"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?" 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. I could be having the worst day possible and I still lose myself in my game that day.
Referee OK after collapsing on sideline during Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight Moves fast, this guy. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Being able to handle situations that arise separates the average official from the capable arbiter. The clot restricted enough oxygen to Smith that he passed out during the game. 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 .
March Madness roundup: Gonzaga, UCLA advance to Final Four 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Ref alert after collapsing during Gonzaga-USC, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. When he arrived, in walked Katie M. Trammel, the physician who, in many ways, may have saved his life. Also he mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. Smith told the Indianapolis Star's Gregg Doyel he doesn't remember falling and hasn't seen a replay, but what doctors found that night could have been life-saving. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. By 1993 hes an NCAA Division I official. So was Karter. A referee has collapsed on court during the opening stages of an NCAA Elite Eight basketball match in Indiana. 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!. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. Were about to put you through the car wash of testing, she said. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. I literally grew up watching my dad, Glen, work a seemingly endless number of football and basketball games. Well, says one of the doctors, at least sit on the stretcher. Dr. View. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. Official Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the game, immediately being carried away in a stretcher. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. I was seven years old and wanted to learn everything he learned each day when he got home from practice. Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. 6 seed USC. Officiating for me has always been the ultimate escape. As you looked toward my approval 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. 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.. 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.
My Investigation into the WVU/Pitt Officiating - Mountaineer Sports Bert Smith told the . Do we give an extra hug enough? His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. Every offseason lasts too long and a week off of the field makes me feel rusty. Being able to participate and watch these young men and women playing the game because they have that desire to play is a joy to me that you cannot experience through a TV or on the sidelines. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of all the cookies. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. She said: I got the answer to the question. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. Everyones joking with him now. No matter who you meet, you have to deal with them as people who deserve the best from you. So was Karter.
Referee Bert Smith collapses during Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight game - FanSided Bert Smith. . The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. It goes: You scored, Billy Medical personnel at Lucas Oil Stadium treated Smith, who later went to a local hospital. 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. It was fun and stress-free officiating, and I was able to help pay for college. 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. Moves fast? When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. There was an error submitting your subscription. Officiating is similar to playing the game full of emotion, both highs and lows. Having to make those decisions in a split second is a challenge I enjoy. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. Where did it come from? After the game, Gonzaga coach Mark Few said he had walked over to Smith to offer his support as Smith was being placed on the stretcher.
Official collapses, wheeled off court on stretcher from NCAA tournament Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; INDIANAPOLIS -- A referee collapsed early in the first half of Tuesday night's Elite Eight matchup between Gonzaga and USC . I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. 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. My colleagues and I have strong personalities with how were wired so being able to do a job that you know youre in a select company of people is very rewarding. 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. What I mean is that we are the upholders of the integrity of the game. No matter what age, talent, salary, race or sex, you must give your all. 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 are 96 NCAA referees all waiting for the same thing those 68 teams are waiting for. Bert Smith (56) NCAA men's basketball Referee collapsed due to a blood clot in his lung during a tournament News Story. Referee Bert Smith was taken off the court on a stretcher after collapsing to the court during the first half of the NCAA men's tournament Elite Eight matchup between USC and Gonzaga on Tuesday. I love officiating because of the challenge. If you saw it, you understand. Thats normal to huff and puff, right? Look at that picture again. . 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! But do we say I love you enough? You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. Knowing the rulebook and being able to execute decisions in a split-second. Trammel was at Methodistthe night of March 30.
Referee collapses during USC-Gonzaga Elite Eight matchup - ABC7 Los Angeles And they found out. It is equivalent to flying an airplane, skydiving, skiing a black diamond, anything that heightens all your senses. My love of officiating started when I was very young five to six years old. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. . Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? ", NCAA tourney ref who collapsed had blood clot, From bubble struggles to NCAA seed improvement, why these final weekend games matter, Davis 3 shy of Maravich; Detroit eyes CBI bid, Son: Maravich would be 'cheering on' Davis, Vandy's Robbins out rest of season with leg injury, Sources: High Point fires Smith after one season, Davis out as Bucknell coach after 12-20 season, Grill discloses mental illness after Iowa St. exit, 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. 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? Nobody can say. 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 three officials for the game who are in question are Bert Smith, James Breeding and John Gaffney. I realized, even back then, how fun and rewarding each officiating experience was for the crew. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. He didn't have a headache or blurry vision. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. And when next season arrives, you can expect to find Bert Smith on the hardwood. Smith revealed in a lengthy interview with the Indianapolis Star the fall may have saved him. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. 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. When a situation occurs that brings the temperature of the game up, you have to control your emotions and read the emotions of the players and coaches to restore calm. We are drawn together by a passion for officiating those outside the industry cant understand. Eades, who at age 56 has worked three Final Fours and. The challenges of officiating are a great motivation and fun you gotta love it! The scary moment was caughtlive during the Bulldogs-Trojans matchup. 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. If they had done that and said, Mr. By 1993hes an NCAA Division I official. 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. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. Im letting the paint dry.. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. I love being part of the game. She said: I got the answer to the question. Why cant he catch his breath? He agreed. 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. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.
