When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. Why cant he catch his breath? The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith lies on the court after collapsing during the Gonzaga-USC men's game in the Elite Eight. He's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. The Big League College World Series (last August in Kalamazoo, Mich.) was probably the most fun Ive had on a ball field. by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. 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. 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. or redistributed. Just 4 minutes after tipoff in the Elite Eight matchup, Bert Smith crashed to the floor in a terrifying scene -- triggering team trainers and other medical personnel to race to his aid. In a scary moment, Smith passed out cold during a recent Elite Eight game. Just over four minutes into the game between USC and Gonzaga, Bert . Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. 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.. Don't let anti-vaxxers lie to you about Damar Hamlin like they did with 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. March Madness: Bert Smith diagnosed with - New York Post A former employee at Avis Car Rental, he dropped that job to officiate full time in 2010. 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. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. 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. 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 REFEREE Bert Smith collapsed during the first half of the USC - Gonzaga game during the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. 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. 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 doesnt remember passing out, only that things got foggy, he says, and that his breathing didnt feel normal. NCAA Referee Bert Smith Collapses During March Madness. Referee 'alert and stable' after collapsing during - oregonlive She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. For the following few years, I officiated some while pursuing my masters in nursing and then my doctorate. He mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. 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? Before I started officiating I had a sister who lived in another county. Fox News' Daniel Canova contributed to this report. "He's a great official, great person," Few said after his team's 85-66 win to advance to the Final Four. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. See Bert Smith? Then he becomes a basketball official. If you saw it, you understand. That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. There are 96 NCAA referees all waiting for the same thing those 68 teams are waiting for. 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. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. NCAA ref Bert Smith (Buffalo) said to be doing well after collapse - WGRZ Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. Success! Hed been duped. NCAA ref Bert Smith reveals what led to scary fall during men's 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 also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It kept me going.. The unnecessary replay of Bert. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Smith is back home in Kentucky with his wife, Jacquie, and his grandson, Karter. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Per the Star, he was treated at the stadium for two hours with vital checks on pulse, blood pressure and oxygen level that came back normal. Bert Smith doesnt remember any of thatand hasn't seen areplay of his fall, though he says he's almost ready to watch. 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 . For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. . They were pretty intense, man. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. Some are destined for greatness, some for failure. Now I have hundreds of brothers around the country. And they heard the sound his head made I heard it, too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. 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. Look at his scowl. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. 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. He rarely uses the elevator. 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. Hes a motivational speaker anddiversity recruiterin addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Check this out. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. Video: Referee Collapses In Scary Scene During Gonzaga-USC Game The action was moving away from his baseline position after a Gonzaga steal, but he said he couldn't move or catch his breath. 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. My father was a basketball official and one of the founding members of the local IAABO board in Lowell, Mass. 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.. Soccer was now firmly in my blood and forever would help mold and shape me. Jacquie was waiting at the door. Dr. 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 . When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. NCAA ref Bert Smith says on-court collapse saved his life - Yahoo! 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. 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!. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The minute my stripes are on, Im a part of a crew not an official with a disability. Another was former Indiana State coach Greg Lansing. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM. The final clip in this video compilation shows Bert Smith as he collapsed during a March Madness game in April 2021. 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 NCAA even distributed a statement announcing the news: Smith was O.K. . March Madness roundup: Gonzaga, UCLA advance to Final Four Smith's fall to the ground. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. All rights reserved. Thats normal to huff and puff, right? Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. I know his wife is going to be going bananas. I could be having the worst day possible and I still lose myself in my game that day. 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. 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. He plans to return as soon as he can to the court, and that includes ref camps this summer. Look at that picture again. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. It took me a few days, he says. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. Whatsthatfor? His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. Having good presence, working with pride, acting professional and enjoying the challenge of the job is what I love most about officiating hockey. Bert Smith doesnt remember any of that and hasnt seen a replay of his fall, though he says hes almost ready to watch. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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. 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. Bert Smith was involved in a controversial ending to a Kansas and Iowa State game that led to the Big 12 Conference punishing Smith for a call that cost the Cyclones a win against the Jayhawks. 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. You never know whats going to happen. They strapped me in! Knowing the rulebook and being able to execute decisions in a split-second. My feelings about my whistle are still the same. 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. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. Further examination revealed Smith, 56, had a blood clot in his lung, the Indianapolis St Look at those crossed arms. Referee Bert Smith in Stable Condition After Collapsing During Gonzaga Why cant he catch his breath? 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! Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? It saved his life. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. I have known that I wanted to referee long before I owned my first whistle. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. 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. Then he becomes a basketball official. Hes got a wife, Jacquie, of 32 years, two daughters and two more grandchildren. 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. If you saw it, you understand. Hes a motivational speaker and diversity recruiter in addition to being an NCAA referee, and I imagine hes awfully good at both. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. "But do we say 'I love you' enough? Oh, and hes also been returning those messages. Being able to participate and watch these young men and women playing the game because they have that desire to play is a joy to me that you cannot experience through a TV or on the sidelines. There is no greater place to be than on a softball or baseball field. So was Karter. Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. He was officiating the Elite Eight matchup last month in Indianapolis when he suddenly collapsed near the Gonzaga bench.
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