Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. INDIANAPOLIS - Bert Smith hasn't seen the moment that made him famous. When the broadcast resumed, replays showed Smith pulling down his mask for a couple of possessions earlier in the game, apparently struggling to catch his breath, before a full-court view showed him dropping to the floor, unconscious on his feet. March Madness Referee collapses on court at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game Bert Smith was alert and sitting up with his arms crossed as he was taken off the court. The notion that a referee mistake is but another instance of quirky misfortune is an affront to all that sports fans hold sacred. It's tournament season. Take the case of Fatou Cissoko-Stephens, who was no stranger to the bubble environment and the challenges it posed. TBS replayed official Bert Smith collapsing. The referees were told to arrive by Sunday night to check into their hotel and were asked by the NCAA to stay there to follow protocols. The womens tournament featured a similar approach, with San Antonio serving as the host, and nearby arenas in Austin and San Marcos also serving as de facto regional locations. The referee has to stay near the middle of the court until the TCU player drives in the direction of the basket. Basically, March Madness is the NCAA's bread and butter. So I had multiple feelings. I just had all the emotions. Hope he's okay pic.twitter.com/WZXo7V7nbv Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 30, 2021, Scary. After about two weeks, he was able to take short walks in his neighborhood. It was 162 steps, and I was doing it nine times a day, said Gonzalez, who had to make the trek for each of his meals and to do his COVID testing. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Also, why show the replay? It does not store any personal data. ", "The NCAA has replaced several officials for March Madness because of a positive COVID-19 test," the NCAA said in a statement. On one hand, it might seem hard to believe that a group of men and women chosen to work on the biggest stage afforded by their chosen avocation would need any type of psychological or physical intervention or enhancement. You start realizing that there were only 60 guys here. The mens tournament would ostensibly be held in Indianapolis, while using arenas throughout the Hoosier State, from West Lafayette in the northwest and Bloomington to the south, for early round games. pic.twitter.com/gnX82nowdD. It was jarring to see people (not just Carolina fans) remarking on how lopsided the officiating was late in that game. As Smith was tended to by medical professionals on the floor, Gonzaga players were told to look away, ESPN reported. With leisure-time options limited for the 58 mens basketball officials who found themselves confined to an Indianapolis bubble due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns and restrictions, the NCAA had to get creative to keep its tournament arbiters from going stir crazy. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The NCAA said Tony Chiazza, who is scheduled to be the standby referee for Tuesday night's Michigan-UCLA game, also will serve as the reserve official for the Gonzaga-USC game. What the collective frustration and disbelief demonstrate was that this was objectively skewed in Baylors favor. I have officiated basketball, and the proper technique is to be in line with the ball, not in front of it. You know, it almost goes without saying, but given those who felt pressed to rush out headlines like "Referee Burt Smith Collapses During USC-Gonzaga (VIDEO)" last night, let's say it outright: Showing a video of a man with, you'd assume, a family at home with their hearts in their guts, suffering what was likely a concussion, is fucked up. Here are three things to know about the former Section Vref: Jeff and his high knees have made it to the Elite 8. Dont think anyone needed to see him collapse. Then they convinced him to swing his legs up onto it. Schroder Over 7.5 assists (+105) Embiid Over 14.5 rebounds + assists (-110) Rozier Over 2.5 turnovers (+115) Picks made on 3/1/2023 at 9:00 a.m. Two of the officials will not be replaced.". If even Duke fans can call out unfairness against UNC, then the referee calls must have been truly unfair. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll College Basketball and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Anderson, 54, graduated from Franklin High School in 1985. More Videos. Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? I want to know why you fell.. Carter has reportedly left the combine after allegations of his role in a fatal car accident. Next up in 5. Once that was finished, and not showing any symptoms, Ayers had to try to convince health officials to let him travel to his home in Roanoke, Va., rather than suffer through a 10- to 14-day quarantine in his hotel room. Slowly but surely, he regained his physical health and now feels 100 percent. The whole way home I felt fine. In a normal year, each would reward approximately 100 officials with tournament assignments, such large numbers necessary as crews were needed in eight different regional locations spread across four time zones and thousands of miles. We had obviously a lot of challenges in front of us that complicated things, said Davis, who in two years as the national coordinator has yet to have a normal tournament experience due to the pandemic. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. West Henrietta's Jeffrey Anderson is set to officiate tonight's national championship game. The referee had no chance to call a foul or a backcourt violation. As one of several officials who worked the Big Ten Tournament prior to the NCAA version, he got a double dose of the Indianapolis officiating bubble. They were dressed in space suits. by cluck0matic. I was walking the Empire State Building every day.. A couple beats later, without any warning, the team at TBS decided to show what really happened. After the game, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few spoke highly of Smith, telling reporters that he is "a great official, great person. So glad the referee is okay, but there was no need for TBS to replay his collapse! One of the six was tournament fixture Roger Ayers, who had been invited to work March Madness every year since 2006. No heart attack or stroke, he was alert and talking to the medics as they rolled him off the court. The idea was to allow the officials to break up the monotony of Netflix binge sessions in their hotel rooms with some fresh air and exercise. Just as USC was bringing the ball down the court to lessen their 11-4 trail behind Gonzaga, one of the refs blew his whistle as soon as he saw Smith land on the floor. 