We make the calls and put up with the jeers because we love officiating. He agreed. Thats his wife of 33 years. Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. There were no signs in the preceding days of this happening, even when he was running up and down three flights of stairs, with a mask, the day before. The reasons for our joy when we step on the field, court or ice are vast and every reason is forged in the fire of our individual experiences. Being able to handle situations that arise separates the average official from the capable arbiter. It does not store any personal data. Medical personnel and other staffers rushed toward him. He goes to IU Health Methodist. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. As soon as I arrive and begin preparing for the game, my day, my life, enters a new and exciting realm. The NCAA announced later in the night that Smith was "alert and stable" and would not be transported to a hospital. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. He goes to IU Health Methodist. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. Berts on the sixth floor, and hes putting on his mask to run the stairs down to the fifth floor for ice, or to run up to the eighth floor to see his buddies. When you are ready mentally you work with confidence. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. Check this out. It was fun and stress-free officiating, and I was able to help pay for college. Referee Bert Smith is taken off the court on a stretcher after collapsing during the first half of an Elite 8 game between Gonzaga and Southern California during the first half of an Elite 8. Please try again. Another year passed and my father finally allowed me to become a certified referee. This week, Gonzaga and Southern California faced off during the Elite Eight matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium. Its deep, and its contagious. Something doesnt add up. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Game official Bert Smith collapsed and was taken off the court on a gurney during the first half of the men's NCAA basketball game between the USC Trojans . Per the Star, he was treated at the stadium for two hours with vital checks on pulse, blood pressure and oxygen level that came back normal. We enjoyed working four football seasons together before his retirement. His crew comes back to Le Meridien with a doggy bag of the dinner he missed at the game, and theyre talking and laughing, but theyve seen replays of Smiths fall. Check this out. You never know whats going to happen. Fox News' Daniel Canova contributed to this report. Also he mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. Managing a game and ensuring equity in your rulings between two talented, highly motivated teams is a great challenge. He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes,they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. Smith collapsed just over four minutes into the Elite Eight game between USC. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Your heart begins to race, the adrenaline begins to run rampant throughout your body, the excitement takes over as you look around the stadium; you take a couple of deep breaths and then everything becomes so clear. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Do we give an extra hug enough? All rights reserved. He rarely uses the elevator. I love being part of the game. Check this out.. Jacquie was waiting at the door. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. I thought he was a good official, a fair official, and when you saw him at a game, you knew you were going to get a good whistle from him., Smith says well see him at games next season I could work again in seven to 10 days, he says but for now he wants to thank some people publicly. Everything was normal. According to the Indianapolis Star, Smith was placed on blood thinners and two days later the clot was gone. Who parks in the farthest spot from the entrance to Kroger? When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.". Im ready to get after it, he says. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. When I enter the field, theres more bounce in my step, my senses are heightened and my competitive juices start flowing. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. They poured into Smiths phone after he collapsed on national television during Gonzagas eventual win over USC in a mens Elite Eight game on March 30. That says something about that officiating fraternity.. I appreciate that officiating has contributed lots of exercise and has helped to keep me in good health. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Their goalie tried leaping to his left You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. But first, Smith had to get stretchered off the floor, something he was adamantly against. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. Former NCAA national mens basketball officiating coordinator John Adams says Bert is funny but quiet, not a me-first guy. Adams was one of the 500 who reached out to Smith. I continue to coach high school soccer. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. Even after coaches/fans express their disappointment in my calls, I still have the eyes and hearts of the players on the field looking to me for leadership and how to show good character and convictions. The former NCAA national mens basketball officiating coordinator, John Adams, says Bert is funny but quiet, not a me-first guy. Adams was one of the 500 who reached out to Smith. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Trammel had seen the video. Bert Smith was involved in a controversial ending to a Kansas and Iowa State game that led to the Big 12 Conference punishing Smith for a call that cost the Cyclones a win against the Jayhawks. Smiths also grateful that his health scare, if it was going to happen,took place during the NCAA Tournament and not when he was driving or sleeping. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. No matter who you meet, you have to deal with them as people who deserve the best from you. A replacement official was added to the crew after Smith collapsed. Referee Bert Smith said he was 'tricked' into getting on the stretcher after his collapse . Shes an important part of this story.. That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. And after it happens, with a replacement official stepping in for Smith, he spends two hours getting treatment at the stadium, where his vitals are normal pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level and he doesnt have a headache. Knowing the rules and how to implement them fairly, evenly and within the guidelines of accepted philosophy is important. by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. Then he becomes a basketball official. Two hours later, she returned into the room with the test results. Smith, have a good night, I thought they had done a good job, he says, but because she wanted to know why I fell, we got the answer. And how did the court get so blurry all of a sudden, like someone smeared it with Next thing he remembers, hes looking at the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. Then he becomes a basketball official. As a child, I know that I enjoyed every minute of it. 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. Referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor and had to be taken off on a stretcher. 29/08/21, Germany (unknown age) Unnamed Germany C-League Dillenburg a player from Hirzenhain collapses, game . Whatsthatfor? Veteran college basketball referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the first half of Tuesday night's Elite Eight game between No. To me, he offers an aside: Hes taking advantage of a guy in a weakened position., The doc says, Swing your legs around. I swing my legs around, and they go: Click-click-click-click. Bert Smith . He later regained consciousness and was stretchered off the . People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. He gets exercise any time he can and officiates around 90 games a year for the NCAA. The reason is Im saying to them, You tricked me, you little SOB!. Shes an important part of this story.. I get to watch the Masters.. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Bert Smith does. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. Also he mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. We get him off the floor out of sight and he just loses it, Fox recalls. