And they found out. Thats normal to huff and puff, right? She said: I got the answer to the question. 2021 ACC men's basketball tournament - Wikipedia 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. Smith revealed in a lengthy interview with the Indianapolis Star the fall may have saved him. He works his first game at age 24. "You don't know where that clot was going next," Smith told the Star's Gregg Doyel. 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. Heres where Im tell him about that Kelly Wilkinson picture, how he looks so angry on the stretcher. He agreed. He said the fall was related to a blood clot in his lung. He said no. Thats normal to huff-and-puff, right? Follow every game: Latest NCAA Men's College Basketball Scores and Schedules. Whats he doing on his back? "But do we say 'I love you' enough? Referee Bert Smith collapsed on the floor and had to be taken off on a stretcher. Bunch of sixth-graders at Garfield Park in Chicago. See Bert Smith? He is the current president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, was the 2020 winner of the National Headliner Award as the country's top sports columnist and has twice been named North. REFEREE Bert Smith collapsed during the first half of the USC - Gonzaga game during the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. Having to make those decisions in a split second is a challenge I enjoy. Even after coaches/fans express their disappointment in my calls, I still have the eyes and hearts of the players on the field looking to me for leadership and how to show good character and convictions. My uniforms were enormous, and I stepped on my flag but I felt as big as the world! . I'm committed to it year round. The doctors who cared for him at Lucas Oil Stadium, Pat Kersey and Luke Berghoff; he appreciates their care, and understands their stretcher subterfuge. It and she have made me a better person. This article is the copyright of Referee Enterprises, Inc., and may not be republished in whole or in part online, in print or in any capacity without expressed written permission from Referee. 2 Alabama erases 17-point deficit, wins SEC, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. When hes saying something serious, though, he slows down. 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? I looked at him and said, Oh no you didnt. 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. 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.. The hugs were pretty intense, Smith says, and hes talking slowly again. If hes going to walk, might as well make it a long one. He plans to return as soon as he can to the court, and that includes ref camps this summer. The NCAA announces that Smith has returned to the hotel, and its true. But do we say I love you enough? 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. 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 .