Moves fast? If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. Read More Referee Bert Smith collapses on the court during the first half of an Elite 8 game between Gonzaga and Southern California in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Lucas Oil . 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. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. It goes: You scored, Billy These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Success! 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. As soon as I arrive and begin preparing for the game, my day, my life, enters a new and exciting realm. At IU Health Methodist, the 56-year-old Smith was treated by Dr. Katie Trammel, "an important part of this story.". Something doesnt add up. Hes on the stretcher, and hes not even a little bit happy about it. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes,they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. 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!. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. But do we say I love you enough? Moves fast, this guy. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. April 9, 2021, 9:39 AM. Theres no room in your head for thinking about cutting the grass, what you need from the store or how you have to finish your taxes. Trammel had seen the video. Having good presence, working with pride, acting professional and enjoying the challenge of the job is what I love most about officiating hockey. 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. 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? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. When I am out on the field working a game I am mentally and physically completely focused on doing the job right. She said: I got the answer to the question. 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. 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. NCAA Tournament Basketball Referee Bert Smith suffered a scary collapse during the 2022 NCAA March Madness Tournament Gonzaga vs. USC basketball game.I bre. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Moves fast, this guy. Bert Smith does. 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? Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. 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 . You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. Might as well walk fast, too. 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 . 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! Areyougoing to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? Further examination revealed Smith, 56, had a blood clot in his lung, the Indianapolis St Thats 1990. Bert Smith, Raymond Styons. We enjoyed working four football seasons together before his retirement. 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. Eades, who at age 56 has worked three Final Fours and. He gets exercise any time he can and officiates around 90 games a year for the NCAA. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. I love that we are the only participants who are not allowed to fail. "But do we say 'I love you' enough? Hes got a wife, Jacquie, of 32 years, two daughters and two more grandchildren. 6 seed USC. Shes an important part of this story.. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. [1] It was the 68th annual edition of the tournament. The NCAA even distributed a statement announcing the news: Smith was O.K. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Bert Smith, the official who collapsed during the Elite Eight, believes his fall could have saved his life. People in the building, and I was one of them, thought he was dead. 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.. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. Everything was normal. I know his wife is going to be going bananas. If you saw it, you understand. Katie Trammel, he tells me slowly, then repeats her name, then spells it. So was Karter. He's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. You know the rules, have studied the pregame intel and use your experience to go read and react to the actions. OK, so the night of March 29. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. See Bert Smith? Im letting the paint dry.. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. We won't send you spam. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. I appreciate that officiating has contributed lots of exercise and has helped to keep me in good health. I love the smell of the grass when you first walk out on the field when you get to the stadium. Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. Medical personnel and other staffers rushed toward him. We are drawn together by a passion for officiating those outside the industry cant understand. The unnecessary replay of Bert. Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. Smith is one of the longest tenured and most respected officials in college hoops. 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!. a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Smith does remember the 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. You blacked out., I look to my right, and I see a stretcher. He was surrounded by medical professionals and eventually was helped on to a stretcher. 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. Market data provided by Factset. In 1973, my older brother Mike introduced the game to our family by joining the high school team as a freshman. Knowing the rulebook and being able to execute decisions in a split-second. . 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. My uniforms were enormous, and I stepped on my flag but I felt as big as the world! 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 . The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. " Bert Smith, an official assigned to work the Gonzaga-Southern California regional final, left tonight's game after a medical issue ," the NCAA said in a statement. Smith told the publication. For the following few years, I officiated some while pursuing my masters in nursing and then my doctorate. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. I get to watch the Masters.. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. Even though at this point in my career I have the experience and acceptance, there is still that constant challenge from one game to the next because you never know what is going to happen every time you step on the ice. View the profiles of professionals named "Bert Smith" on LinkedIn. It offers a chance to lead by example. The passion I felt when I played is still there for me when I officiate and I can feel that passion on the court. But do we say I love you enough? Here's where I'mtell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. 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. There was an error submitting your subscription. Thats his wife of 33 years. Once hospitalizedat first, he didnt even plan to godoctors discovered a troubling issue: a blood clot in his lungs. There is no swaying what we are attempting to do to make sure the game is played as fairly as possible. All rights reserved. Are you going to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? Where did it come from? But slow down, OK? This week, Gonzaga and Southern California faced off during the Elite Eight matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium. 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. He wasnt one of those guys you couldnt talk to. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. Also he mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. Everyones joking with him now. Now he wonders. Dr. Soccer was now firmly in my blood and forever would help mold and shape me. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? 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. It does not store any personal data. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. That is definitely what drives me. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. No matter what age, talent, salary, race or sex, you must give your all. I also love the fact that no game is ever the same and allows us the ability to make constant improvement. Trammel wasnt as concerned with a CT scan on his skull as she was on why he fell in the first place. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. Mar 31st, 2021. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. 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. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. "You don't know where that clot was going next," Smith told the Star's Gregg Doyel. A replacement official was added to the crew after Smith collapsed. There are 96 NCAA referees all waiting for the same thing those 68 teams are waiting for. I want to know why you fell. She checked a few things out, came back inand took me through the car wash. Just a lot of tests. 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.. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Everyones joking with him now. The three officials for the game who are in question are Bert Smith, James Breeding and John Gaffney. He agreed. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them?

Mga Nagawa Ni Bongbong Marcos Sa Bansa, Where Does Stefon Diggs Live In Buffalo, Articles N