The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. A pulmonary embolism. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. Might as well walk fast, too. "He's a great official, great person," Few said after his team's 85-66 win to advance to the Final Four. 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. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. What I mean is that we are the upholders of the integrity of the game. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. He runs. Which Men's College Basketball Programs Should We Keep an Eye Out for Next Season? Bert Smith. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. It took me a few days, he says. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Might as well walk fast, too. 1 . I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? The passion I felt when I played is still there for me when I officiate and I can feel that passion on the court. Legal Statement. View the profiles of professionals named "Bert Smith" on LinkedIn. NCAA Tournament Basketball Referee Bert Smith suffered a scary collapse during the 2022 NCAA March Madness Tournament Gonzaga vs. USC basketball game.I bre. Note: This article is archival in nature. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. As a person with a disability, Im pleased to be a part of a profession that doesnt discriminate against what I cant do and emphasizes what I can. After completing my doctorate, I returned to officiating. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. You meet people persons, individual persons, team players and egomaniacs. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. 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. But do we say I love you enough? Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. Where did it come from? Official collapses, wheeled off court on stretcher from NCAA tournament I look for officials I assign to have the same respect and values for the game as I do. Now he wonders. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. I love officiating because it has a Zen aspect to it: for those two hours, you are completely focused on the task at hand. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. I love being part of the game. 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. You meet talented, mediocre and middle-of-the-road people. The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. you knew we kicked it in together. In 1973, my older brother Mike introduced the game to our family by joining the high school team as a freshman. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. Look at that picture 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. Active referees are listed in bold. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Add to that the extreme climate conditions that officials encounter and you quickly understand the importance of physical conditioning for officials. So was Karter. Bert Smith, Raymond Styons. There were ones from coaches, ones from colleagues, ones from family, one even from an NFL official hed never met. 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. 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? Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KARE Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; INDIANAPOLIS -- A referee collapsed early in the first half of Tuesday night's Elite Eight matchup between Gonzaga and USC . . I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. But slow down, OK? 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. Smith said, in a way, he was grateful the fall happened during the tournament and not when he was driving. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Whats he doing on his back? If you saw it, you understand. When I enter the field, theres more bounce in my step, my senses are heightened and my competitive juices start flowing. Its deep, and its contagious. 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!. WATCH: 'Scary scenes' as basketball referee collapses midway - RT I love that we are the only participants who are not allowed to fail. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Do we give an extra hug enough? Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I love the smell of the grass when you first walk out on the field when you get to the stadium. I continue to coach high school soccer. Gregg Doyel Indianapolis Star 0:00 0:56 INDIANAPOLIS - Bert Smith hasn't seen the moment that. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Then he becomes a basketball official. Why cant he catch his breath? Bert Smith: Blood clot caused NCAA tournament ref collapse - Sports Subscribe to get the Referee.com Review every week plus periodic free training and special offers on the sports you officiate. 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. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. It is by far the most difficult thing Ive ever done. As a note, the first four are crew chiefs in any list. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Referee Bert Smith collapses at NCAA men's tournament game between Just over four minutes into the game between USC and Gonzaga, Bert . 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 . INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. Knowing the rulebook and being able to execute decisions in a split-second. " Please try again. They released him to return to his hotel. Mar 31st, 2021. Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Soccer was now firmly in my blood and forever would help mold and shape me. 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. Whatsthatfor? By 1993 hes an NCAA Division I official. He goes to IU Health Methodist. I cant find that feeling anywhere else. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. Why cant he catch his breath? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Its a wonderful place to be. Before I started officiating I had a sister who lived in another county. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". See Bert Smith? Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Officiating for me has always been the ultimate escape. 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 . Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. Referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor and had to be taken off on a stretcher. Referee 'alert and stable' after collapsing during - oregonlive Hes working Gonzaga-USC the next day, and Bert and his crew are staying in one of the NCAA bubble hotels, Le Meridien. He later regained consciousness and was stretchered off the . It and she have made me a better person. He goes to IU Health Methodist. It could have been a red flag, he said doctors told him, but then again "sometimes it just hits you.". Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. Its deep, and its contagious. Devika Pawar. Replay Of Referee Bert Smith Collapsing - YouTube Then he becomes a basketball official. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Smith told the publication. 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. 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. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. I get to watch the Masters..