Immediately after falling, Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd ran to him and the bench waved for doctors. 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. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. He rarely uses the elevator. However, minutes into the game, the NCAA tournament ended up experiencing a scary moment. 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. This season he worked about 90 games, including dates in the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. It was a scary moment as an audible thud was heard throughout Lucas Oil Stadium, and the official was taken off the court on a stretcher, though he was awake and alert. Thats around the time he spilled onto the hardwood, awaking to a semicircle of people surrounding him. Rules knowledge is a component of it. As the doctor says: Sometimes you dont get a red flag. Then he becomes a basketball official. Hes feeling wobbly, so wobbly. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. INDIANAPOLIS Bert Smith hasnt seen the moment that made him famous. His wife has seen it once, and shell never watch it again. I was seven years old and wanted to learn everything he learned each day when he got home from practice. Jacquie was waiting at the door. Hes worked 17 NCAA Tournaments. 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. 6 seed USC. I love being part of the game. The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. "He's a great official, great person," Few said after his team's 85-66 win to advance to the Final Four. 6 seed USC. I'm committed to it year round. 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 . More than a week later, he hasnt watched the moment. ", BAYLOR BEATS GONZAGA FOR FIRST NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. The whole thing is mysterious, because hes a sculpture of a man, 6-3 and 195 pounds. Now he wonders. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. 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. Oh, and hes also been returning those messages. Look at his scowl. Moves fast, this guy. Its a wonderful place to be. I appreciate that officiating has contributed lots of exercise and has helped to keep me in good health. 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. In a scary moment, Smith passed out cold during a recent Elite Eight game. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. Bert Smith told the . Areyougoing to tell Bert Smith hes out of shape? 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. Bert Smith NCAA men's basketball official, 27th season My fitness is important to me. Thats 1990. Devika Pawar. Collins and NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt, for their support and kindness to me.. 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. Smith is the college basketball official who passed out during themen's NCAA Tournamentregional final between Gonzaga and Southern California, toppling over like a fallen tree his description his body prone and unmoving, his eyes open and unseeing, a Gonzaga trainer frantically waving for help. First as an athlete growing up in Buffalo, a high school small forward, receiver and 400-meter runner, then some junior college basketball. We make the calls and put up with the jeers because we love officiating. Smith, 56, regained consciousness, and he was alert as he was carried off the floor on a stretcher. Knowing the rules and how to implement them fairly, evenly and within the guidelines of accepted philosophy is important. Before I started officiating I had a sister who lived in another county. Why is he lying down near the Gonzaga bench? NCAA basketball official Bert Smith hasn't watched the moment that might have saved his life. And they found out. Well get there, but right now were moving too fast. I say, Whats going on, man? And he goes, Bert, you passed out. It saved his life. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Referee Bert Smith is taken off the court on a stretcher after collapsing during the first half of an Elite Eight game between Gonzaga and USC during the first half of an Elite 8 game in the NCAA . 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 . 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's grumpy in the now-famous photo of him on it and told Doyel he was tricked. And they heard the sound his head made I heard it too, 30 rows away when it slammed onto the court. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? He rarely uses the elevator. Hes huffing-and-puffing a little, but hes running stairs in a mask. The scary scene unfolded with 15:44 to play in the. You dont know where that clot was going next, he says. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? They were pretty intense, man. She sits down next to the bed, Smith continues, and she says: I saw your fall tonight. They released him to return to his hotel. Im very grateful. See Bert Smith? 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.. Trammel was at Methodist the night of March 30. Brett Smith, an NCAA college basketball referee, collapsed during a game. 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. Turns out, that night probably saved Bert Smiths life. Officiating at the professional level requires commitment to conditioning. Im happy I did it around a bunch of people who had the ability to help me.. Later during the broadcast, they announced he was feeling OK and resting in the arena. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Hed rather take the stairs, and Bert Smith doesnt walk them. Also he mentions NCAA officiating coordinator J.D. Your heart begins to race, the adrenaline begins to run rampant throughout your body, the excitement takes over as you look around the stadium; you take a couple of deep breaths and then everything becomes so clear. 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 . 1 . Turns out, it was something worse. The passion and emotion of the contestants can never sway the judgment of the crew. . He runs. 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. Why cant he catch his breath? Bert Smith told the publication the fall might have saved his life. We enjoyed working four football seasons together before his retirement. 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. I look to my left, and its a doctor, Bert says, and hes laughing about it now. 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. Bert. Trammel wasnt as concerned with a CT scan on his skull as she was on why he fell in the first place. After his nationally televised fall, Smith had more than 500 texts, emails and calls to return, and by Wednesday hed returned them all. 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. That was the start of my passion for officiating basketball. Dr. Smiths pausing. When I am out on the field working a game I am mentally and physically completely focused on doing the job right. Hes working Gonzaga-USC the next day, and Bert and his crew are staying in one of the NCAA bubble hotels, Le Meridien. Jacquie was waiting at the door. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. "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?" Bert Smith. Its hard for me to talk about now. And when next season arrives, you can expect to find Bert Smith on the hardwood. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. He didn't have a headache or blurry vision. View. Officiating In Perspective with Barry Mano, Amid cancer fight, NBA ref Tony Brown returning to work, Recruiting & Retention: What WorkedWhat Didnt, Next Level Softball Umpiring Free Email Series, High School Volleyball Officials Quiz 2023. They suggest he go to the hospital to get examined for a concussion, just to be sure. 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. Nobody can say. Next thing he remembers, hes looking at the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium. 2 Alabama erases 17-point deficit, wins SEC, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. Dr. 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. 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!. 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. Knowing the rulebook and being able to execute decisions in a split-second. OK, so the night of March 29. Everyones joking with him now. Michael Conroy/AP. We are drawn together by a passion for officiating those outside the industry cant understand.