You meet people persons, individual persons, team players and egomaniacs. If they had done that and said, Mr. Check this out. Might as well walk fast, too. REFEREE Bert Smith collapsed during the first half of the USC - Gonzaga game during the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. NCAA Tournament referee Bert Smith collapse during game saved his life 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 he becomes a basketball official. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Now he wonders. 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.. Were about to put you through the car wash of testing, she said. 2 Alabama erases 17-point deficit, wins SEC, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. It does not store any personal data. Hes working Gonzaga-USC the next day, and Bert and his crew are staying in one of the NCAA bubble hotels, Le Meridien. Referee OK after collapsing on sideline during Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Referee Bert Smith's fall in men's NCAA Tournament game didn't kill him Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. 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 . 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. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. We won't send you spam. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. So was Karter. Look at those crossed arms. Thats 1990. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. 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. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Turns out, it was something worse. Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. Jacquie was waiting at the door. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. 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. 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. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. collapsed on national television during Gonzagas eventual win over USC. Im letting the paint dry.. That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. And they found out. 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 . 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. As a child, I know that I enjoyed every minute of it. 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. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. That road includes blood thinners and a trip next week to see a nearby doctor to strategize his future treatment. Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. I love officiating because of the challenge. 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. 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 have known that I wanted to referee long before I owned my first whistle. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Having to make those decisions in a split second is a challenge I enjoy. 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. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Why I Love Officiating - Referee.com - Referee.com & Referee Magazine The 56-year-old veteran referee was carried off the court on a stretcher. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Its the best seat in the house. The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KARE After all, he hit the court hard, so hard that it left a giant bump on the back of his head. That says something about that officiating fraternity.. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs remained undefeated and advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA men's basketball tournament with a dominant 85-66 win over USC on Tuesday . He works his first game at age 24. 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 . Smith's fall to the ground. That is definitely what drives me. Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. Presently I officiate in nine D-I conferences. 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. Thats 1990. Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. But slow down, OK? It is my release. For the following few years, I officiated some while pursuing my masters in nursing and then my doctorate. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. More than a week later, he hasnt watched the moment. NCAA ref Bert Smith stretchered out after collapse in Elite Eight - Yahoo! 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. It pushes you to be on top of your game. I love the smell of the grass when you first walk out on the field when you get to the stadium. I had grown up playing the sport, but for some unknown reason, playing was just not satisfying enough. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Medical officials tending to him on the floor insisted he be transported off the floor by the stretcher. NCAA Tournament official Bert Smith collapses during Elite Eight game I could be having the worst day possible and I still lose myself in my game that day. There is no swaying what we are attempting to do to make sure the game is played as fairly as possible. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? The clot restricted enough oxygen to Smith that he passed out during the game. According to the Indianapolis Star, Smith was placed on blood thinners and two days later the clot was gone. March Madness roundup: Gonzaga, UCLA advance to Final Four Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. 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. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. Moves fast? Im ready to get after it, he says. A scary moment interrupted the Elite Eight on Tuesday, as NCAA official Bert Smith abruptly collapsed during a game between No. I love being part of the game. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. 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. After college, I had the great privilege of joining his football crew and kick-starting my own football officiating career. Earlier: Tonight's Elite Eight game between Gonzaga and USC was stopped momentarily after veteran referee Bert Smith collapsed on the court. Officiating at the professional level requires commitment to conditioning. By 1993, hes an NCAA Division I official. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. All rights reserved. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. 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!. There were ones from coaches, ones from colleagues, ones from family, one even from an NFL official hed never met. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. Moves fast, this guy. 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. NCAA ref Bert Smith reveals what led to scary fall during men's He was released after two days in the hospital. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? They were pretty intense, man. "He's a great official, great person," Few said after his team's 85-66 win to advance to the Final Four. As soon as I arrive and begin preparing for the game, my day, my life, enters a new and exciting realm. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KUSA.com He goes to IU Health Methodist. NCAA Tournament Basketball Referee Bert Smith suffered a scary collapse during the 2022 NCAA March Madness Tournament Gonzaga vs. USC basketball game.I bre. The thing I enjoy most about NHL officiating is the challenge each game presents. Soccer was now firmly in my blood and forever would help mold and shape me. Before I started officiating I had a sister who lived in another county. Next thing he remembers, hes looking at the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. Are you going to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? Bert Smith: Blood clot caused NCAA tournament ref collapse - Sports . He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. 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 his wife of 33 years. There were no signs in the preceding days of this happening, even when he was running up and down three flights of stairs, with a mask, the day before. It is equivalent to flying an airplane, skydiving, skiing a black diamond, anything that heightens all your senses. Referee Bert Smith collapses on sideline during Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight game (NCD) By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk March 30, 2021 at 8:58 pm CDT She said: I got the answer to the question. 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. 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. Official Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the game, immediately being carried away in a stretcher. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar or at www.facebook.com/gregg.doyel. He gets exercise any time he can and officiates around 90 games a year for the NCAA. 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 . Look at those crossed arms. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 1 . No one knows where the clot came from, per the Star. The scary moment was caughtlive during the Bulldogs-Trojans matchup. Hes huffing and puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. I love officiating because it has a Zen aspect to it: for those two hours, you are completely focused on the task at hand. Bert Smith does. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. Each week, Id tag along with dad and his crew to whatever game they had scheduled. More Doyel:Referee Bert Smith got to hear ovation of a lifetime. Here's where I'mtelling him about thatpicture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. The final clip in this video compilation shows Bert Smith as he collapsed during a March Madness game in April 2021. I love being part of the game. Gaining the best sight line on the ice requires officials to be strong skaters, agile and physically fit. 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.. He agreed. " Referee Bert Smith says blood clot in lung caused his fall at NCAA men No matter what age, talent, salary, race or sex, you must give your all. Something doesnt add up. 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. It is by far the most difficult thing Ive ever done. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. Smiths pausing. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast.
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