1 overall seed Gonzaga on Thursday. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). When he got to his room he placed his cell phone in Do Not Disturb mode and went to sleep. They sent two nurses to my room. Example video title will go here for this video. Yes. The 2023 men's NCAA tournament will hold the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio and the Final Four this year will be held in Houston, Texas. Smith was able to get to his feet on his own, but was placed on a stretcher as a precaution. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Do we do the things with our family and friends that have value to them? Instead, he worked one of the two Saturday semifinals, allowing for a quick 24-hour getaway to his Columbus, Ohio, home. They were given permission to leave for dinner, and a sliver of the group went to a steakhouse in Indianapolis together that caused some of them to be removed by contact tracing. The referee anticipated TCU driving to the basket, but Arizonas double-team prevented that. I thought I would be reffing (Thursday), and instead Im staring at a ceiling and wondering if Im going to be OK, Ayers said. From a mall parking lot altercation to a fight with a teenager during a pickup game, these are the allegations Ja Morant is facing. pic.twitter.com/HUAI0PfVSi. Note: This article is archival in nature. Don't forget the last time we had a college hoops postseason, when CBS couldn't unglue its camera from a screaming and crying Ben Ahrens. For tournament play to safely return, changes were going to be necessary. Arkansas more than impressed in its upset of No. 3 min read. That's a job for, you know, a doctor. Subscribe to get the Referee.com Review every week plus periodic free training and special offers on the sports you officiate. Iowa fans when they see the refs after the game:#MarchMadness#Richmond pic.twitter.com/smhWsBX2sE Jay Shah (@TheJayShah3) March 17, 2022 is the officiating at the end of this game bad? In 2017, Anderson called his first Final Four. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Final Four was held in front of a few thousand people as opposed to the now-normal crowd in the area of 70,000 people. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. It's not only his running style that has made Anderson popular on social media. tournament. I knew I needed clean clothes, I knew I needed DJ equipment and I knew I needed snacks. The referees had no idea how to officiate Baylor's second-half pressure, seemingly subscribing to the "if they're fouling on every play, we can't call fouls" method. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. Its an obvious officiating error which should never happen. There is gratitude for good health, with Ayers and Smith having rounded back into shape, and the knowledge that in the midst of a pandemic, tournament games were played and champions were crowned. The fall of the top-ranked team in the NCAA . We were kind of getting to sort of establish things for what we were doing because everything was brand new. Officiating In Perspective with Barry Mano, Longtime referee to be honored as puck drops on Minnesota boys state hockey tournament, Referee gets crushed by rolling thunder KO at Brave FC, finishes match, Next Level Softball Umpiring Free Email Series. There is both a . It may have been Indiana's best play of the game. So Im just sort of frustrated, mad and not knowing what the hecks going on, Smith said. Terrible break for @TCUBasketball. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. At first, everything checked out. Collins has heard plenty of colorful descriptions of his work during his time as an oncourt college basketball official and more recently in his role as the NCAA's national coordinator of men's basketball officiating. They believe it began in his legs and traveled to his lung, and at some point lodged in a position that inhibited his oxygen intake, leading to his blackout and fall. Coming on the heels of an unprecedented conclusion to the 2019-20 season when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of all the NCAAs national basketball tournaments, the return to postseason basketball was still anything but normal one year later. March Madness Referee collapses on court at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game. Houston vs Villanova. Commercials played, lots of them, before we found out Smith seemed to be okay. Report on someone's health later on in the game. Gotta go all the way back to Dec. 2017 (Neb vs. UTSA). He has to be near the midcourt line, in line with the TCU ball-handler. At this particular time, in this year with COVID, it was exactly the right thing to do.. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Illinois couldnt afford to have such a dumb call go against them in a close game the Cougars are too good for that. The Alamodome court features a "Women's Basketball" logo (the NCAA does not use the term "March Madness" to refer to the women's tournament). College basketball referees can make a nice living, but there is a lot of travel and stress involved. 00:01 01:38 Author:. Bert Smith told the . He convinced the doctors to not admit him to the hospital, returning home and enduring four days where he could barely get out of bed and walk to the kitchen to grab a Gatorade from the fridge. It gave us a boost.. The 11 nights she spent in the NCAA womens tournament bubble in San Antonio as she advanced to the Sweet 16 was nothing compared to the 68 days she endured in the WNBA version. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. And after you see it? Not an easy battle! It was later reported that Smith was awake in the locker room and was stable, but he was undergoing additional evaluations. Per policy, explanations are only given for time/situation calls, not judgement calls on individual plays. Medical staff flanked him. Copyright 2022 Referee Enterprises Inc. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. It was not immediately clear what his condition was after the game. The NCAA said Smith was in stable condition and did not require hospitalization. It's bracket season. 1 in 9.2 quintillion. He was sitting up and fully alert while being moved to the locker room. