When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. 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. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. 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. He rarely uses the elevator. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. March 30 (UPI) --The No. Please try again. My father was a basketball official and one of the founding members of the local IAABO board in Lowell, Mass. collapsed on national television during Gonzagas eventual win over USC. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. Bert. Medical personnel and other staffers rushed toward him. You meet people persons, individual persons, team players and egomaniacs. I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. And they heard the sound his head made I heard it, too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. He works his first game at age 24. 6 seed University of Southern California and No. 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. As you looked toward my approval You are expected to be perfect and improve after that. ", 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. Bert Smith does. It has helped me to handle stressful situations and taught me how to remain calm in the midst of the storms of life. 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. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. Hed been duped. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. 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. Thats his wife of 33 years. He has been in contact with his family. He runs. See Bert Smith? Smith said, in a way, he was grateful the fall happened during the tournament and not when he was driving. 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 . Immediately after falling, Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd ran to him and the bench waved for doctors. For now, hell continue to return new messagesstill flooding inand relax while, yes, watching golfs first major championship. 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. And they heard the sound his head made I heard it too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Look at that picture again. Look at those crossed arms. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. The problems of the world do not exist when I am working a game. 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. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. The passion I felt when I played is still there for me when I officiate and I can feel that passion on the court. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. Over the years Ive been blessed with so many highlights but have found a simple phrase that sums it all up: Special Soccer Moments, derived from the poem June Goal, written by my Dad in 1976. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? 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 . Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. 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 . Now Bert Smith is laughing again. 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. " Bert is alert and stable and will not be transported to a hospital. 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. 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. 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? No matter what sport or level we work, we are bonded. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I hear (other officials) say, I do it for the kids. Im not disagreeing with them when they say that and I enjoy being around the kids too, but theres a hundred other things I could do if I was doing it for the kids. You cant get any closer to the ballgame. 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. He rarely uses the elevator. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. Nobody can say. By 1993, hes an NCAA Division I official. And when next season arrives, you can expect to find Bert Smith on the hardwood. Its deep, and its contagious. I joined a rec team and Mike spent hours showing me how to play. People often ask me how I maintain a smile throughout almost every game, however it is quite unintentional. Then he becomes a basketball official. 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. Gregg Doyel Indianapolis Star 0:00 0:56 INDIANAPOLIS - Bert Smith hasn't seen the moment that. 1 . Youve probably seen him. He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes,they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. 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. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. 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. Bert Smith NCAA men's basketball official, 27th season My fitness is important to me. Hell just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes theyll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. Then he becomes a basketball official. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. That road includes blood thinners and a trip next week to see a nearby doctor to strategize his future treatment. Smith was put on blood thinners and discharged two days later with the clot gone. So was Karter. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Follow every game: Latest NCAA Men's College Basketball Scores and Schedules. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Smith says the fall and subsequent battery of testing was a life-saving ordeal. Being mentally ready for the game is most important. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. Fox News Flash top headlines for April 10. . Knowing how to communicate with players, coaches and officials when the game is on the line requires great skill and finesse. 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. Video shows Cowboys Prescott taking snaps, moving well, Thamel: Millers firing tells truth about coaching in NCAA, Former Florida State, Giants WR arrested on murder charges, Rapinoe blasts Warriors Green for takes on womens sports, abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game, Smith told the Indianapolis Star's Gregg Doyel, later in the night that Smith was "alert and stable. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. A replacement official was added to the crew after Smith collapsed. Are you going to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. 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. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. The 56-year-old veteran referee was carried off the court on a stretcher. 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. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. 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. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. She said: I got the answer to the question. They were pretty intense, man. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. Hes working Gonzaga-USC the next day, and Bert and his crew are staying in one of the NCAA bubble hotels, Le Meridien.
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