Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. The challenges of officiating are a great motivation and fun you gotta love it! Look at that picture again. Bert Smith. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their careand understands their stretcher subterfuge. It allows me the privilege to do something I love, being part of the greatest game, mens college basketball. Thats normal to huff and puff, right? Now Bert Smith is laughing again. 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. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. There is no greater place to be than on a softball or baseball field. 6 seed USC last month in the men's NCAA tournament. See Bert Smith? He said the fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. When he arrived, in walked Katie M. Trammel, the physician who, in many ways, may have saved his life. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Its energizing and refreshing to have that kind of focus on something. He rarely uses the elevator. Knowing the rules and how to implement them fairly, evenly and within the guidelines of accepted philosophy is important. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. Here's where I'mtell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. Players on both teams returned to their benches. Legal Statement. Why cant he catch his breath? For now, hell continue to return new messagesstill flooding inand relax while, yes, watching golfs first major championship. Well, says one of the doctors, at least sit on the stretcher. Its hard for me to talk about now. Sometimes it just hits you. I dont know which bucket Im in.. Then he becomes a basketball official. But slow down, OK? Now he wonders. 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. It could have been a red flag, he said doctors told him, but then again "sometimes it just hits you.". The scary moment was caughtlive during the Bulldogs-Trojans matchup. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. But do we say I love you enough? Check this out. You could talk to him during a game. I do it because I love the ballgame. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. She said: I got the answer to the question. 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. . Look at those crossed arms. 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. 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 meet people persons, individual persons, team players and egomaniacs. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. 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. 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. 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!. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? 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 . Everyones joking with him now. Do we give an extra hug enough? Presently I officiate in nine D-I conferences. 2023 www.indystar.com. Where did it come from? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. He works his first game at age 24. My father and older brother both became soccer referees, and I had to watch them referee every Saturday in agony waiting for my turn. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. that carried high into the net. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. Do you know you went viral? she playfully asked. That says something about that officiating fraternity.. The scary moment was caught. 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. And they found out. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs remained undefeated and advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA men's basketball tournament with a dominant 85-66 win over USC on Tuesday . 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. Off the court, doctors checked his vitals: blood pressure, heart rate, etc. 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. Hes incredibly fit, somewhat of a workout freak, and hes never really endured many traumatic health issuescertainly nothing like this. You cant get any closer to the ballgame. 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. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. He runs. Turns out, it was something worse. Hed been duped. Its deep, and its contagious. 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. 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. Brett Smith, an NCAA college basketball referee, collapsed during a game. "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?" These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. All Rights Reserved. He rarely uses the elevator. Check this out.. 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 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. At IU Health Methodist, the 56-year-old Smith was treated by Dr. Katie Trammel, "an important part of this story.". The NCAA announced later in the night that Smith was "alert and stable" and would not be transported to a hospital. Referee Fall in Gonzaga USC NCAA Game TBS Replay Gets Backlash Sports A Referee Collapsed at an NCAA Basketball Game. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? If they had done that and said, Mr. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. Why cant he catch his breath? 56-year-old Smith was officiating the Gonzaga vs. USC matchup on March 30 when he collapsed to the hardwood a few minutes into the game. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. I joined a rec team and Mike spent hours showing me how to play. If you saw it, you understand. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. We Shouldn't Have Watched It Twice. Look at those crossed arms. Veteran college basketball referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the first half of Tuesday night's Elite Eight game between No. They were pretty intense, man. 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. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. Look at that picture again. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. 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. Bert Smith told the . Might as well walk fast, too. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. I appreciate that officiating has contributed lots of exercise and has helped to keep me in good health. The board presents an award in his name each year to the area high school that exemplifies sportsmanship. Hes a motivational speaker anddiversity recruiterin addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. 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. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. Then again, isnt that what Bert Smith has always done? Then he becomes a basketball official. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith lies on the court after collapsing during the Gonzaga-USC men's game in the Elite Eight. 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. My father was a basketball official and one of the founding members of the local IAABO board in Lowell, Mass. It offers a chance to lead by example. A replacement official was added to the crew after Smith collapsed.