He goes to IU Health Methodist. Where did it come from? CNN . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. 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. Katie Trammels stock is up with me in the Smith family book, he says, laughing. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? Smith told the Indianapolis Star's Gregg Doyel he doesn't remember falling and hasn't seen a replay, but what doctors found that night could have been life-saving. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. 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. He'll just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes they'll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. by Joseph Choi - 03/30/21 9:28 PM ET. Trammel had seen the video. They strapped me in! You went down because you had a blood clot in your lung.. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. My father was a basketball official and one of the founding members of the local IAABO board in Lowell, Mass. Two days later, clot gone, he was discharged. 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? When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. 2023 www.southbendtribune.com. 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. you knew we kicked it in together. Every chance I get, I want to get my heart rate up, says Smith, 56, who takes the court 90 times a year with elite NCAA athletes. or redistributed. 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. All rights reserved. Market data provided by Factset. "But do we say 'I love you' enough? Check this out. He was surrounded by medical professionals and eventually was helped on to a stretcher. 29/08/21, Germany (unknown age) Unnamed Germany C-League Dillenburg a player from Hirzenhain collapses, game . The passion I felt when I played is still there for me when I officiate and I can feel that passion on the court. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. Look at his scowl. He said he'll be back officiating next season. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. I always thought he was a good dude, Lansing says. 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.. So when I went off to college I had to work and was asked what I might enjoy doing, I said, Sports. I was hired on the intramural staff and was paid $3 an hour to officiate co-ed flag football, womens basketball and co-ed softball. a picture caught by IndyStar photographer Kelly Wilkinson. 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. 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. I love officiating because of the rush of excitement I get every time a player rises over another for a nothing-but-net three-pointer or from two kids diving after a loose ball like its a $1 million bill. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. I will, he says. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. Since I'm involved in an athletic contest I want to be able to participate to the full, and working out, proper nutrition and recovery allow me to be able to keep up with the players and game. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. 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.. " 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. Referee Bert Smith says blood clot in lung caused his fall at NCAA men Bert Smith: Blood clot caused NCAA tournament ref collapse - Sports But do we say I love you enough? Referee alert after collapsing on sideline during Gonzaga - ESPN.com Now he wonders. 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. 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. 6 seed University of Southern California and No. Over the years Ive been blessed with so many highlights but have found a simple phrase that sums it all up: Special Soccer Moments, derived from the poem June Goal, written by my Dad in 1976. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day. Hes not wobbly, no blurry vision, nothing. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. That is definitely what drives me. 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 . Moves fast? Their goalie tried leaping to his left 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. 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. 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 was released after two days in the hospital. The final clip in this video compilation shows Bert Smith as he collapsed during a March Madness game in April 2021. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. He's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. Everyones joking with him now. Officiating for me has always been the ultimate escape. Im letting the paint dry.. I joined a rec team and Mike spent hours showing me how to play. The scary moment was caughtlive during the Bulldogs-Trojans matchup. NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. He said no. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. No, he said hed walk off under assistance. The NCAA even distributed a statement announcing the news: Smith was O.K. I'm committed to it year round. Might as well walk fast, too. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Thats 1990. Legal Statement. Referee Bert Smith collapses at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game - KHOU It pushes you to be on top of your game. It does not store any personal data. 2021 ACC men's basketball tournament - Wikipedia Why cant he catch his breath? Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? Then he becomes a basketball official. 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. Dr. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Now Bert Smith is laughing again. Smith was admitted into Methodist and put on blood thinners. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Smith is back home in Kentucky with his wife, Jacquie, and his grandson, Karter. Does Video Show Athletes Fainting Due to COVID-19 Vaccine? 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. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. Hell just carry Karter on his shoulders, and yes theyll use the stairs when everyone else rides the escalator. And without any rhyme or reason, the place where I feel the most at home, pacified and comfortable is on that soccer field. But slow down, OK? That's where he learned his scary fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. Smith's fall to the ground. Being part of the game is a big reason. The Big League College World Series (last August in Kalamazoo, Mich.) was probably the most fun Ive had on a ball field. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. 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. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. Thats his wife of 33 years. Smith abruptly collapsed during an Elite Eight game between No. Smith, who became an NCAA Division I official in 1993, said he remembers the play preceding the fall. Theres video of me with my arms crossed on the stretcher, he says. 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. That road includes blood thinners and a trip next week to see a nearby doctor to strategize his future treatment. , Referee 'alert and stable' after collapsing during - oregonlive