you usually go to get game management? Hmmmmmmm, maybe the table? That is where I would go unless I had knowledge of other locations of GM. And what does "This is the ACC" mean? OK the man works in the Big East too. He works in a couple of other small conferences too. What point does that make? Have you ever been to these staff meeting to know what is discussed or not discussed? I cannot even make that claim so why would I automatically believe this "policy" was talked about in detail?

To me it is not about giving Hess the benefit of the doubt. I know that when I go to GM, it is usually at the table. I know an official that works at a table in the Big Ten and is the liaison for officials at one of the schools and he sits at the table. These guys were right behind the table. If this took place in the corner somewhere, OK. And since I do not know all the details or the nature of the comments, I tend to not go jumping to conclusions I did not witness personally. And the conference commissioner is not the same as the conference supervisor and their might be come conflict in the information they are talking about as well. Again I have no idea, but let us not act like GM was never contact in the matter. If you do not like that Hess stood there I get that, but let us not act like GM is somewhere special in the arena. That really is all I am saying.

Peace

When the supervisor of officials for the conference says you "got it wrong" does anything else really matter?

Let me ask you a question. Did Hess get suspended? If not why? ;)

I really do not care what he tells the public if nothing changes it must not have been seen as a big no, no as some would like to make it.

Peace

Apparently it can be wrong, and not be a mistake worthy of a suspension.

I agree and I doubt that anyone really cares that much considering who Hess is and what he has accomplished. And at the end of the day, "Why did Hess do what he did?" The answer, "Because he can."

Peace

That is not a reason.

So basically it has been proven that he didn't follow protocol, and your only defense has been "You weren't there", or "You haven't been in staff meetings", etc. We don't need to have been there or sat in staff meetings, we're going off of what the ACC coordinator said, which is that Hess didn't handle it properly. Then you just give the old "Because he can". I "can" go whack a coach in my game tomorrow right off the bat without them saying anything, but it doesn't mean that I'm right. Just because you can do something doesn't mean it is correct.

Actually it is. It might not be fair, but life is not fair.

Peace

You obviously did not read this thread or my comments in total. We were talking about "we were not there" in the context of what comments got the fans/former players ejected and if they should have been ejected. That is a little different from what procedure was followed or not.

And also they said the procedure was not followed properly, not that it was Hess was totally wrong or that he did not have a reason to eject the fans. And the "Because I can" was in jest and sarcastic. Honestly there are people that can do things based on their background that others cannot. If you do not know that, then maybe you have not been around long enough. You should know how we have people that get upset over mechanics or signals that officials use not listed in the book and they do not lose anything for not following "protocol." Well that can apply here as well. Of course the ACC might not have been happy, but what are they going to do about it? And even stated that they need to re-communciate which to me means they did not do the job correctly the first time, so we have to tell everyone what that policy was to cover our behinds. If a policy is clear, then say "We made it clear to all officials what to do and Hess was wrong for not following them or ignoring them" No they have to re-communicate something that was "clear" right? Sounds to me they were not happy but not jumping off a bridge either because it was not followed to the letter.

Honestly this is much to do about nothing in the end. I have seen fans ejected the same way in HS and small college games without someone going to GM to do the dirty work. Not something I recommend, but I have seen it done and no one got upset or made a public statement.

Peace

Hess Is A Shrink
 

Karl Hess is a shrink and his office is about 5 miles away for me. If you guys will take up a collection, I will go by and let him tell me during a mental session what was said. $150 an hour during the the off season is what he charges. Office closed November to April.:)

You're Outta Here ???
 

Here in my little corner of Connecticut, we are instructed to have the problems removed from the stands. I would never give an unruly fan the old baseball "You're Outta Here" heave-ho signal. Nor have I ever observed any official use this signal in regard to a fan situation in over thirty years of officiating high school basketball. Of course, I've never officiated an NCAA Division I game, so I really shouldn't comment on what goes on with the "big boys".

If they hadn't been acting like jackasses in the first place, their children might not have been embarrassed. In fact, it is very possible that their behavior up until the ejection was MORE embarrassing.

