ncaa referee bert smith age

INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. 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. Dr. Katie Trammel, hes wanting me to know, may have saved his life. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. 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. What happens next leads toa picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. 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? Now he wonders. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. He goes to IU Health Methodist. 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 telling a funny story, which happens quite a bit, Bert Smith talks quickly. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. Hell just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes theyll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. For now, hell continue to return new messagesstill flooding inand relax while, yes, watching golfs first major championship. 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. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. 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. Its deep, and its contagious. People often ask me how I maintain a smile throughout almost every game, however it is quite unintentional. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. I hate the fact I passed out in the Elite Eight, he says, but you know what? 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? For me, it didnt seem like a red flag, Smith says. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. 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. 6 seed University of Southern California and No. Next thing he remembers, hes looking at the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. I have known that I wanted to referee long before I owned my first whistle. By 1993, hes an NCAA Division I official. He runs. At the core of the reasons why I love to referee is a passion for the sport of soccer. They were pretty intense, man. Dr. 6 seed USC. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Something doesnt add up. He was officiating the Elite Eight matchup last month in Indianapolis when he suddenly collapsed near the Gonzaga bench. Medical personnel at Lucas Oil Stadium treated Smith, who later went to a local hospital. It took me a few days, he says. by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. Whats he doing on his back? Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. View. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. And when next season arrives, you can expect to find Bert Smith on the hardwood. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. He agreed. "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. And they found out. Why cant he catch his breath? Knowing how to communicate with players, coaches and officials when the game is on the line requires great skill and finesse. My dad always said, You do not always win, but you can always be a good sport and, You should conduct yourself on the court, the way you would conduct yourself in life. In addition, I have two brothers and a sister who were also officials we were known as the Aldrich Hoop Family.. Update provided on status of referee Bert Smith following collapse The challenges of officiating are a great motivation and fun you gotta love it! that carried high into the net. The NCAA even distributed a statement announcing the news: Smith was O.K. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. Hospitalized with a blood clot. Later during the broadcast, they announced he was feeling OK and resting in the arena. Everyones joking with him now. NCAA ref Bert Smith stretchered out after collapse in Elite Eight - Yahoo! In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Smith says the fall and subsequent battery of testing was a life-saving ordeal. Might as well walk fast, too. Veteran college basketball referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor during the first half of Tuesday night's Elite Eight game between No. Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. It was fun and stress-free officiating, and I was able to help pay for college. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. Smiths pausing. The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. Referee Bert Smith's fall in men's NCAA Tournament game didn't kill him. Has it cued up on his iPad and everything. The action was moving away from his baseline position after a Gonzaga steal, but he said he couldn't move or catch his breath. But slow down, OK? Smith tested positive for the coronavirus in August, but doctors cant say whether theres a correlation between COVID-19 and his blood clot. 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. Im very grateful. Market data provided by Factset. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. That is definitely what drives me. Having to make those decisions in a split second is a challenge I enjoy. NCAA Referee has SCARY COLLAPSE! Doctor examines WHY?? Look at that picture again. She said: I got the answer to the question. The scary moment was caughtlive during the Bulldogs-Trojans matchup. All Rights Reserved. The scary scene unfolded with 15:44 to play in the. You are expected to be perfect and improve after that. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KARE The 56-year-old veteran referee was carried off the court on a stretcher. I am blessed that I have been able to enjoy two passions and carry on the Aldrich Hoop Family tradition. NCAA Elite Eight match halted as referee Bert Smith collapses She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. Being able to handle situations that arise separates the average official from the capable arbiter. He felt wobbly and the next thing he remembers seeing is the ceiling of the stadium. 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 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. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Look at that picture again. The NCAA announced later in the night that Smith was "alert and stable" and would not be transported to a hospital. The support and love was just overwhelming. 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. ", NCAA tourney ref who collapsed had blood clot, From bubble struggles to NCAA seed improvement, why these final weekend games matter, Davis 3 shy of Maravich; Detroit eyes CBI bid, Son: Maravich would be 'cheering on' Davis, Vandy's Robbins out rest of season with leg injury, Sources: High Point fires Smith after one season, Davis out as Bucknell coach after 12-20 season, Grill discloses mental illness after Iowa St. exit, No. He told the Star he's happy it happened during the Elite Eight when he could get the right help he needed rather than during an instance when he was driving or sleeping. April 9, 2021, 9:39 AM. Where did it come from? Jacquie was waiting at the door. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Referee alert after collapsing on sideline during Gonzaga - ESPN.com Nobody can say. Immediately after falling, Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd ran to him and the bench waved for doctors. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. 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. 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. Officials figure they run at least four miles during a game, and its not a jog but a series of sprints. My father was a basketball official and one of the founding members of the local IAABO board in Lowell, Mass. Bert Smith doesnt remember any of thatand hasn't seen areplay of his fall, though he says he's almost ready to watch. See Bert Smith? 