Karl Hess has been no stranger to controversy in the ACC -- he famously ejected NC State alum Tom Gugliotta from a game, and when finally allowed back in Raleigh in December made more questionable calls. And here’s some more:
ACC ref/lightning rod Karl Hess allegedly calls fan ‘Egyptian ass’
Karl Hess has found his way into the spotlight again.
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Karl Hess to me at the Wake-Louisville game tonight..."When I'm older, I want to sit in your seat & watch your Egyptian ass ref a game" #Wow
— Mit Shah (@MitShahNoble) January 5, 2015 Shah, the one-time chairman of the school's board of trustees, is not Egyptian, but rather of Indian descent.
Of course, Hess’ failure to correctly identify Shah’s ethnic background isn’t really the story here. Referees are supposed to in complete control of their emotions, able to do their jobs in spite of all the criticism fans heap upon them over the course of the game.
If Shah is telling the truth, Hess has once again proved he isn’t capable of that. Is it fair to referees that fans can spew invective at them, but they can’t retaliate? Not really, but that’s how it works. Refs can’t escalate situations with fans. And they certainly can’t make comments about the race of fans, (Regardless of whether they can actually correctly identify that race.)
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