The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. Read More Referee Bert Smith collapses on the court during the first half of an Elite 8 game between Gonzaga and Southern California during the first half of an Elite 8 game in the NCAA men's . Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. The referee who collapsed during Gonzaga 's matchup against USC in the NCAA tournament had a blood clot in his lung, the Indianapolis Star reported on Friday. Nobody can say. The minute my stripes are on, Im a part of a crew not an official with a disability. 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. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. Im ready to get after it, he says. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. 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. When you are ready mentally you work with confidence. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. Smith was taken off the . Katie Trammels stock is up with me in the Smith family book, he says, laughing. Its deep, and its contagious. I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? I lost it, too. People often ask me how I maintain a smile throughout almost every game, however it is quite unintentional. But first, Smith had to get stretchered off the floor, something he was adamantly against. Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. I cant find that feeling anywhere else. They were pretty intense, man. We won't send you spam. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. Now he wonders. Officiating at the professional level requires commitment to conditioning. Youve probably seen him. It pushes you to be on top of your game. They released him to return to his hotel. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Managing a game and ensuring equity in your rulings between two talented, highly motivated teams is a great challenge. So was Karter. Once hospitalizedat first, he didnt even plan to godoctors discovered a troubling issue: a blood clot in his lungs. Moves fast, this guy. 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. 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. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. Turns out, it was something worse. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. 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. He said the fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. I was seven years old and wanted to learn everything he learned each day when he got home from practice. Thats his wife of 33 years. If they had done that and said, Mr. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. 6 seed USC. What happens next leads toa picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. He didn't have a headache or blurry vision. She said: I got the answer to the question. Earlier: Tonight's Elite Eight game between Gonzaga and USC was stopped momentarily after veteran referee Bert Smith collapsed on the court. he told the newspaper. As you looked toward my approval As a child, I know that I enjoyed every minute of it. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. I just cannot erase the pleasure from my face. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. "He's a great official, great person," Few said after his team's 85-66 win to advance to the Final Four. 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. Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Trammel wasnt as concerned with a CT scan on his skull as she was on why he fell in the first place. If you saw it, you understand. 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. 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. Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. You know the rules, have studied the pregame intel and use your experience to go read and react to the actions. Moves fast, this guy. Officiating for me has always been the ultimate escape. Ref alert after collapsing during Gonzaga-USC, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? 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. Everyones joking with him now. 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. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. 1 . The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. He rarely uses the elevator. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". "But do we say 'I love you' enough? 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. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. CNN . Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. 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. Moves fast? Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. It took me a few days, he says. Referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor and had to be taken off on a stretcher. " 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. What I mean is that we are the upholders of the integrity of the game. Scary video shows the ref falling backwards and hitting his head on the hardwood floor just four minutes into the March Madness game as other officials pause the match and run to his aid. Two hours later, she returned into the room with the test results. 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. I have known that I wanted to referee long before I owned my first whistle. 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.. Hes incredibly fit, somewhat of a workout freak, and hes never really endured many traumatic health issuescertainly nothing like this. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Copyright 2022 Referee Enterprises Inc. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. And they found out. That road includes blood thinners and a trip next week to see a nearby doctor to strategize his future treatment. The final clip in this video compilation shows Bert Smith as he collapsed during a March Madness game in April 2021. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. 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 . Being able to handle situations that arise separates the average official from the capable arbiter. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. Why cant he catch his breath? You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. ", BAYLOR BEATS GONZAGA FOR FIRST NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. You meet talented, mediocre and middle-of-the-road people. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. At the core of the reasons why I love to referee is a passion for the sport of soccer. My feelings about my whistle are still the same. 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. or redistributed. Active referees are listed in bold. 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. I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? He did not go to the hospital. That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. 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 . What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Knowing how to communicate with players, coaches and officials when the game is on the line requires great skill and finesse. 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. 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. If youve ever experienced a buzzer-beater, thats what Im talking about. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. We enjoyed working four football seasons together before his retirement. I continue to coach high school soccer. He's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. 29/08/21, Germany (unknown age) Unnamed Germany C-League Dillenburg a player from Hirzenhain collapses, game . Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall.
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