Its deep, and its contagious. She said: I got the answer to the question. He said he'll be back officiating next season. But slow down, OK? Everything was normal. You are expected to be perfect and improve after that. There were 500 of them. 6 seed USC at Lucas Oil Stadium in . 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 The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. The NCAA announced later in the night that Smith was "alert and stable" and would not be transported to a hospital. 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. 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.. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. 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 hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. Look at his scowl. Now he wonders. My uniforms were enormous, and I stepped on my flag but I felt as big as the world! This week, Gonzaga and Southern California faced off during the Elite Eight matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium. I literally grew up watching my dad, Glen, work a seemingly endless number of football and basketball games. 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. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. 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 . You never know whats going to happen. 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 . My father and older brother both became soccer referees, and I had to watch them referee every Saturday in agony waiting for my turn. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. Once hospitalizedat first, he didnt even plan to godoctors discovered a troubling issue: a blood clot in his lungs. It pushes you to be on top of your game. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. ", BAYLOR BEATS GONZAGA FOR FIRST NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. REFEREE Bert Smith collapsed during the first half of the USC - Gonzaga game during the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. 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 . We get him off the floor out of sight and he just loses it, Fox recalls. Theres video of me with my arms crossed on the stretcher, he says. Check this out.. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. But first, Smith had to get stretchered off the floor, something he was adamantly against. Smith fell and was immediately attended to by medical personnel. Look at those crossed arms. Add to that the extreme climate conditions that officials encounter and you quickly understand the importance of physical conditioning for officials. Might as well walk fast, too. Bert Smith NCAA men's basketball official, 27th season My fitness is important to me. And how did the court get so blurry all of a sudden, like someone smeared it with Next thing he remembers, hes looking at the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. When I am out on the field working a game I am mentally and physically completely focused on doing the job right. 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!. 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. Brett Smith, an NCAA college basketball referee, collapsed during a game. There was an error submitting your subscription. He gets exercise any time he can and officiates around 90 games a year for the NCAA. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. So was Karter. 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. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Dr. 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. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. 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 . They were pretty intense, man. Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. 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. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. Smith revealed in a lengthy interview with the Indianapolis Star the fall may have saved him. 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 . He goes to IU Health Methodist. 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. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Look at his scowl. View the profiles of professionals named "Bert Smith" on LinkedIn. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at@GreggDoyelStar. 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. Officiating is similar to playing the game full of emotion, both highs and lows. If you saw it, you understand. He rarely uses the elevator. Its deep, and its contagious. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. Hes huffing and puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. Success! 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. 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. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. But do we say I love you enough? They released him to return to his hotel. Look at that picture again. 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. This was evident five years ago when my mother died in September and my father died in October during the football season. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. 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. Nobody can say. 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. By 1993 hes an NCAA Division I official. Do we give an extra hug enough? 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. Smith told the publication. He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. I joined a rec team and Mike spent hours showing me how to play. I am blessed that I have been able to enjoy two passions and carry on the Aldrich Hoop Family tradition. I do it because I love the ballgame. He did not go to the hospital. According to kenpom.com, the Gonzaga-USC game was the 70th matchup Smith worked this season. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes,they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their careand understands their stretcher subterfuge. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. It puts me in the zone! 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. Thats his wife of 33 years. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith lies on the court after collapsing during the Gonzaga-USC men's game in the Elite Eight. 2 Alabama erases 17-point deficit, wins SEC, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. He agreed. Hell just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes theyll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. Medical personnel at Lucas Oil Stadium treated Smith, who later went to a local hospital. Jacquie was waiting at the door. Moves fast, this guy. April 9, 2021, 9:39 AM. I came off the field and I was so pumped up. A replacement official was added to the crew after Smith collapsed. OK, so the night of March 29. 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. See Bert Smith? 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. 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. Moves fast? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He said no. You meet talented, mediocre and middle-of-the-road people. When hes telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. 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. Subscribe to get the Referee.com Review every week plus periodic free training and special offers on the sports you officiate. They were pretty intense, man. You have to be in excellent physical condition in order to be in the correct position to rule on plays. Everyones joking with him now. 6 seed University of Southern California and No. 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. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. 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. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. I will, he says. Why cant he catch his breath? It does not store any personal data. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. What I mean is that we are the upholders of the integrity of the game. Referee Bert Smith said he was 'tricked' into getting on the stretcher after his collapse . He said the fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. 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. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year. Here's where I'mtell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. Another year passed and my father finally allowed me to become a certified referee. I had grown up playing the sport, but for some unknown reason, playing was just not satisfying enough. 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. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. Check this out. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. All rights reserved. All Rights Reserved. The minute my stripes are on, Im a part of a crew not an official with a disability. No, he said hed walk off under assistance. When I enter the field, theres more bounce in my step, my senses are heightened and my competitive juices start flowing. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. Where did it come from? See Bert Smith? Youve probably seen him. Its not some routine youre doing day in and day out. You could talk to him during a game. After the game, Gonzaga coach Mark Few said he had walked over to Smith to offer his support as Smith was being placed on the stretcher. Whats that for? Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. As soon as I arrive and begin preparing for the game, my day, my life, enters a new and exciting realm. Further examination revealed Smith, 56, had a blood clot in his lung, the Indianapolis St You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. "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. Its hard for me to talk about now. 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. It was fun and stress-free officiating, and I was able to help pay for college. Now he wonders. 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. 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. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. According to the Indianapolis Star, Smith was placed on blood thinners and two days later the clot was gone. Being part of the game is a big reason. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Each week, Id tag along with dad and his crew to whatever game they had scheduled. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. 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. I love that we are the only participants who are not allowed to fail. But slow down, OK? The challenges of officiating are a great motivation and fun you gotta love it! The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. If youve ever experienced a buzzer-beater, thats what Im talking about. He later regained consciousness and was stretchered off the . Smiths pausing. The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. We Shouldn't Have Watched It Twice. Official Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the game, immediately being carried away in a stretcher. 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. We are drawn together by a passion for officiating those outside the industry cant understand. 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 . 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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. And they found out. Players on both teams returned to their benches. Look at those crossed arms. But do we say I love you enough? The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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. "But do we say 'I love you' enough? Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. Areyougoing to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. Michael Conroy/AP. But slow down, OK? Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Im ready to get after it, he says. Moves fast? 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. 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. Hes been friends with Smith for 30 years. I love being part of the game. Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Bert Smith, the official who collapsed during the Elite Eight, believes his fall could have saved his life. Bert Smith . Dr. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM. That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. 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. 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. It and she have made me a better person. 29/08/21, Germany (unknown age) Unnamed Germany C-League Dillenburg a player from Hirzenhain collapses, game . He works his first game at age 24. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. Next thing he remembers, hes looking at the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. The scary scene unfolded with 15:44 to play in the. There is no greater place to be than on a softball or baseball field. that carried high into the net. I want to know why you fell. She checked a few things out, came back inand took me through the car wash. Just a lot of tests. Nobody can say. Smith, a veteran college basketball official of 28 years, lost consciousness five minutes into the game, falling backward in a scary moment captured on the TBS broadcast and banging his head against the hardwood court. By age 11, I was organizing all the neighborhood kids in pick up games and by age 14, I got certified to referee and started coaching. 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. He was surrounded by medical professionals and eventually was helped on to a stretcher. But do we say I love you enough? Note: This article is archival in nature. 2023 www.indystar.com. 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. Over the next seven years, Mike rose to become a star for both his high school and college teams, my dad became a coach and my love for the game was cemented. 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. " I was seven years old and wanted to learn everything he learned each day when he got home from practice. Smith's fall to the ground. Just over four minutes into the game between USC and Gonzaga, Bert . He rarely uses the elevator. Then he becomes a basketball official. Turns out, it was something worse. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Where did it come from? And how did the court get so blurry all of a sudden, like someone smeared it with. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. Here's where I'mtelling him about thatpicture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. 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. What happens next leads toa picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. It offers a chance to lead by example. 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 . Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. Presently I officiate in nine D-I conferences. That was the start of my passion for officiating basketball. 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. 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. 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. No matter who you meet, you have to deal with them as people who deserve the best from you. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. Their goalie tried leaping to his left He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. He rarely uses the elevator. Legal Statement. They were pretty intense, man. Everyones joking with him now. Nobody can say. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Moves fast, this guy. 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. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. You cant get any closer to the ballgame. Hed been duped. He said the night before the game, while running the stairs in the hotel to see his buddies or get ice, he was a little out of breath. He was officiating the Elite Eight matchup last month in Indianapolis when he suddenly collapsed near the Gonzaga bench. Thats his wife of 33 years. Gaining the best sight line on the ice requires officials to be strong skaters, agile and physically fit. Please try again. 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. Earlier: Tonight's Elite Eight game between Gonzaga and USC was stopped momentarily after veteran referee Bert Smith collapsed on the court. Follow every game: Latest NCAA Men's College Basketball Scores and Schedules. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. Fox News' Daniel Canova contributed to this report. Why cant he catch his breath? NCAA Referee Bert Smith Collapses During March Madness. 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. I always say, you can question my judgment but dont question my effort. 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 . When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.". Knowing the rulebook and being able to execute decisions in a split-second. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. 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. The scary moment was caughtlive during the Bulldogs-Trojans matchup. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. I could be having the worst day possible and I still lose myself in my game that day. One of those people was Mike Fox, an independent contractor hired by the NCAA to help run the tournament and a basketball official himself. Managing a game and ensuring equity in your rulings between two talented, highly motivated teams is a great challenge. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day. Smiths pausing. Smith said, in a way, he was grateful the fall happened during the tournament and not when he was driving. That says something about that officiating fraternity.. Later during the broadcast, they announced he was feeling OK and resting in the arena. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Add to that the fact that we actually get paid to exercise, and I cant think of a better way to spend a spring afternoon than on a lacrosse field! I have known that I wanted to referee long before I owned my first whistle. 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.