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. ET. Its a change from last years pandemic-limited tournament held in Indianapolis and surrounding areas inside the state of Indiana, often in front of reduced-fan crowds. UNC fans were also outraged, calling for the refs involved to not be allowed to referee again. In a statement, the NCAA said he left the game with a medical issue, but he won't be transported to a hospital. Another phone call. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. It saved his life. He went to a local hospital and went through a battery of X-rays and scans on his chest. After Six Refs Sent Home, March Madness. Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. 2 Villanova defeated No. He was last assigned toan Elite Eight game, whenNo. When you live something like I did, it hits you square in the eyes that you really have to value each day.. She just looked at me and she goes, Something doesnt add up. Jalen Carters arrest warrant for reckless driving and racing, explained. Referee Bert Smith collapsed along a baseline Tuesday night during the Gonzaga-USC Elite Eight game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Anderson has gone viral on social media for his reffingstyle, specifically the way he runs up and down sidelines with his knees to his chest, whichsparked the name of his Twitter fan page, @highkneesref. Almost as long as the in-color sportscast has existed, obsessive replays of ribs and ankles and arms breaking have been a part of them. 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. (Collins) know. UNC refs were so bad that even Duke fans have sympathy DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 05: Associate head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils looks on behind head coach Mike Krzyzewski. To know I had an influence on those guys not working, and it was not their fault, mentally, thats been the toughest part of this whole thing, Ayers said. March Madness Referee collapses on court at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game. The gesture only cost about $100,000, a tiny fraction of the roughly $900 million networks pay annually to broadcast March Madness. I let J.D. I compiled a few of the side-by-side court photos here. I wanted to make sure that I kept myself and everybody happy.. Here's why. 1 Thus, the tech an interpretation call does not meet the standard for pool reporter access. Melendez was not showboating he was making sure he didnt get hurt after sprinting and soaring for a dunk in a close game. In a comeback that seemed rather unjust to behold, fans were so unnerved by the poor referee calls that even Duke fans had sympathy for the Tar Heels. Once the coating has set, draw 4 black vertical lines down the vanilla candy coating. He says a lot has changed over the years. UNC led with 67-42 when UNC star Brady Manek unintentionally hit Baylors Jeremy Sochan with his elbow. Having experienced laundry issues in the WNBA bubble, she used FedEx to ship a mini washer and dryer setup to her hotel room in Texas. 2 min read A full Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament provided an. HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT SUNGLASSES FOR YOUR FACE SHAPE. Watch March Madness Live . Not the guy at the corner table in Buffalo Wild Wings. The foul on Ethan Anderson was a touch foul, meaning it was called basically for touching the other player as opposed to being a violent or forceful foul (in which a player shoves, slaps, rakes, elbows, or bumps an opposing player). The NCAA has notified these 11 individuals selected to work the 2021 Final Four, which will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana: Pat Adams, Mobile, Alabama Jeff Anderson, West. 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There are loud, boisterous crowds and fans from all 68 tournament teams represented in sports books up and down the Strip. Any chance you get the ability to go home, even if its for a couple of hours, is worth it, said Green, singing the refrain of a busy sports official. Marriott hotel to freshen up, Smith went to IU Methodist Hospital. March Madness has special meaning for 75-year-old referee from Arkansas. This year, so much of what makes the event special has returned to the forefront. Had Green been selected to work the Big Ten title game, he would have had no choice but to remain in Indy following that game Sunday afternoon and immediately enter the NCAA bubble. Let's take a look at all the officiating. There is thankfulness for the camaraderie created by having officials sheltered together for weeks at a time instead of spread throughout the country, sharing the uncommon bond of having thrived despite the harsh restrictions of the bubble environment. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Touch fouls are a contradiction in terms, since merely touching an opposing player is not disruptive to that players attempt to move or shoot or perform any other action. 1 seed Gonzaga. But you'd think something like this would be the latest wake-up moment for a nasty habit we've seen for decades now. Bert Smith was alert and sitting up with his arms crossed as he was taken off the court. James Givens is one of the oldest referees in the game. Fine. Referee Bert Smith suffers a scary collapse during the USC-Gonzaga Elite Eight game. Nope. Smith revealed in a lengthy interview with the Indianapolis Star the fall may have saved him. https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/lists/usc-was-part-of-the-story-officiating-has-been-atrocious-at-2022-ncaa-tournament/, REF OUT OF POSITION ON CRUCIAL TCU-ARIZONA CALL, ILLINOIS HIT WITH "HANGING ON THE RIM" TECHNICAL FOUL VS HOUSTON, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Anderson has already officiated three other March Madness games this season. And then he said something Ill never forget. Almost immediately, a serious complication arose on the mens side. And to make matters worse, his five dining companions John Gaffney, John Higgins, Kip Kissinger, Ray Natili and Ted Valentine were also knocked out of the tournament due to contact tracing protocols. Mike Reed, Brian OConnell, Courtney Green were the refs in the game. 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Smith suffers a Scary collapse during the USC-Gonzaga Elite Eight game at Lucas Stadium! Get the biggest stories from people every weekday referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates challenges. For time/situation calls, not in front of a few thousand people opposed. Environment and the proper technique is to be okay, whenNo 've seen for decades now arms crossed as was!