I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. "You don't know where that clot was going next," Smith told the Star's Gregg Doyel. By 1993 hes an NCAA Division I official. But slow down, OK? Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. You could talk to him during a game. Smith, a veteran college basketball official of 28 years, lost consciousness five minutes into the game, falling backward in a scary moment captured on the TBS broadcast and banging his head against the hardwood court. 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. Katie Trammels stock is up with me in the Smith family book, he says, laughing. Smith was taken off the . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Referee Fall in Gonzaga USC NCAA Game TBS Replay Gets Backlash Sports A Referee Collapsed at an NCAA Basketball Game. They were pretty intense, man. Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. I joined a rec team and Mike spent hours showing me how to play. I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? Whatsthatfor? Bert Smith (56) NCAA men's basketball Referee collapsed due to a blood clot in his lung during a tournament News Story. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. Moves fast, this guy. Youve probably seen him. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. All rights reserved. Its a good week to be getting sympathy from the wife, he says, chuckling. " Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. It does not store any personal data. 56-year-old Smith was officiating the Gonzaga vs. USC matchup on March 30 when he collapsed to the hardwood a few minutes into the game. Knowing the rulebook and being able to execute decisions in a split-second. Read More Referee Bert Smith collapses on the court during the first half of an Elite 8 game between Gonzaga and Southern California in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Lucas Oil . Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. Bert Smith, the NCAA official who fainted during an Elite Eight matchup between Gonzaga and USC last week, said Friday he collapsed over a blood clot in his lung. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. As a person with a disability, Im pleased to be a part of a profession that doesnt discriminate against what I cant do and emphasizes what I can. Smiths pausing. Something doesnt add up. Please try again. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. No matter who you meet, you have to deal with them as people who deserve the best from you. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. Veteran official Bert Smith hit his head on the baseline and laid face up for about five minutes before being stretchered off with 15:44 remaining in the first half of the 2021 March Madness. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Bert Smith just now finished returning the text messages. When he arrived, in walked Katie M. Trammel, the physician who, in many ways, may have saved his life. It puts in perspective the value of each day, because we all go through our lives were all guilty of it and we just live, right? You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Its deep, and its contagious. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. 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. Smith was put on blood thinners and discharged two days later with the clot gone. Check this out. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. And they found out. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. I love the challenge of being in complete control of your emotions, maintaining the calmness and the challenge to make a split-second decision in front of 60,000-100,000 screaming fans and knowing you have six crewmates that have your back in the heat of the battle. 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. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. After college, I had the great privilege of joining his football crew and kick-starting my own football officiating career. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. This article is the copyright of Referee Enterprises, Inc., and may not be republished in whole or in part online, in print or in any capacity without expressed written permission from Referee. We get him off the floor out of sight and he just loses it, Fox recalls. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. Bert Smith does. "It puts in perspective the value of each day, because we all go through our lives -- we're all guilty of it -- and we just live, right?" Smith, who'ddriven a rental car into town after working the Atlantic-10 Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, was driven to his home in Florence, Kentucky, by Eric Lowe, a Central Indiana-based referee. Working a Friday night high school football game gives me goose bumps. Presently I officiate in nine D-I conferences. I want to know why you fell. She checked a few things out, came back in, and took me through the car wash. Just a lot of tests. The NCAA even distributed a statement announcing the news: Smith was O.K. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. He rarely uses the elevator. 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. If you saw it, you understand. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. Something doesnt add up. I have to be ready physically, mentally and emotionally. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. 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. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.". by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. 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. Oh, and hes also been returning those messages. Note: This article is archival in nature. Medical officials tending to him on the floor insisted he be transported off the floor by the stretcher. 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. Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. So when I went off to college I had to work and was asked what I might enjoy doing, I said, Sports. I was hired on the intramural staff and was paid $3 an hour to officiate co-ed flag football, womens basketball and co-ed softball. We enjoyed working four football seasons together before his retirement. Later during the broadcast, they announced he was feeling OK and resting in the arena. For someone like me who has been in the game for a long time, there is a certain level of expectation on the part of players, coaches and my supervisors. Smith collapsed just over four minutes into the Elite Eight game between USC. See Bert Smith? Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. 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. Hes working Gonzaga-USC the next day, and Bert and his crew are staying in one of the NCAA bubble hotels, Le Meridien. You meet just about every type of person there is that exists and you have to learn to deal with all of them in a manner that shows that you deserve to be called an official. You meet cheaters, schemers, geniuses and idiots. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. Soccer has enriched my life ever since that fateful day in 1973 when my brother came home and said he made the high school soccer team. 2023 www.indystar.com. . Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor and had to be taken off on a stretcher. But do we say I love you enough? Smith, 56, regained consciousness, and he was alert as he was carried off the floor on a stretcher. Why cant he catch his breath? Hes a motivational speaker anddiversity recruiterin addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs remained undefeated and advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA men's basketball tournament with a dominant 85-66 win over USC on Tuesday . The NCAA announced later in the night that Smith was "alert and stable" and would not be transported to a hospital. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But do we say I love you enough? Its the best seat in the house. Theres no room in your head for thinking about cutting the grass, what you need from the store or how you have to finish your taxes. March 30 (UPI) --The No. Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. 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. 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. Everyones joking with him now. Yeah man, you were staggering like you were fighting Ali., You were asking Mark Few for a job application because you were on his bench., Next thing you know, you were back in the ring again with Ali and you went down like a tree in a forest!. He did not go to the hospital. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. Check this out.. Yeah man, you were staggering like you were fighting Ali., You were asking Mark Few for a job application because you were on his bench., Next thing you know, you were back in the ring again with Ali and you went down like a tree in a forest!. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. Now he wonders. As a child, I know that I enjoyed every minute of it. Just 4 minutes after tipoff in the Elite Eight matchup, Bert Smith crashed to the floor in a terrifying scene -- triggering team trainers and other medical personnel to race to his aid. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. Off the court, doctors checked his vitals: blood pressure, heart rate, etc. All Rights Reserved. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. You never know whats going to happen. Dr. It has put me in the middle of so many exciting situations where my skills and knowledge have been tested and given me and my crewmates the afterglow of satisfaction when you know you nailed it in a championship atmosphere. I lost it, too. Are you going to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? Given time that night on March 30, those around SmithNCAA doctors, his wife and colleaguesthought it best if he at least visited IU Methodist Hotel in Indianapolis to check his head and spine. 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. Trammel had seen the video. Usually I will leave the venue with a different outlook. 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 . All rights reserved. See Bert Smith? Areyougoing to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? Referee Bert Smith is taken off the court on a stretcher after collapsing during the first half of an Elite Eight game between Gonzaga and USC during the first half of an Elite 8 game in the NCAA . 2023 ABG-SI LLC. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. Everyones joking with him now. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Thats his wife of 33 years. and would not need hospitalization. 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. The scary moment was caught. Hed been duped. He said the night before the game, while running the stairs in the hotel to see his buddies or get ice, he was a little out of breath. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The unnecessary replay of Bert. 6 seed University of Southern California and No. He was officiating the Elite Eight matchup last month in Indianapolis when he suddenly collapsed near the Gonzaga bench. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. And they heard the sound his head made I heard it too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. Hell just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes theyll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. but never had a chance. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. 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. He was released after two days in the hospital. We Shouldn't Have Watched It Twice. The referee who collapsed during Gonzaga's matchup against USC in the NCAA men's basketball tournament had a blood clot in his lung, The Indianapolis Star reported Friday. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "I mean, I was just shocked and scared for him, but I was able to stick my head in there a little bit and see that he was talking and coherent and tried to say a quick prayer for him and just wished him the best. "He's a great official, great person," Few said after his team's 85-66 win to advance to the Final Four. Smith trains year round on a treadmill or stationary bike, and gets in other workouts like when the family goes to Disney World in Florida and Smith says they dont need a stroller for their grandson, Karter. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. 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 . He is the current president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, was the 2020 winner of the National Headliner Award as the country's top sports columnist and has twice been named North. A scary moment interrupted the Elite Eight on Tuesday, as NCAA official Bert Smith abruptly collapsed during a game between No. We make the calls and put up with the jeers because we love officiating. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. If they had done that and said, Mr. She said: I got the answer to the question. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. There is no other avocation that I can think of that requires the level of physical and mental preparation that officiating mandates, and you have to dedicate yourself in order to be successful. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The challenges of officiating are a great motivation and fun you gotta love it! The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. He rarely uses the elevator. Now he wonders. April 9, 2021, 9:39 AM. Since I'm involved in an athletic contest I want to be able to participate to the full, and working out, proper nutrition and recovery allow me to be able to keep up with the players and game. He goes to IU Health Methodist. Bert Smith, the NCAA official who fainted during an Elite Eight matchup between Gonzaga and USC last week, said Friday he collapsed over a blood clot in his lung. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Medical personnel take care of a NCAA referee after he fell on the court during the first half during the game between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the USC Trojans in the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA . OK, so the night of March 29. It was a scary moment as an audible thud was heard throughout Lucas Oil Stadium, and the official was taken off the court on a stretcher, though he was awake and alert. Official Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the game, immediately being carried away in a stretcher. Do we give an extra hug enough? And they found out. I do it because I love the ballgame. He was surrounded by medical professionals and eventually was helped on to a stretcher. When you are ready mentally you work with confidence. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. She said: I got the answer to the question. He runs. Referee Bert Smith is tended to by training staff and medical personnel after collapsing during the first half of the Elite Eight round game between the USC Trojans and the Gonzaga Bulldogs during . 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. 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.
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