1 seed Gonzaga and No. 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. He works his first game at age 24. I realized, even back then, how fun and rewarding each officiating experience was for the crew. 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. 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. He did not go to the hospital. 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. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. As you looked toward my approval Not one of these men or women is without the utmost class and integrity, and I hope by associating with them some of their class and integrity has rubbed off on me and made me a better person. March Madness: Bert Smith diagnosed with - New York Post INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.". 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. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. Referee collapses during USC-Gonzaga Elite Eight matchup - ABC7 Los Angeles And they heard the sound his head made I heard it too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. 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. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. 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. Each week, Id tag along with dad and his crew to whatever game they had scheduled. It pushes you to be on top of your game. 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!. Its the best seat in the house. He later regained consciousness and was stretchered off the . Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Referee 'alert and stable' after collapsing during - oregonlive NCAA ref Bert Smith reveals what led to scary fall during men's Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. But slow down, OK? Another year passed and my father finally allowed me to become a certified referee. Bert Smith doesnt remember any of that and hasnt seen a replay of his fall, though he says hes almost ready to watch. 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 . Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. This week, Gonzaga and Southern California faced off during the Elite Eight matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium. 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. Later, doctors discovered the reason. Its deep, and its contagious. A replacement official was added to the crew after Smith collapsed. No matter what age, talent, salary, race or sex, you must give your all. Check this out. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. 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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. 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. He was released after two days in the hospital. 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. 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. 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. The doctor says, Thats what Im taking you out on., I said: Listen, Doc, Im walking out of here. Eades, who at age 56 has worked three Final Fours and. Something doesnt add up. Its a wonderful place to be. 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. It allows me the privilege to do something I love, being part of the greatest game, mens college basketball. 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. Success! 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!. 200+ "Bert Smith" profiles | LinkedIn He didn't have a headache or blurry vision. Bad news for ACC basketball: One of the sport's best referees is 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. . As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. Smith was taken off the . Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Gallows humor, you call it, and its pretty funny, how Bert Smiths buddies tease him. Thats his wife of 33 years. 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. 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. Why cant he catch his breath? 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 without any rhyme or reason, the place where I feel the most at home, pacified and comfortable is on that soccer field. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. Ncaa Referee Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Working a Friday night high school football game gives me goose bumps. 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. 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. Youve probably seen him. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. 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. Bad news for ACC basketball: One of the sport's best referees is I didnt miss a game that season, because working the games was my therapy. A pulmonary embolism. 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. Smith told the publication. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. And how did the court get so blurry all of a sudden, like someone smeared it with . Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. Why cant he catch his breath? Devika Pawar. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. 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. 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 . They were pretty intense, man. 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. Just over four minutes into the game between USC and Gonzaga, Bert . Officiating for me has always been the ultimate escape. And how did the court get so blurry all of a sudden, like someone smeared it with. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Here's where I'mtell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. Subscribe to get the Referee.com Review every week plus periodic free training and special offers on the sports you officiate. The clot restricted enough oxygen to Smith that he passed out during the game. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. 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. As soon as I arrive and begin preparing for the game, my day, my life, enters a new and exciting realm. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. Hes huffing and puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. What happens next leads to a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Officiating at the professional level requires commitment to conditioning. They strapped me in! Bert. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". You meet people persons, individual persons, team players and egomaniacs. For now, hes at his home in Florence, Ky., just outside of Cincinnati, relaxing and watching the Masters golf tournament while medicating an ailment that, if not caught after that fall, could have eventually been much worse. Active referees are listed in bold. Smiths pausing. 6 seed USC last month in the men's NCAA tournament. You have to be in excellent physical condition in order to be in the correct position to rule on plays. You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. NCAA ref Bert Smith says on-court collapse saved his life - Yahoo! If you saw it, you understand. Referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor and had to be taken off on a stretcher. Don't let anti-vaxxers lie to you about Damar Hamlin like they did with I get to watch the Masters.. a thrust, a dribble, a power shot I love that we are the only participants who are not allowed to fail. 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 mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KVUE I could be having the worst day possible and I still lose myself in my game that day.

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