We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. I love officiating because it has a Zen aspect to it: for those two hours, you are completely focused on the task at hand. 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. Moves fast? I still play in a mens league, have refereed more than 700 NCAA games and am in my 17th season as an MLS official. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He doesnt remember passing out, only that things got foggy, he says, and that his breathing didnt feel normal. Bert Smith does. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Smith says the fall and subsequent battery of testing was a life-saving ordeal. Then he becomes a basketball official. The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. Every offseason lasts too long and a week off of the field makes me feel rusty. Do we give an extra hug enough? Bert Smith told the . Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Smith said, in a way, he was grateful the fall happened during the tournament and not when he was driving. As soon as I arrive and begin preparing for the game, my day, my life, enters a new and exciting realm. The challenges of officiating are a great motivation and fun you gotta love it! Its energizing and refreshing to have that kind of focus on something. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. 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. He agreed. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. There is no greater place to be than on a softball or baseball field. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. She said: I got the answer to the question. And they found out. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. Smith told the publication. I get to watch the Masters.. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. She said: I got the answer to the question. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, REFEREE Bert Smith collapsed during the first half of the USC - Gonzaga game during the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Trammel wasnt as concerned with a CT scan on his skull as she was on why he fell in the first place. 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. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. Bert Smith, Raymond Styons. "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?" I love that we are the only participants who are not allowed to fail. Oh, Ill be back. He's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. Areyougoing to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year. All rights reserved. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. 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. "But do we say 'I love you' enough? Shes an important part of this story.. The scary moment was caughtlive during the Bulldogs-Trojans matchup. View. It has helped me to handle stressful situations and taught me how to remain calm in the midst of the storms of life. Moves fast, this guy. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. Its not some routine youre doing day in and day out. I'm committed to it year round. That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. 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. There were ones from coaches, ones from colleagues, ones from family, one even from an NFL official hed never met. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. By 1993, hes an NCAA Division I official. When he arrived, in walked Katie M. Trammel, the physician who, in many ways, may have saved his life. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. 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? Smiths pausing. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. Now he wonders. Look at those crossed arms. Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. 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 . 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. 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. 29/08/21, Germany (unknown age) Unnamed Germany C-League Dillenburg a player from Hirzenhain collapses, game . The support and love was just overwhelming. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? The article is made available for educational use by individuals. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. 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. 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. It was fun and stress-free officiating, and I was able to help pay for college. 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. 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. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? After college, I had the great privilege of joining his football crew and kick-starting my own football officiating career. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. View the profiles of professionals named "Bert Smith" on LinkedIn. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. You meet people persons, individual persons, team players and egomaniacs. Just over four minutes into the game between USC and Gonzaga, Bert . They strapped me in! Subscribe to get the Referee.com Review every week plus periodic free training and special offers on the sports you officiate. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. 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. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. The minute my stripes are on, Im a part of a crew not an official with a disability. Some are destined for greatness, some for failure. Its deep, and its contagious. 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. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Smith is back home in Kentucky with his wife, Jacquie, and his grandson, Karter. I joined a rec team and Mike spent hours showing me how to play. We get him off the floor out of sight and he just loses it, Fox recalls. Do we give an extra hug enough? You could talk to him during a game. Referee Fall in Gonzaga USC NCAA Game TBS Replay Gets Backlash Sports A Referee Collapsed at an NCAA Basketball Game. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of all the cookies. Whats he doing on his back? As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. They were pretty intense, man. They released him to return to his hotel. 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. Smith fell and was immediately attended to by medical personnel. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. NCAA Referee Bert Smith Collapses During March Madness. By 1993 hes an NCAA Division I official. 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. Look at his scowl. The reasons for our joy when we step on the field, court or ice are vast and every reason is forged in the fire of our individual experiences. 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. 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 . Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. Being able to handle situations that arise separates the average official from the capable arbiter. Knowing the rules and how to implement them fairly, evenly and within the guidelines of accepted philosophy is important. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. 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. 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. I cant find that feeling anywhere else. Also he mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. Do we give an extra hug enough? 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 . That road includes blood thinners and a trip next week to see a nearby doctor to strategize his future treatment. 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. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. 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. 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. When you are ready mentally you work with confidence. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. But do we say I love you enough? I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? And when next season arrives, you can expect to find Bert Smith on the hardwood. 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. He mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. Whatsthatfor? Bert Smith . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". A replacement official was added to the crew after Smith collapsed. 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. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. Their goalie tried leaping to his left Even after coaches/fans express their disappointment in my calls, I still have the eyes and hearts of the players on the field looking to me for leadership and how to show good character and convictions. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Andy Lyons/Getty NCAA Reveals Budget for Men's Basketball Tournament Is Almost Twice as Much the Women's Reporters Ross Dellenger and Jeff Borzello later tweeted that, according. 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 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. collapsed on national television during Gonzagas eventual win over USC. Smith, have a good night, I thought they had done a good job, he says, but because she wanted to know why I fell, we got the answer. But first, Smith had to get stretchered off the floor, something he was adamantly against. 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. 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. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. Shes an important part of this story.. He runs. It kept me going.. . 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. He plans to return as soon as he can to the court, and that includes ref camps this summer. April 9, 2021, 9:39 AM. 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 . Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. It and she have made me a better person. 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. Thats his wife of 33 years. 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. Its deep, and its contagious. You could talk to him during a game. Smith's fall to the ground. 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. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. See Bert Smith? When I enter the field, theres more bounce in my step, my senses are heightened and my competitive juices start flowing. Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at@GreggDoyelStar. I just cannot erase the pleasure from my face. Managing a game and ensuring equity in your rulings between two talented, highly motivated teams is a great challenge. 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. Knowing how to communicate with players, coaches and officials when the game is on the line requires great skill and finesse. He runs. He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. Players on both teams returned to their benches. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Legal Statement. 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. A scary moment interrupted the Elite Eight on Tuesday, as NCAA official Bert Smith abruptly collapsed during a game between No. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt , He said he told the doctor at the time, "You little SOB, you tricked me!. "I mean, I was just shocked and scared for him, but I was able to stick my head in there a little bit and see that he was talking and coherent and tried to say a quick prayer for him and just wished him the best. 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. You meet talented, mediocre and middle-of-the-road people. We enjoyed working four football seasons together before his retirement. Hes a motivational speaker anddiversity recruiterin addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. Then he becomes a basketball official. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. After all, he hit the court hard, so hard that it left a giant bump on the back of his head. 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. Look at that picture again. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. 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. So was Karter. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. 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. Now he wonders. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. OK, so the night of March 29. Nobody can say. Why cant he catch his breath? INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. 2023 www.indystar.com. 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. Hes huffing and puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. Thats his wife of 33 years. No, he said hed walk off under assistance. by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. Veteran college basketball referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the first half of Tuesday night's Elite Eight game between No. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith lies on the court after collapsing during the Gonzaga-USC men's game in the Elite Eight. The NCAA announced later in the night that Smith was "alert and stable" and would not be transported to a hospital. Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. 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. Smiths pausing. I will, he says. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors were reportedly unsure whether the clot had anything to do with COVID-19. For someone like me who has been in the game for a long time, there is a certain level of expectation on the part of players, coaches and my supervisors. You know the rules, have studied the pregame intel and use your experience to go read and react to the actions. Bert Smith does. Youve probably seen him. 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. Moves fast? First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. You cant get any closer to the ballgame. *. It does not store any personal data. a thrust, a dribble, a power shot Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. There was an error submitting your subscription. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. Devika Pawar. or redistributed. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. 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. Fox News Flash top headlines for April 10. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. And how did the court get so blurry all of a sudden, like someone smeared it with . The confidence I feel on the field has spilled over into almost every aspect of my life, and it has propelled me to believe that any dream is within my grasp. My feelings about my whistle are still the same. 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!. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. You are expected to be perfect and improve after that. 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. Two hours later, she returned into the room with the test results. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. Hed been duped. There were 500 of them. Earlier: Tonight's Elite Eight game between Gonzaga and USC was stopped momentarily after veteran referee Bert Smith collapsed on the court. Dr. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day. 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!. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. 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. Bert Smith does. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 1 . Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. Thats 1990. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. It goes: You scored, Billy 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. And they found out. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. He later regained consciousness and was stretchered off the . 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. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung..
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