When I enter the field, theres more bounce in my step, my senses are heightened and my competitive juices start flowing. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. . There is no better feeling then walking back into the locker room with your partners and knowing that we worked together as a team and that we gave everything we had for those 48 minutes. Follow every game: Latest NCAA Men's College Basketball Scores and Schedules. Jacquie was waiting at the door. April 9, 2021, 9:39 AM. 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. Todays game is so fast and the players have such a high skill set that its very important to be in the best possible position to judge a play and make a call. CNN . And how did the court get so blurry all of a sudden, like someone smeared it with . Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. At the core of the reasons why I love to referee is a passion for the sport of soccer. Trammel was at Methodistthe night of March 30. NCAA Tournament Basketball Referee Bert Smith suffered a scary collapse during the 2022 NCAA March Madness Tournament Gonzaga vs. USC basketball game.I bre. 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. They strapped me in! Ref alert after collapsing during Gonzaga-USC, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. A scary moment interrupted the Elite Eight on Tuesday, as NCAA official Bert Smith abruptly collapsed during a game between No. 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. 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. 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. Brett Smith, an NCAA college basketball referee, collapsed during a game. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. She said: I got the answer to the question. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. He rarely uses the elevator. They released him to return to his hotel. Smith, who'ddriven 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. That was one of the few times I remember getting in trouble with my father for kicking his car door as hard as my little legs could out of anger. The arrival at the arena, the pregame, being with various partners, the competition, the players, coaches, ambience, the focus and concentration needed on each possession. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. View the profiles of professionals named "Bert Smith" on LinkedIn. Official Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the game, immediately being carried away in a stretcher. My love of officiating started when I was very young five to six years old. The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. Youre going to get on one side, hes going to get on the other, were going to wave to the fans, and Im walking out of here.. Smith, 56, regained consciousness, and he was alert as he was carried off the floor on a stretcher. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. Whats that for? 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. He works his first game at age 24. He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes,they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. 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 . Now Bert Smith is laughing again. I know his wife is going to be going bananas. Knowing the rulebook and being able to execute decisions in a split-second. Bert Smith NCAA men's basketball official, 27th season My fitness is important to me. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. 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? Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. My father was a basketball official and one of the founding members of the local IAABO board in Lowell, Mass. Fox News' Daniel Canova contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved. OK, so the night of March 29. Might as well walk fast, too. When I am out on the field working a game I am mentally and physically completely focused on doing the job right. 2 Alabama erases 17-point deficit, wins SEC, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. Where did it come from? Im letting the paint dry.. They were pretty intense, man. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. And they found out. The support and love was just overwhelming. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Officiating In Perspective with Barry Mano, Amid cancer fight, NBA ref Tony Brown returning to work, Recruiting & Retention: What WorkedWhat Didnt, Next Level Softball Umpiring Free Email Series, High School Volleyball Officials Quiz 2023. I was seven years old and wanted to learn everything he learned each day when he got home from practice. People often ask me how I maintain a smile throughout almost every game, however it is quite unintentional. Veteran college basketball referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the first half of Tuesday night's Elite Eight game between No. That road includes blood thinners and a trip next week to see a nearby doctor to strategize his future treatment. 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. Managing a game and ensuring equity in your rulings between two talented, highly motivated teams is a great challenge. Having good presence, working with pride, acting professional and enjoying the challenge of the job is what I love most about officiating hockey. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Here's where I'mtelling him about thatpicture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. Do we give an extra hug enough? There are 96 NCAA referees all waiting for the same thing those 68 teams are waiting for. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. Presently I officiate in nine D-I conferences. Thats 1990. Medical personnel at Lucas Oil Stadium treated Smith, who later went to a local hospital. 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. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. I came off the field and I was so pumped up. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. So was Karter. He goes to IU Health Methodist. Gaining the best sight line on the ice requires officials to be strong skaters, agile and physically fit. Whats he doing on his back? Bert Smith doesnt remember any of that and hasnt seen a replay of his fall, though he says hes almost ready to watch. Eades, who at age 56 has worked three Final Fours and. Smith is the college basketball official who passed out during themen's NCAA Tournamentregional final between Gonzaga and Southern California, toppling over like a fallen tree his description his body prone and unmoving, his eyes open and unseeing, a Gonzaga trainer frantically waving for help. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. He agreed. 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. Smith was taken off the . Hell just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes theyll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. 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. Everything was normal. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? Smiths pausing. Referee Bert Smith got to hear ovation of a lifetime. Thats his wife of 33 years. The clot restricted enough oxygen to Smith that he passed out during the game. Moves fast? 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. 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 . Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. That is definitely what drives me. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. I just cannot erase the pleasure from my face. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Medical personnel and other staffers rushed toward him. View. Bert Smith just now finished returning the text messages. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. We get him off the floor out of sight and he just loses it, Fox recalls. He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. Legal Statement. However, minutes into the game, the NCAA tournament ended up experiencing a scary moment. Jacquie was waiting at the door. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? And they heard the sound his head made I heard it too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Fox News Flash top headlines are here. 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. Smith does remember the 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. Then he becomes a basketball official. Market data provided by Factset. The challenges of officiating are a great motivation and fun you gotta love it! 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. See Bert Smith? Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. collapsed on national television during Gonzagas eventual win over USC. 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. The scary scene unfolded with 15:44 to play in the. 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. 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. Replay Of Referee Bert Smith Collapsing Swift Highlights 22.9K subscribers Subscribe 393 Share 158K views 1 year ago Replay Of Referee Collapsing Basketball Official Collapses Show more Show. Immediately after falling, Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd ran to him and the bench waved for doctors. Dr. I want to know why you fell. She checked a few things out, came back inand took me through the car wash. Just a lot of tests. All rights reserved. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. Why I love officiating can be simply put as it has given me the opportunity to work with and be associated with some of the finest individuals that walk the face of this earth. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. Smith revealed in a lengthy interview with the Indianapolis Star the fall may have saved him. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. Smith told the publication. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? You never know whats going to happen. 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. They were pretty intense, man. NCAA Referee Bert Smith Collapses During March Madness. Knowing the rules and how to implement them fairly, evenly and within the guidelines of accepted philosophy is important. Being part of the game is a big reason. Working a Friday night high school football game gives me goose bumps. Active referees are listed in bold. I ran and grabbed his phone, and he checked his phone and within the first hour, he had 250 texts, and a lot of them from fellow referees. 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. The minute my stripes are on, Im a part of a crew not an official with a disability. 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 . Just over four minutes into the game between USC and Gonzaga, Bert . I literally grew up watching my dad, Glen, work a seemingly endless number of football and basketball games. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Referee Bert Smith said he was 'tricked' into getting on the stretcher after his collapse . The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. And they found out. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. It does not store any personal data. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. It was fun and stress-free officiating, and I was able to help pay for college. The passion I felt when I played is still there for me when I officiate and I can feel that passion on the court. Might as well walk fast, too. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. 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 flat and unmoving, his eyes open and unseeing, a Gonzaga trainer frantically waving for help. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. 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. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. 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. Youve probably seen him. But slow down, OK? The Big League College World Series (last August in Kalamazoo, Mich.) was probably the most fun Ive had on a ball field. "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?" "He's a great official, great person," Few said after his team's 85-66 win to advance to the Final Four. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. Moves fast? 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 . There were 500 of them. I love officiating because it has a Zen aspect to it: for those two hours, you are completely focused on the task at hand. He was officiating the Elite Eight matchup last month in Indianapolis when he suddenly collapsed near the Gonzaga bench. It puts me in the zone! Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. It offers a chance to lead by example. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. Devika Pawar. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. You could talk to him during a game. You know the rules, have studied the pregame intel and use your experience to go read and react to the actions. Add to that the fact that we actually get paid to exercise, and I cant think of a better way to spend a spring afternoon than on a lacrosse field! Youre going to get on one side, hes going to get on the other, were going to wave to the fans, and Im walking out of here.. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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.