Success! 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. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. You have to be in excellent physical condition in order to be in the correct position to rule on plays. Trammel wasnt as concerned with a CT scan on his skull as she was on why he fell in the first place. The passion I felt when I played is still there for me when I officiate and I can feel that passion on the court. he told the newspaper. And they found out. 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. 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. 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. I love being part of the game. 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. He runs. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. A scary moment interrupted the Elite Eight on Tuesday, as NCAA official Bert Smith abruptly collapsed during a game between No. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. And they heard the sound his head made I heard it too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. Katie Trammels stock is up with me in the Smith family book, he says, laughing. They strapped me in! It was fun and stress-free officiating, and I was able to help pay for college. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. I was seven years old and wanted to learn everything he learned each day when he got home from practice. Next thing he remembers, hes looking at the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. 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? There was an error submitting your subscription. 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. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? They were pretty intense, man. Its energizing and refreshing to have that kind of focus on something. Knowing the rules and how to implement them fairly, evenly and within the guidelines of accepted philosophy is important. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Referee Bert Smith got to hear ovation of a lifetime. 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. Bert. but never had a chance. 29/08/21, Germany (unknown age) Unnamed Germany C-League Dillenburg a player from Hirzenhain collapses, game . Fox News Flash top headlines for April 10. "He's a great official, great person," Few said after his team's 85-66 win to advance to the Final Four. 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? It offers a chance to lead by example. 2023 www.indystar.com. Some are destined for greatness, some for failure. and would not need hospitalization. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. Shes an important part of this story.. Moves fast, this guy. They were supposed to just check my head and spine for a concussion (he didnt have one, by the way), says Smith. He's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. Why cant he catch his breath? 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. Bert Smith just now finished returning the text messages. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. Smith said, in a way, he was grateful the fall happened during the tournament and not when he was driving. 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 . Do we give an extra hug enough? The clot restricted enough oxygen to Smith that he passed out during the game. Smiths pausing. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. But first, Smith had to get stretchered off the floor, something he was adamantly against. No matter what age, talent, salary, race or sex, you must give your all. Oh, Ill be back. Thats normal to huff and puff, right? . Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. 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. The unnecessary replay of Bert. 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. He has been in contact with his family. 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 flat and unmoving, his eyes open and unseeing, a Gonzaga trainer frantically waving for help. 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. Video shows Cowboys Prescott taking snaps, moving well, Thamel: Millers firing tells truth about coaching in NCAA, Former Florida State, Giants WR arrested on murder charges, Rapinoe blasts Warriors Green for takes on womens sports, abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game, Smith told the Indianapolis Star's Gregg Doyel, later in the night that Smith was "alert and stable. Bert Smith does. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. For the following few years, I officiated some while pursuing my masters in nursing and then my doctorate. Bert Smith: Blood clot caused NCAA tournament ref collapse - Sports You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. Check this out. 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. He felt wobbly and the next thing he remembers seeing is the ceiling of the stadium. 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. It does not store any personal data. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. Working a Friday night high school football game gives me goose bumps. Does Video Show Athletes Fainting Due to COVID-19 Vaccine? Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. 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 . Once hospitalizedat first, he didnt even plan to godoctors discovered a troubling issue: a blood clot in his lungs. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. *. 1 . Do we give an extra hug enough? 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!. I love officiating for the same reason I love my wife. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. 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. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM. Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. Referee Bert Smith collapses at NCAA men's tournament game between If they had done that and said, Mr. It could have been a red flag, he said doctors told him, but then again "sometimes it just hits you.". NCAA Ref Bert Smith Says Blood Clot in Lung Caused Collapse at - TMZ The NCAA announced later in the night that Smith was "alert and stable" and would not be transported to a hospital. Turns out, nope, no concussion. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The challenges are different for each level of refereeing and the emotional payoffs vary, but the reason for being in the game is the same: Passion for soccer runs through my veins. Note: This article is archival in nature. He plans to return as soon as he can to the court, and that includes ref camps this summer. 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. Im ready to get after it, he says. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KVUE Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. Its because I was telling the doctor: You little SOB, you tricked me!. And they found out. He doesnt remember passing out, only that things got foggy, he says, and that his breathing didnt feel normal. I have known that I wanted to referee long before I owned my first whistle. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. You never know whats going to happen. I came off the field and I was so pumped up. We make the calls and put up with the jeers because we love officiating. I love that we are the only participants who are not allowed to fail. 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 . You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. By 1993hes an NCAA Division I official. He was surrounded by medical professionals and eventually was helped on to a stretcher. 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 . Referee Bert Smith says blood clot in lung caused his fall at NCAA men You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. They were pretty intense, man. 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. a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Bert Smith, the official who collapsed during the Elite Eight, believes his fall could have saved his life. 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. Jacquie was waiting at the door. by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. or redistributed. Look at his scowl. It is equivalent to flying an airplane, skydiving, skiing a black diamond, anything that heightens all your senses. When I am out on the field working a game I am mentally and physically completely focused on doing the job right. Trammel was at Methodistthe night of March 30. He started on the lowest levels as a youth league official in 1990, began working Division I games in 1993 and now does as many as 80 games a year. He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes,they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. The Big League College World Series (last August in Kalamazoo, Mich.) was probably the most fun Ive had on a ball field. Moves fast, this guy. Hes working Gonzaga-USC the next day, and Bert and his crew are staying in one of the NCAA bubble hotels, Le Meridien. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Why cant he catch his breath? Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. 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 . 6 seed USC. 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 cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. 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. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year. 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. It and she have made me a better person. It saved his life. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. If youve ever experienced a buzzer-beater, thats what Im talking about. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. 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. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. Being able to handle situations that arise separates the average official from the capable arbiter. Before I started officiating I had a sister who lived in another county. Medical personnel and other staffers rushed toward him. The problems of the world do not exist when I am working a game. I love officiating because of the challenge. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. I still play in a mens league, have refereed more than 700 NCAA games and am in my 17th season as an MLS official. I didnt miss a game that season, because working the games was my therapy. She said: I got the answer to the question. Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KHOU Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. 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. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KARE 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. Referee Fall in Gonzaga USC NCAA Game TBS Replay Gets Backlash Sports A Referee Collapsed at an NCAA Basketball Game. 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. I know his wife is going to be going bananas. Bert Smith doesnt remember any of thatand hasn't seen areplay of his fall, though he says he's almost ready to watch. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. . Thats his wife of 33 years. Active referees are listed in bold. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. They were pretty intense, man. They strapped me in! Whats that for? Its the best seat in the house. a thrust, a dribble, a power shot 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. Later during the broadcast, they announced he was feeling OK and resting in the arena. Where did it come from? Youve probably seen him. 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. Smith collapsed just over four minutes into the Elite Eight game between USC. 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. 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. The confidence I feel on the field has spilled over into almost every aspect of my life, and it has propelled me to believe that any dream is within my grasp. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. 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. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. I cant find that feeling anywhere else. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? For now, hell continue to return new messagesstill flooding inand relax while, yes, watching golfs first major championship. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. 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. Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. My feelings about my whistle are still the same. There were ones from coaches, ones from colleagues, ones from family, one even from an NFL official hed never met. Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at@GreggDoyelStar. Look at those crossed arms. 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. More Doyel:Referee Bert Smith got to hear ovation of a lifetime. Presently I officiate in nine D-I conferences. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. By 1993 hes an NCAA Division I official. As a child, I know that I enjoyed every minute of it. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. It kept me going.. Look at his scowl. He said no. Whats that for? If you saw it, you understand. Referee Bert Smith's fall in men's NCAA Tournament game didn't kill him Official collapses during NCAA men's tournament game Referee 'alert and stable' after collapsing during - oregonlive Now Bert Smith is laughing again. When I enter the field, theres more bounce in my step, my senses are heightened and my competitive juices start flowing. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. Nobody can say. 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. Something doesnt add up. We won't send you spam. I love being part of the game. Something doesnt add up. NCAA Tournament referee Bert Smith collapse during game saved his life
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