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.. OK, so the night of March 29. Referee alert after collapsing on sideline during Gonzaga - ESPN.com I love officiating because it has a Zen aspect to it: for those two hours, you are completely focused on the task at hand. 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. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - WCNC-TV And they found out. Thats 1990. 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. 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. Fox News' Daniel Canova contributed to this report. NCAA ref Bert Smith reveals what led to scary fall during men's Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. 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. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KVUE Medical officials tending to him on the floor insisted he be transported off the floor by the stretcher. *. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. Also he mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? So was Karter. He agreed. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. ", BAYLOR BEATS GONZAGA FOR FIRST NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. Look at those crossed arms. She said: I got the answer to the question. 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. I love that we are the only participants who are not allowed to fail. NCAA Referee Bert Smith Collapses During March Madness. 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. It puts me in the zone! 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. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. Moves fast? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? Usually I will leave the venue with a different outlook. 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. I could be involved with Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. I appreciate that officiating has contributed lots of exercise and has helped to keep me in good health. that carried high into the net. Does Video Show Athletes Fainting Due to COVID-19 Vaccine? Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. or redistributed. NCAA Tournament referee Bert Smith collapse during game saved his life Areyougoing to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? Moves fast? Hed been duped. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. By age 11, I was organizing all the neighborhood kids in pick up games and by age 14, I got certified to referee and started coaching. Referee Bert Smith collapses at NCAA men's tournament game between Bert Smith doesnt remember any of that and hasnt seen a replay of his fall, though he says hes almost ready to watch. He plans to return as soon as he can to the court, and that includes ref camps this summer. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. The final clip in this video compilation shows Bert Smith as he collapsed during a March Madness game in April 2021. 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. NCAA Ref Bert Smith Says Blood Clot in Lung Caused Collapse at - TMZ By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of all the cookies. 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. He said the fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. "You don't know where that clot was going next," Smith told the Star's Gregg Doyel. No matter what age, talent, salary, race or sex, you must give your all. Where did it come from? Do we give an extra hug enough? 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. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors were reportedly unsure whether the clot had anything to do with COVID-19. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. See Bert Smith? Look at those crossed arms. It could have been a red flag, he said doctors told him, but then again "sometimes it just hits you.". People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. 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. Smiths pausing. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. 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. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. I joined a rec team and Mike spent hours showing me how to play. 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 NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. 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. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. Check this out. 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. He said no. 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? I have to be ready physically, mentally and emotionally. Soccer was now firmly in my blood and forever would help mold and shape me. I was seven years old and wanted to learn everything he learned each day when he got home from practice. I am also in my first year as the coordinator of officials for the NE-10 Conference, the largest Division II conference in the country. Smith was taken off the . 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. 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. 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 . Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? See Bert Smith? Referee Bert Smith's fall in men's NCAA Tournament game didn't kill him Ncaa Referee Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images By Bert Smith, NCAA D-I men's basketball official from Florence, Ky. 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 . 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. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. All Rights Reserved. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. CBS provided an update on the medical status of referee Bert Smith following his collapse on the court Tuesday. 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. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. He rarely uses the elevator. Smith told the publication. It allows me the privilege to do something I love, being part of the greatest game, mens college basketball. 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. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. 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. They insisted more. Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Update provided on status of referee Bert Smith following collapse Well, says one of the doctors, at least sit on the stretcher. Don't let anti-vaxxers lie to you about Damar Hamlin like they did with Also he mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. Might as well walk fast, too. ", 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. 2023 www.indystar.com. Youve probably seen him. Bert Smith does. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. 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. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. 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. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. Official collapses during NCAA tournament, wheeled off court on According to kenpom.com, the Gonzaga-USC game was the 70th matchup Smith worked this season. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. I love officiating because of the rush of excitement I get every time a player rises over another for a nothing-but-net three-pointer or from two kids diving after a loose ball like its a $1 million bill.
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