Exactly !!

Add the embarrassing comments by AD Yow.... and you see what's deemed acceptable in Raleigh.

I wouldn't paint with a broad brush here. Certainly, they were surprising comments. What WOULD be interesting would be an ESPN article that chronicles TFs of those two dolts from HS through the end of their careers. But, that would be too much work.

Here is an interesting article on the event
 

Now that the background has come to light. What have I learned from this interaction with individuals on this board.

1. They love their fellow officials. :D

2. They believe because of your (stature, experience, and reputation) it gives you a free pass to do whatever you want. Because you know others will not challenge you on your behavior. :rolleyes:

3. They will attack you personally when you don't see things their way. :mad:

4. Once it's confirmed they are wrong, they still try to spin it to make you believe you are still wrong. ;)

5. The discussions on the forum are enlightening and gives you a different perspective on how others view not only officiating but society as a whole. I personally may not agree with others at times. I take what they say into consideration. :)

How big of you to take the high road. :rolleyes:

I just can't find evidence for 2-4 in this thread.

2: No one said he got a free pass, but the benefit of the doubt until more evidence came to light. It was also noted that he can get away with things that other, newer officials with less built-up credibility can.

3. I didn't see any personal attacks against you. A few face palms, perhaps, but no personal attacks. If you took it that way, you've got thinner skin than some have accused Hess of having.

4. This is just ridiculous, but if you could point to a post in this thread where someone spins obvious evidence against their opinion, I'll be happy to silently consider it.

But apparently it makes you feel better to dump on officials to boost your ego. Just like a middle school crowd, but I'm ok with that, and I'm done.

42. He may not have handled it per procedure but there's still nothing to suggest he was wrong to have them removed. :cool:

Edited to add obligatory smiley.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue
 

I agree with Snaqwells. It is a stupid saying. Tell a kid who has grown up with a verbally abusive parent, that words don't hurt. They do!

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.... Proverbs 18:21

Mr Hess is a dentist, I guess he got tired of the bull that the 2 All Stars were putting out. I think that Ms Yow needs to worry about her fans as Mr Hess has call several final fours and knows what he is doing. Shame on Ms Yow, she is a piece of work in the wrong direction!

There appear to be more witnesses to the event beyond Hess, Yow, and the two former players: There are at least a couple people sitting at the scorers' table with ACC vests on. I'd love to hear what they had to say - and I image Clougherty has.

I doubt we'll ever have a fuller accounting, though, so we'll be left speculating and second guessing and presuming the best or worst of the individuals involved.

Do you think Karl will be working the ceremonial NC State game coming up? Doubt it:D

He is not a dentist. He is a therapist

It's Possible ...
 

Maybe he's a therapeutic dentist?

My favorite comments are from NC State fans (who knew they existed) who blindly take the word of the losers, umm, legends who come to every game and heckle the fans over the official when nobody knows the full story.

I'm not sure what kind of Doctor he is, but he is some kind. I met him several years ago and he seems like an OK guy to me.

He has been around for some time and what my seem like comments that aren't over the line may have had something to do with things that happened when those two were playing. Just a suggestion; like everyone else, I don't really know.

The ACC is his primary conference - he meets the requirements to be in the highest tier. He may or may not have known about the official procedure, but he is also human. I asked one of my friends what happened in a high profile game earlier this year and after he told me he said he wasn't going to pass judgement because things could happen to any of us...I don't think this is going to cause Mr. Hess to lose any games or sleep.

And when you have been working as long as he has at that level, I am sure that is the case for many of these situations.

Peace

Hess repremanded by ACC
 

FYI

ACC reprimands official after ejection of Chris Corchiani, Tom Gugliotta - ESPN

Hess started iin the ACC in 1987. Wonder if he ever Teed up those two clowns. For the first time EVER, I will root for Carolina against NC State. Certainly hope officials will ALWAYS know where game management is in that venue. Something tells me those two dolts will push the envelope.

I love the denial for their actions. They know what they said and they know what they did. Maybe they are that stupid as they did go to NC State for that matter.