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Legal Statement. They strapped me in! Having good presence, working with pride, acting professional and enjoying the challenge of the job is what I love most about officiating hockey. As you looked toward my approval It kept me going.. Smith does rememberthe play before it, Gonzagas Andrew Nembhard stealing the ball and going the other way, but now the action is coming back toward the USC basket, where Smith had remained hed been unable to run the court as Nembhard finished at the rim and Smith is wondering whats going on. By 1993, hes an NCAA Division I official. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. There was an error submitting your subscription. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. It would've been about NCAA basketball official Bert Smith, how he'd been used dishonestly as a pawn by the anti-vaccine movement to prove the unprovable: that COVID vaccines were causing. Nobody can say. He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. I always say, you can question my judgment but dont question my effort. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Trammel was at Methodistthe night of March 30. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. He was released after two days in the hospital. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. I love officiating because it has a Zen aspect to it: for those two hours, you are completely focused on the task at hand. It allows me the privilege to do something I love, being part of the greatest game, mens college basketball. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. Bert. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. Everyones joking with him now. There is no swaying what we are attempting to do to make sure the game is played as fairly as possible. Smith is back home in Kentucky with his wife, Jacquie, and his grandson, Karter. Bert Smith told the . Oh, Ill be back. The scary scene unfolded with 15:44 to play in the. Subscribe to get the Referee.com Review every week plus periodic free training and special offers on the sports you officiate. He said he'll be back officiating next season. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. My feelings about my whistle are still the same. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. He started on the lowest levels as a youth league official in 1990, began working Division I games in 1993 and. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. If you saw it, you understand. Look at his scowl. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. . Hes huffing and puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. There were 500 of them. I still play in a mens league, have refereed more than 700 NCAA games and am in my 17th season as an MLS official. Im very grateful. Berts on the sixth floor, and hes putting on his mask to run the stairs down to the fifth floor for ice, or to run up to the eighth floor to see his buddies. NCAA Tournament Basketball Referee Bert Smith suffered a scary collapse during the 2022 NCAA March Madness Tournament Gonzaga vs. USC basketball game.I bre. There are 200+ professionals named "Bert Smith", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. 2 Alabama erases 17-point deficit, wins SEC, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. He's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. Referee Bert Smith got to hear ovation of a lifetime. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. Smith, whod driven a rental car into town after working the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, was driven to his home in Florence, Ky., by Eric Lowe, a Central Indiana-based referee. Being mentally ready for the game is most important. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. Referee Bert Smith collapses on sideline during Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight game (NCD) By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk March 30, 2021 at 8:58 pm CDT Whats that for? The minute my stripes are on, Im a part of a crew not an official with a disability. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. Heres why: The doctor said, Listen, tell you what, why dont you just sit on the stretcher? I said OK, I can do that, Smith says and now hes laughing. It would've been about NCAA basketball official Bert Smith, how he'd been used dishonestly as a pawn by the anti-vaccine movement to prove the unprovable: that COVID vaccines were causing. Legal Statement. We make mistakes but we make them with the honest attempt to be right 100 percent of the time; I like being held to that high standard. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. Referee Bert Smith is taken off the court on a stretcher after collapsing during the first half of an Elite 8 game between Gonzaga and Southern California during the first half of an Elite 8 game . The former NCAA national mens basketball officiating coordinator, John Adams, says Bert is funny but quiet, not a me-first guy. Adams was one of the 500 who reached out to Smith. And they heard the sound his head made I heard it, too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. Nobody can say. Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. Copyright 2022 Referee Enterprises Inc. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. and would not need hospitalization. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. I do it because I love the ballgame. After all, he hit the court hard, so hard that it left a giant bump on the back of his head. The passion I felt when I played is still there for me when I officiate and I can feel that passion on the court. I had grown up playing the sport, but for some unknown reason, playing was just not satisfying enough. Officiating at the professional level requires commitment to conditioning. Do we give an extra hug enough? I joined a rec team and Mike spent hours showing me how to play. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. " Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. A referee has collapsed on court during the opening stages of an NCAA Elite Eight basketball match in Indiana. In 1973, my older brother Mike introduced the game to our family by joining the high school team as a freshman. that carried high into the net. He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. We won't send you spam. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors were reportedly unsure whether the clot had anything to do with COVID-19. He felt wobbly and the next thing he remembers seeing is the ceiling of the stadium. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of all the cookies. OK, so the night of March 29. Success! Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. That road includes blood thinners and a trip next week to see a nearby doctor to strategize his future treatment. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith lies on the court after collapsing during the Gonzaga-USC men's game in the Elite Eight. Written By. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? When he retired as an official to take the ACC job in 2016, he immediately had to replace one of the conference's best referees: himself. I could be involved with 4-H. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Hes been friends with Smith for 30 years. Every chance I get, I want to get my heart rate up, says Smith, 56, who takes the court 90 times a year with elite NCAA athletes. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. My father and older brother both became soccer referees, and I had to watch them referee every Saturday in agony waiting for my turn. Smith said, in a way, he was grateful the fall happened during the tournament and not when he was driving. As a note, the first four are crew chiefs in any list. Thats 1990. Smith is the college basketball official who passed out during the 2021 NCAA region final between Gonzaga and Southern California, toppling over like a fallen tree - his description - his body. After that he studies business administration at SUNY-Buffalo, gets a job at Avis Budget Group, moves fast up the ranks as his career takes him to Chicago, Houston and finally the Cincinnati area. Moves fast? After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. Officiating is similar to playing the game full of emotion, both highs and lows.
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