ncaa referee bert smith age
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. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. OK, so the night of March 29. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Referee Bert Smith says blood clot in lung caused his fall at NCAA men I know his wife is going to be going bananas. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. Smith is back home in Kentucky with his wife, Jacquie, and his grandson, Karter. 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.. 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!. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. Officiating at the professional level requires commitment to conditioning. I could be involved with Boys and Girls Clubs of America. 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. Now he wonders. 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. Jacquie was waiting at the door. If they had done that and said, Mr. Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Moves fast, this guy. 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. The 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. See Bert Smith? Each week, Id tag along with dad and his crew to whatever game they had scheduled. Success! 29/08/21, Germany (unknown age) Unnamed Germany C-League Dillenburg a player from Hirzenhain collapses, game . Bert Smith does. 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. The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. Referee collapses during USC-Gonzaga Elite Eight matchup - ABC7 Los Angeles They were pretty intense, man. Brett Smith, an NCAA college basketball referee, collapsed during a game. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Before I started officiating I had a sister who lived in another county. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Scary moment Gonzaga-USC referee Bert Smith COLLAPSES on court during Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Hell just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes theyll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. Oh, and hes also been returning those messages. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. It was a scary moment as an audible thud was heard throughout Lucas Oil Stadium, and the official was taken off the court on a stretcher, though he was awake and alert. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. Now he wonders. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year. 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. By 1993, hes an NCAA Division I official. They strapped me in! Referee Bert Smith collapses at NCAA men's tournament game between Written By. But do we say I love you enough? When you are ready mentally you work with confidence. Check this 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 . Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. You went down because you had a blood clot in your 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. I also love the fact that no game is ever the same and allows us the ability to make constant improvement. 6 seed USC. Look at those crossed arms. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. he told the newspaper. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. Katie Trammels stock is up with me in the Smith family book, he says, laughing. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. 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. 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. 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. Smith said, in a way, he was grateful the fall happened during the tournament and not when he was driving. I just cannot erase the pleasure from my face. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. There is no swaying what we are attempting to do to make sure the game is played as fairly as possible. 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. You could talk to him during a game. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. NCAA ref Bert Smith (Buffalo) said to be doing well after collapse - WGRZ It and she have made me a better person. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. And how did the court get so blurry all of a sudden, like someone smeared it with. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. Working a Friday night high school football game gives me goose bumps. 200+ "Bert Smith" profiles | LinkedIn Does Video Show Athletes Fainting Due to COVID-19 Vaccine? 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. Now I have hundreds of brothers around the country. Bert Smith. Replay Of Referee Bert Smith Collapsing Swift Highlights 22.9K subscribers Subscribe 393 Share 158K views 1 year ago Replay Of Referee Collapsing Basketball Official Collapses Show more Show. Legal Statement. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Hes incredibly fit, somewhat of a workout freak, and hes never really endured many traumatic health issuescertainly nothing like this. Referee 'alert and stable' after collapsing during - oregonlive No matter who you meet, you have to deal with them as people who deserve the best from you. Everyones joking with him now. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. All Rights Reserved. Off the court, doctors checked his vitals: blood pressure, heart rate, etc. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. No matter what age, talent, salary, race or sex, you must give your all. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. Where did it come from? At the core of the reasons why I love to referee is a passion for the sport of soccer. He's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. I appreciate that officiating has contributed lots of exercise and has helped to keep me in good health. March Madness: NCAA Ref Collapses During Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight Game The Big League College World Series (last August in Kalamazoo, Mich.) was probably the most fun Ive had on a ball field. I want to know why you fell. She checked a few things out, came back in, and took me through the car wash. Just a lot of tests. you knew we kicked it in together. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. I look for officials I assign to have the same respect and values for the game as I do. Official collapses, wheeled off court on stretcher from NCAA tournament There were ones from coaches, ones from colleagues, ones from family, one even from an NFL official hed never met. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. They strapped me in! My colleagues and I have strong personalities with how were wired so being able to do a job that you know youre in a select company of people is very rewarding. And without any rhyme or reason, the place where I feel the most at home, pacified and comfortable is on that soccer field. Everything was normal. He rarely uses the elevator. As soon as I arrive and begin preparing for the game, my day, my life, enters a new and exciting realm. 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. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. Official Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the game, immediately being carried away in a stretcher. What happens next leads toa picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. Replay Of Referee Bert Smith Collapsing - YouTube Having to make those decisions in a split second is a challenge I enjoy. They were pretty intense, man. 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 . Referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor and had to be taken off on a stretcher. You are expected to be perfect and improve after that. Jacquie was waiting at the door. Bert Smith, the official who collapsed during the Elite Eight, believes his fall could have saved his life. I came off the field and I was so pumped up. Bert. Who parks in the farthest spot from the entrance to Kroger? Smith collapsed just over four minutes into the Elite Eight game between USC. 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. Whats that for? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. Look at that picture again. You know the rules, have studied the pregame intel and use your experience to go read and react to the actions. If you saw it, you understand. No matter what sport or level we work, we are bonded. Since I'm involved in an athletic contest I want to be able to participate to the full, and working out, proper nutrition and recovery allow me to be able to keep up with the players and game. I could be having the worst day possible and I still lose myself in my game that day. He was surrounded by medical professionals and eventually was helped on to a stretcher. If you saw it, you understand. I will, he says. I'm committed to it year round. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? Bert Smith doesnt remember any of thatand hasn't seen areplay of his fall, though he says he's almost ready to watch. That road includes blood thinners and a trip next week to see a nearby doctor to strategize his future treatment. 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 hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. It allows me the privilege to do something I love, being part of the greatest game, mens college basketball. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. And they found out. Hes working Gonzaga-USC the next day, and Bert and his crew are staying in one of the NCAA bubble hotels, Le Meridien. 6 seed USC. 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. We won't send you spam. Smith told the publication. 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. Bert Smith does. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. When I became old enough to referee, in my opinion, at the ripe age of nine I told my father my intentions and he explained that I was still too young to take an entry-level class. The 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. The action was moving away from his baseline position after a Gonzaga steal, but he said he couldn't move or catch his breath. 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. We Shouldn't Have Watched It Twice. Bert Smith doesnt remember any of thatand hasn't seen areplay of his fall, though he says he's almost ready to watch. 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. A pulmonary embolism. Moves fast? Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. Its a good week to be getting sympathy from the wife, he says, chuckling. For the following few years, I officiated some while pursuing my masters in nursing and then my doctorate. As a note, the first four are crew chiefs in any list. He started on the lowest levels as a youth league official in 1990, began working Division I games in 1993 and. Who parks in the farthest spot from the entrance to Kroger? I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. Youve probably seen him. By Bert Smith, NCAA D-I men's basketball official from Florence, Ky. Oh, Ill be back. The minute my stripes are on, Im a part of a crew not an official with a disability. Later, doctors discovered the reason. And they heard the sound his head made I heard it too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. 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. He said no. 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. Do we give an extra hug enough? "But do we say 'I love you' enough? Bert Smith . 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. 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. NCAA ref Bert Smith says on-court collapse saved his life - Yahoo! The passion I felt when I played is still there for me when I officiate and I can feel that passion on the court. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Might as well walk fast, too. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. I get to watch the Masters.. Game official Bert Smith collapsed and was taken off the court on a gurney during the first half of the men's NCAA basketball game between the USC Trojans . Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KARE 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. Smith trains year-round on a treadmill or stationary bike, and gets in other workouts, like when the family goes to Disney Worldand Smith says they dont need a stroller for their grandson, Karter. 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. by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. ", BAYLOR BEATS GONZAGA FOR FIRST NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. He said the fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. Follow every game: Latest NCAA Men's College Basketball Scores and Schedules. . . 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. A referee has collapsed on court during the opening stages of an NCAA Elite Eight basketball match in Indiana. Eades, who at age 56 has worked three Final Fours and. 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. More Doyel:Referee Bert Smith got to hear ovation of a lifetime. All rights reserved. It does not store any personal data. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. If youve ever experienced a buzzer-beater, thats what Im talking about. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. Everyones joking with him now. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. Moves fast? So was Karter. Players on both teams returned to their benches. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. There is no greater place to be than on a softball or baseball field. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. All rights reserved. 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. Devika Pawar. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. She said: I got the answer to the question. , CBS provided an update on the medical status of referee Bert Smith following his collapse on the court Tuesday. It has put me in the middle of so many exciting situations where my skills and knowledge have been tested and given me and my crewmates the afterglow of satisfaction when you know you nailed it in a championship atmosphere. 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. Bert Smith NCAA men's basketball official, 27th season My fitness is important to me. After college, I had the great privilege of joining his football crew and kick-starting my own football officiating career. 6 seed University of Southern California and No. 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.