Peace

I love the comments on the ESPN article. As if any of those a$$clowns have any clue about officiating...

They are all morons. I rarely watch ESPN unless I am watching the EPL game of the week.

Does this mean you'll be leaving this board???
(Where is that ignore button thingy?)

He didn't follow the proper procedure. Big flip. Nowhere did they say that he was wrong in ejecting the two. They simply said he should have had game management do it instead of security.

BTW, the ACC also said the two had been previously warned by a security guard at the end of the FSU bench that if they continued to walk up behind the scorer's table and demonstrate regarding calls, they would be ejcted.

Exactly. I guarantee you it wasn't just about what they "said" ... it was what they were doing. If you are seated behind the scorer's table you can't interfere with what is going on. Sounds to me like they were being a huge distraction, were warned, didn't want to comply, and were ejected.

Do you think if it was two students at the school or two random people attending the game this would have even made ESPN? Doubt it.

The quote in this article tells me all I need to know:

"We're not denying we were all over him, but I've been doing that every game I've been at since I retired," said Corchiani, who said he attends just about every NC State game. "That's homecourt advantage."

No, Chris, that's douchebaggery.

NC State's Rules for Fans
 

Just for kicks, the following is in the NC State Basketball Fan guide for the 2011-12 Season...

NC State Sportsmanship Initiative
Promoting first-class conduct from all those associated with NC State has always been the goal of the athletics department. Coaches, players, fans, staff, spirit groups, and students are all ambassadors for the University at sporting events.
We all share the responsibility of promoting good sportsmanship at games and ensuring that the next generations of Wolfpackers learn the proper way to support their team.
The “Wolfpack in the House” sportsmanship campaign is your guide to helping
create a positive and enthusiastic “game-day” atmosphere. We want everyone to understand their role in creating home court advantage, but more importantly, realizing the responsibility we all share in representing NC State and respecting all fans’ right to have fun and enjoy themselves.

Let your actions represent the best of NC State
NC State is one of the top research institutions in the country, and our alumni
and fans reflect that caliber of program
Respect our visitors and game official
Regardless of the outcome of the game, we can still show pride for our
university through our interactions with guests.
Cheer loudly, but with appropriate language
Profanity or vulgarity can be as detrimental to game atmosphere as cheering
support to your team is beneficial to it, make the right choice
Respect fellow Wolfpackers - especially young fans
The future of NC State is sitting in the stands today, our children will represent the university for years to come, let’s get them started out on the right foot.
Be positive in your support of our team, coaches, and players
There is no good reason to degrade the teams on the court, instead celebrate
the game that is taking place in front of you.

Nope, I am not going anywhere.

Dont wait too long to hit that ignore button thingy.

No, because it's far more fulfilling to stick around and look down on us group thinkers from his high horse.

This is the same stuff they read over the loudspeaker at HS games just before the fans act like idiots. They should just not bother reading it at all or make it as quick as my captains' meeting.

Actually, the ACC said that the "the policeman at the end of the FSU bench was warned that their continual excessive demonstration that incited the crowd would result in ejection."

I wonder if that warning was communicated to the two former players.

My take:

Justification: We'll probably never know the exact reason Hess decided to pull the trigger. But, like others here I'm willing to give Hess the benefit of the doubt. If you're a veteran D1 official, I'd have to think you don't stick your neck out like this without good reason. I do find it laughable that Corchiani and Googs are claiming they said nothing more than "you're not doing a very good job out there." Considering that they went to Twitter moments after the incident, they've been able to frame the incident exactly in a way that absolves them of any responsibility. They've won the PR fight by a landslide.

Execution: This is where Hess failed miserably, and he's received the necessary slap on the wrist for it. Who knows if he'll miss postseason games as a result. You don't give the heave ho like he did. You don't interact with said fans like he did. Say nothing to the fan(s), go directly to game management (or the closest thing resembling game management) and let them take care of it.

You Are Outta Here ...
 

Does he work baseball games in the off season?

I'd bet good money against it. I doubt he will miss a single game for the rest of the season, let alone the post-season.