March Madness: Bert Smith diagnosed with - New York Post Smith's fall to the ground. Not one of these men or women is without the utmost class and integrity, and I hope by associating with them some of their class and integrity has rubbed off on me and made me a better person. I am blessed that I have been able to enjoy two passions and carry on the Aldrich Hoop Family tradition.
NCAA Elite Eight match halted as referee Bert Smith collapses 6 seed USC. Its not some routine youre doing day in and day out. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Success! 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. I lost it, too. 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.
NCAA Tournament referee Bert Smith collapse during game saved his life He goes to IU Health Methodist. Written By. 2 Alabama erases 17-point deficit, wins SEC, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. A former employee at Avis Car Rental, he dropped that job to officiate full time in 2010. 6 seed USC at Lucas Oil Stadium in . Its a good week to be getting sympathy from the wife, he says, chuckling.
Replay Of Referee Bert Smith Collapsing - YouTube Now Bert Smith is laughing again. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. Soccer was now firmly in my blood and forever would help mold and shape me. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. OK, so the night of March 29. Smiths pausing. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything.
Referee Fall in Gonzaga USC NCAA Game TBS Replay Gets Backlash - Yahoo! Thats 1990.
Scary moment Gonzaga-USC referee Bert Smith COLLAPSES on court during You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. " My uniforms were enormous, and I stepped on my flag but I felt as big as the world!
Referee Bert Smith in Stable Condition After Collapsing During Gonzaga 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. They strapped me in!
Don't let anti-vaxxers lie to you about Damar Hamlin like they did with INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. I love officiating for the same reason I love my wife. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes,they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. Oh, Ill be back. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. Note: This article is archival in nature.
Referee alert after collapsing on sideline during Gonzaga - ESPN.com he told the newspaper. It and she have made me a better person. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. That was the start of my passion for officiating basketball. Fox News' Daniel Canova contributed to this report. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Something doesnt add up. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Oh, and hes also been returning those messages. They were pretty intense, man. Hes been friends with Smith for 30 years. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. They strapped me in! Shes an important part of this story.. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. Unfortunately we miss plays every night, but the challenge of trying to be perfect and get every play right is why I love it so much. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. View the profiles of professionals named "Bert Smith" on LinkedIn. Look at those crossed arms.
Referee Bert Smith collapses at NCAA men's tournament game between NCAA basketball official Bert Smith lies on the court after collapsing during the Gonzaga-USC men's game in the Elite Eight. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. No, he said hed walk off under assistance. The board presents an award in his name each year to the area high school that exemplifies sportsmanship. And they found out. Everything was normal. 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. Some are destined for greatness, some for failure. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. Now he wonders. Smith said, in a way, he was grateful the fall happened during the tournament and not when he was driving. 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 . Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. The Big League College World Series (last August in Kalamazoo, Mich.) was probably the most fun Ive had on a ball field. The unnecessary replay of Bert. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. Smith is back home in Kentucky with his wife, Jacquie, and his grandson, Karter. Whats he doing on his back? 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. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? 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 Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KHOU Well get there, but right now were moving too fast.
Does Video Show Athletes Fainting Due to COVID-19 Vaccine? He rarely uses the elevator. Thats 1990. Smiths pausing. Hospitalized with a blood clot. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. If you saw it, you understand.
NCAA ref Bert Smith reveals what led to scary fall during men's I know his wife is going to be going bananas. He told the Star he's happy it happened during the Elite Eight when he could get the right help he needed rather than during an instance when he was driving or sleeping. Bert Smith, Raymond Styons. The scary moment was caught. You have to be in excellent physical condition in order to be in the correct position to rule on plays. 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. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? 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.
What happened to ref in Gonzaga game? Referee Bert Smith carried on 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 . 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. He rarely uses the elevator. Active referees are listed in bold. Smith was put on blood thinners and discharged two days later with the clot gone. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Are you going to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape?
Referee 'alert and stable' after collapsing during - oregonlive 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. I could be involved with 4-H. Whats that for? When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. The problems of the world do not exist when I am working a game. The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. 6 seed USC last month in the men's NCAA tournament. 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. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM.