. 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 plans to return as soon as he can to the court, and that includes ref camps this summer. If you saw it, you understand. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. See Bert Smith? This week, Gonzaga and Southern California faced off during the Elite Eight matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium. Whats he doing on his back? No, he said hed walk off under assistance. Gaining the best sight line on the ice requires officials to be strong skaters, agile and physically fit. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. 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. Gregg Doyel Indianapolis Star 0:00 0:56 INDIANAPOLIS - Bert Smith hasn't seen the moment that. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Everything was normal. Smith is back home in Kentucky with his wife, Jacquie, and his grandson, Karter. Jacquie was waiting at the door. 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. OK, so the night of March 29. Look at his scowl. My father was a basketball official and one of the founding members of the local IAABO board in Lowell, Mass. 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. My dad always said, You do not always win, but you can always be a good sport and, You should conduct yourself on the court, the way you would conduct yourself in life. In addition, I have two brothers and a sister who were also officials we were known as the Aldrich Hoop Family.. 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. I look for officials I assign to have the same respect and values for the game as I do. 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. No matter what sport or level we work, we are bonded. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. But first, Smith had to get stretchered off the floor, something he was adamantly against. Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. Jacquie was waiting at the door. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. They strapped me in! Now Bert Smith is laughing again. Being able to handle situations that arise separates the average official from the capable arbiter. He runs. 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. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. Market data provided by Factset. Moves fast? Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. She said: I got the answer to the question. She said: I got the answer to the question. The three officials for the game who are in question are Bert Smith, James Breeding and John Gaffney. I love that we are the only participants who are not allowed to fail. Shes an important part of this story.. Youve probably seen him. So was Karter. 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. 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!. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. Mar 31st, 2021. There was an error submitting your subscription. Smith revealed in a lengthy interview with the Indianapolis Star the fall may have saved him. 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. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The challenges of officiating are a great motivation and fun you gotta love it! Just over four minutes into the game between USC and Gonzaga, Bert . Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. As you looked toward my approval CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? After all, he hit the court hard, so hard that it left a giant bump on the back of his head. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. It is equivalent to flying an airplane, skydiving, skiing a black diamond, anything that heightens all your senses. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. Follow every game: Latest NCAA Men's College Basketball Scores and Schedules. As soon as I arrive and begin preparing for the game, my day, my life, enters a new and exciting realm. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. 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. Turns out, it was something worse. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. 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. By 1993, hes an NCAA Division I official. Hospitalized with a blood clot. Who parks in the farthest spot from the entrance to Kroger? 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 say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. Dr. I cant find that feeling anywhere else. Officiating at the professional level requires commitment to conditioning. . 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 . Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. Its energizing and refreshing to have that kind of focus on something. 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. But slow down, OK? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. the college basketball official who passed out during themen's NCAA Tournamentregional final between Gonzaga and Southern California, Latest NCAA Men's College Basketball Scores and Schedules, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. I also love the fact that no game is ever the same and allows us the ability to make constant improvement. Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Nobody can say. Trammel had seen the video. 6 seed USC at Lucas Oil Stadium in . Referee Fall in Gonzaga USC NCAA Game TBS Replay Gets Backlash Sports A Referee Collapsed at an NCAA Basketball Game. Referee Bert Smith's fall in men's NCAA Tournament game didn't kill him. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. There are 200+ professionals named "Bert Smith", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Trammel wasnt as concerned with a CT scan on his skull as she was on why he fell in the first place. Later, doctors discovered the reason. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. Note: This article is archival in nature. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. Officiating for me has always been the ultimate escape. Bert Smith does. 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!. 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? Where did it come from? Something doesnt add up. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. 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 . People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. They strapped me in! Its a wonderful place to be. Then he becomes a basketball official. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Here's where I'mtell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. Next thing he remembers, hes looking at the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. Before I started officiating I had a sister who lived in another county. When you are ready mentally you work with confidence. Where did it come from? 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. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. *. Its hard for me to talk about now. 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. But do we say I love you enough? Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. April 9, 2021, 9:39 AM. Their goalie tried leaping to his left Bert Smith doesnt remember any of that and hasnt seen a replay of his fall, though he says hes almost ready to watch. It took me a few days, he says. So was Karter. The 2021 ACC men's basketball tournament (officially the 2021 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Presented by New York Life) was the postseason men's basketball tournament for the Atlantic Coast Conference and held at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, from March 9 to 13, 2021. Im ready to get after it, he says. OK, so the night of March 29. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. A referee has collapsed on court during the opening stages of an NCAA Elite Eight basketball match in Indiana. Hes working Gonzaga-USC the next day, and Bert and his crew are staying in one of the NCAA bubble hotels, Le Meridien. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Youve probably seen him. 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. Smiths pausing. A few hours later, his officiating friends joined him at the hotel and suggested he go to the hospital to be evaluated for a concussion, just in case. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. Turns out, nope, no concussion. By 1993 hes an NCAA Division I official. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. 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 . Fox News' Daniel Canova contributed to this report. 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. 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. Smith collapsed just over four minutes into the Elite Eight game between USC. If you saw it, you understand. I had grown up playing the sport, but for some unknown reason, playing was just not satisfying enough. More than a week later, he hasnt watched the moment. Bert Smith. He works his first game at age 24. 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. My feelings about my whistle are still the same. He was officiating the Elite Eight matchup last month in Indianapolis when he suddenly collapsed near the Gonzaga bench. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. You could talk to him during a game. NCAA Referee Bert Smith Collapses During March Madness. Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. Thats his wife of 33 years. Im very grateful. 6 seed USC last month in the men's NCAA tournament. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. Bert Smith does. 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. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. 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. Smith, 56, regained consciousness, and he was alert as he was carried off the floor on a stretcher. 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. Bert Smith just now finished returning the text messages. Do you know you went viral? she playfully asked. Now I have hundreds of brothers around the country. Why cant he catch his breath? Having good presence, working with pride, acting professional and enjoying the challenge of the job is what I love most about officiating hockey. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Written By. Bert Smith does. Then he becomes a basketball official. It has helped me to handle stressful situations and taught me how to remain calm in the midst of the storms of life. Look at that picture again. Shes an important part of this story.. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. 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. Why cant he catch his breath? When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day. Usually I will leave the venue with a different outlook. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Smith says the fall and subsequent battery of testing was a life-saving ordeal. They released him to return to his hotel. However, minutes into the game, the NCAA tournament ended up experiencing a scary moment. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of all the cookies. 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. And they heard the sound his head made I heard it, too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. My uniforms were enormous, and I stepped on my flag but I felt as big as the world! 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 . Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? I lost it, too. 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 flat 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. Legal Statement. 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. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. For now, hell continue to return new messagesstill flooding inand relax while, yes, watching golfs first major championship. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. You could talk to him during a game. Immediately after falling, Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd ran to him and the bench waved for doctors. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. Smith's fall to the ground. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. NCAA Tournament Basketball Referee Bert Smith suffered a scary collapse during the 2022 NCAA March Madness Tournament Gonzaga vs. USC basketball game.I bre. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. 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. It is by far the most difficult thing Ive ever done. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Moves fast? 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 was fun and stress-free officiating, and I was able to help pay for college. Moves fast? I love being part of the game. A pulmonary embolism. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He said no. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. Do we give an extra hug enough? Success! He did not go to the hospital. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. I appreciate that officiating has contributed lots of exercise and has helped to keep me in good health. He runs. Smiths pausing. Look at those crossed arms. A scary moment interrupted the Elite Eight on Tuesday, as NCAA official Bert Smith abruptly collapsed during a game between No. Everyones joking with him now. 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 . I still play in a mens league, have refereed more than 700 NCAA games and am in my 17th season as an MLS official. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. When I am out on the field working a game I am mentally and physically completely focused on doing the job right. Thats normal to huff and puff, right? I have to be ready physically, mentally and emotionally. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. But do we say I love you enough? 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. Two hours later, she returned into the room with the test results. We make the calls and put up with the jeers because we love officiating. Whats he doing on his back? According to kenpom.com, the Gonzaga-USC game was the 70th matchup Smith worked this season. The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. They were supposed to just check my head and spine for a concussion (he didnt have one, by the way), says Smith. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Some are destined for greatness, some for failure. Michael Conroy/AP. For the following few years, I officiated some while pursuing my masters in nursing and then my doctorate. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. The minute my stripes are on, Im a part of a crew not an official with a disability. All rights reserved. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year. 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. People often ask me how I maintain a smile throughout almost every game, however it is quite unintentional. Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at@GreggDoyelStar. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. They strapped me in! Nobody can say. 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. And they found out. 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. Look at his scowl. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Even though at this point in my career I have the experience and acceptance, there is still that constant challenge from one game to the next because you never know what is going to happen every time you step on the ice. Do we give an extra hug enough? "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?" This was evident five years ago when my mother died in September and my father died in October during the football season. You have to be in excellent physical condition in order to be in the correct position to rule on plays. But slow down, OK? "You don't know where that clot was going next," Smith told the Star's Gregg Doyel. View. The challenges are different for each level of refereeing and the emotional payoffs vary, but the reason for being in the game is the same: Passion for soccer runs through my veins. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. Refereeing soccer is more than a hobby or a job; it is my passion and it is ingrained in me so deeply that it is a part of me. That is definitely what drives me. collapsed on national television during Gonzagas eventual win over USC. a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. 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. 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. Bert Smith doesnt remember any of thatand hasn't seen areplay of his fall, though he says he's almost ready to watch.