ncaa referee bert smith age

This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. Hes working Gonzaga-USC the next day, and Bert and his crew are staying in one of the NCAA bubble hotels, Le Meridien. Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. Dr. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. Gaining the best sight line on the ice requires officials to be strong skaters, agile and physically fit. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 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. 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 . You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Referee Bert Smith collapses during Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight game - FanSided The arrival at the arena, the pregame, being with various partners, the competition, the players, coaches, ambience, the focus and concentration needed on each possession. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. College Basketball: NCAA Referees Have Their Own Selection Sunday Later, doctors discovered the reason. 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. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. You also have to ensure that your mental preparation is exceptional in order to be effective. Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. Bert Smith doesnt remember any of thatand hasn't seen areplay of his fall, though he says he's almost ready to watch. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Bert Smith told the . So was Karter. I love officiating for the same reason I love my wife. 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.. Refereeing soccer is more than a hobby or a job; it is my passion and it is ingrained in me so deeply that it is a part of me. 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. That says something about that officiating fraternity.. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. 6 seed University of Southern California and No. 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. Look at his scowl. The problems of the world do not exist when I am working a game. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. 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. Hes huffing and puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. Officiating at the professional level requires commitment to conditioning. Theres video of me with my arms crossed on the stretcher, he says. 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. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. 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. Its the best seat in the house. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. Bert Smith. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith lies on the court after collapsing during the Gonzaga-USC men's game in the Elite Eight. 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 . Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. Smith, who'ddriven a rental car into town after working the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, was driven to his home in Florence, Ky., by Eric Lowe, a Central Indiana-based referee. Officiating is similar to playing the game full of emotion, both highs and lows. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. Being part of the game is a big reason. 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. A former employee at Avis Car Rental, he dropped that job to officiate full time in 2010. "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 appreciate that officiating has contributed lots of exercise and has helped to keep me in good health. I always say, you can question my judgment but dont question my effort. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. So was Karter. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. 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. Why cant he catch his breath? As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. 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. You never know whats going to happen. As soon as I arrive and begin preparing for the game, my day, my life, enters a new and exciting realm. It is equivalent to flying an airplane, skydiving, skiing a black diamond, anything that heightens all your senses. There are 200+ professionals named "Bert Smith", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. 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. He runs. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Bert Smith: Blood clot caused NCAA tournament ref collapse - Sports 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. Bert Smith (56) NCAA men's basketball Referee collapsed due to a blood clot in his lung during a tournament News Story. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. When I am out on the field working a game I am mentally and physically completely focused on doing the job right. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KARE Referee Bert Smith's fall in men's NCAA Tournament game didn't kill him That road includes blood thinners and a trip next week to see a nearby doctor to strategize his future treatment. "But do we say 'I love you' enough? By 1993hes an NCAA Division I official. Do we give an extra hug enough? Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? She said: I got the answer to the question. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. Official collapses during NCAA basketball game | The Hill Earlier: Tonight's Elite Eight game between Gonzaga and USC was stopped momentarily after veteran referee Bert Smith collapsed on the court. In a scary moment, Smith passed out cold during a recent Elite Eight game. 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. Bert Smith doesnt remember any of thatand hasn't seen areplay of his fall, though he says he's almost ready to watch. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. 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 They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at@GreggDoyelStar. 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. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Gregg Doyel Indianapolis Star 0:00 0:56 INDIANAPOLIS - Bert Smith hasn't seen the moment that. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. NCAA Referee Bert Smith Collapses On Court During Elite 8 Game, But 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. 6 seed USC. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? I didnt miss a game that season, because working the games was my therapy. He runs. All rights reserved. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. Areyougoing to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. you knew we kicked it in together. She said: I got the answer to the question. Referee 'alert and stable' after collapsing during - oregonlive He goes to IU Health Methodist. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Moves fast? There is no greater place to be than on a softball or baseball field. 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? He works his first game at age 24. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Hed been duped. 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. " Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. If they had done that and said, Mr. Now he wonders. The NCAA even distributed a statement announcing the news: Smith was O.K. 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 . This article is the copyright of Referee Enterprises, Inc., and may not be republished in whole or in part online, in print or in any capacity without expressed written permission from Referee. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. They strapped me in! Replay Of Referee Bert Smith Collapsing - YouTube Smith, who'ddriven a rental car into town after working the Atlantic-10 Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, was driven to his home in Florence, Kentucky, by Eric Lowe, a Central Indiana-based referee. You meet talented, mediocre and middle-of-the-road people. Smith's fall to the ground. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. March Madness: NCAA Ref Collapses During Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight Game The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. Hell just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes theyll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. View. So was Karter. OK, so the night of March 29. 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. NCAA ref Bert Smith says on-court collapse saved his life - Yahoo! Nobody can say. 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. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. No matter what age, talent, salary, race or sex, you must give your all. But first, Smith had to get stretchered off the floor, something he was adamantly against. Two hours later, she returned into the room with the test results. Were about to put you through the car wash of testing, she said. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. But do we say I love you enough? You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. 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. It is my release. Smith said, in a way, he was grateful the fall happened during the tournament and not when he was driving. Referee Bert Smith collapses at NCAA men's tournament game between Players on both teams returned to their benches. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. And how did the court get so blurry all of a sudden, like someone smeared it with . You cant get any closer to the ballgame. 6 seed USC at Lucas Oil Stadium in . 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. I cant find that feeling anywhere else. We Shouldn't Have Watched It Twice. Then he becomes a basketball official. Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. Youve probably seen him. I do it because I love the ballgame. 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. Whats he doing on his back? You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. 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. Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. NCAA Tournament referee Bert Smith collapse during game saved his life Do we give an extra hug enough? 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. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? 2023 www.indystar.com. Moves fast, this guy. Referee Bert Smith says blood clot in lung caused his fall at NCAA men Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. Each week, Id tag along with dad and his crew to whatever game they had scheduled. Referee Fall in Gonzaga USC NCAA Game TBS Replay Gets Backlash - Yahoo! She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. I was seven years old and wanted to learn everything he learned each day when he got home from practice. 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. According to kenpom.com, the Gonzaga-USC game was the 70th matchup Smith worked this season. 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. Then he becomes a basketball official. People often ask me how I maintain a smile throughout almost every game, however it is quite unintentional. I just cannot erase the pleasure from my face. Referee OK after collapsing on sideline during Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Official collapses, wheeled off court on stretcher from NCAA tournament 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. Official Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the game, immediately being carried away in a stretcher. He rarely uses the elevator. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. It saved his life. Every offseason lasts too long and a week off of the field makes me feel rusty. 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. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Smith says the fall and subsequent battery of testing was a life-saving ordeal. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Dr. Look at that picture again. a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. What happens next leads toa picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. The 2021 ACC men's basketball tournament (officially the 2021 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament Presented by New York Life) was the postseason men's basketball tournament for the Atlantic Coast Conference and held at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, from March 9 to 13, 2021. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. I love officiating because it has a Zen aspect to it: for those two hours, you are completely focused on the task at hand. Thats 1990. I love the challenge of being in complete control of your emotions, maintaining the calmness and the challenge to make a split-second decision in front of 60,000-100,000 screaming fans and knowing you have six crewmates that have your back in the heat of the battle. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. Its not some routine youre doing day in and day out. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. Next thing he remembers, hes looking at the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. He doesnt remember passing out, only that things got foggy, he says, and that his breathing didnt feel normal. 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 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 hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. 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. NCAA ref Bert Smith says on-court collapse saved his life - Yahoo! There are 96 NCAA referees all waiting for the same thing those 68 teams are waiting for. Referee Bert Smith's fall in men's NCAA Tournament game didn't kill him The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their careand understands their stretcher subterfuge. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. At IU Health Methodist, the 56-year-old Smith was treated by Dr. Katie Trammel, "an important part of this story.". You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. Smiths pausing. CNN . There were 500 of them. Later during the broadcast, they announced he was feeling OK and resting in the arena. But slow down, OK? That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. They strapped me in! Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar or at www.facebook.com/gregg.doyel. I look for officials I assign to have the same respect and values for the game as I do. "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. She said: I got the answer to the question. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. A replacement official was added to the crew after Smith collapsed. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KGW The reason is Im saying to them, You tricked me, you little SOB!. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Its deep, and its contagious. Look at those crossed arms. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. 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. The minute my stripes are on, Im a part of a crew not an official with a disability. The support and love was just overwhelming. He said no. "He's a great official, great person," Few said after his team's 85-66 win to advance to the Final Four. It allows me the privilege to do something I love, being part of the greatest game, mens college basketball.

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