We had a tournament, but it felt nothing like the usual March Madness experience. "The NCAA has replaced several officials for March. Wonders is the call was "personal." 1 Early speculation was Smith had been dehydrated. He awoke Monday morning to find he had three missed calls, all from an Indianapolis area code. https://t.co/q0I2x2PYa0, Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) March 21, 2022. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". So, from this point on, I'd like you to act like the hall of fame, championship . When the 31-year NCAA veteran from Huntington Beach, Calif., checked into the officials first hotel, the Holiday Inn in San Antonio, he was assigned to the very last room on the ninth floor, farthest away from the stairs. In the second half, McCall called a foul on an Arizona State player who blocked a shot. It probably won't be. Here's why. 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. It was like I had the plague, said Ayers, who earlier on Sunday had worked the championship game of the Atlantic 10 Tournament between VCU and St. Bonaventure at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. I really thought, This is a false positive.. Photo by . As seen in the video shared on Twitter by reporter Anthony Bellino, Smith abruptly collapsed early in the first half of the game in front of the Gonzaga bench at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. While the Ayers and Smith incidents both received the lions share of headlines regarding officiating during this years tournaments, plenty of additional personal storylines developed over the three weeks of March Madness competition, with each of the 118 officials who ultimately worked a tourney game emerging with a tale to tell. March 30, 2021. 1 Villanova defeated No. About five minutes into last night's NCAA tourney game between Gonzaga and USCthe Zags were already starting to beat the snot out of the Trojans, if you had any doubtwe saw the first seconds of what could've been an unimaginable tragedy. After a battery of tests, they had the answer, and it was much more worrisome than dehydration. March Madness = The Big Dance. That decision meant Collins and Penny Davis, his counterpart in the NCAA womens national coordinator role, needed to adjust their approach to staffing the games. Now that everyone is months removed from perhaps the most unique NCAA Tournaments ever, a few unifying themes remain. Work 80-90 games in a 20-week season, stay in the best hotels and get paid about $1,000 a game, plus expenses. Gambling problem? Two Division I conferences told The Associated Press . View. Let's provide bracket picks for the #Pac12WBB Tournament. Hope he's okay pic.twitter.com/WZXo7V7nbv Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 30, 2021, Scary. Bert Smith, the official who collapsed during the Elite Eight, believes his fall could have saved his life. Yes. The music lover also brought along her turntables and speakers, serving as the unofficial DJ for the womens officiating staff. March Madness Referee collapses on court at Gonzaga-USC March Madness game. Two of the officials will not be replaced.". ET. 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I let J.D. 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. After Six Refs Sent Home, March Madness. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. And it was especially welcome given his own personal officiating schedule. College basketball referees can make a nice living, but there is a lot of travel and stress involved. Bet on Houston in the Sweet 16 at DraftKings Sportsbook, particularly in the North Carolina vs. Baylor game, Michael Jordan made me go to the wrong college, A look inside Japans obsession with bizarre mascots, Thats Weird: Hey uh it kinda seems like this Olympic swimmer got poisoned by her rivals, The best way to watch Marvel movies is in chronological order, 17776: What football will look like in the future. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. at I told the lady when she called the second time, You get me a Starbucks and I can ref this morning, Ayers said. Doyel: NCAA Tournament fall didn't kill referee Bert Smith. Regardless of whether you think TCU was fouled by Arizona at the end of regulation, its clear the official nearest the play was not in the right position. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. NCAA Men's basketball tourney ref collapses during Gonzaga-USC game | Fox News March Madness Published March 30, 2021 9:08pm EDT NCAA Men's basketball tourney ref collapses during. 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. This marks Anderson's second time officiating an NCAA final, and hisfifth Final Four appearance since officiating Division I games 21 years ago. Dip the lower half of each Nutter Butter cookie in the coating and place on wax paper to set. They should be held accountable for such a terrible call. REFEREE Bert Smith collapsed during the first half of the USC - Gonzaga game during the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. pic.twitter.com/b3v0HezKJP. Smiths vitals were normal and his brain was clear. I knew I needed clean clothes, I knew I needed DJ equipment and I knew I needed snacks. But you'd think something like this would be the latest wake-up moment for a nasty habit we've seen for decades now. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. Ja Morants allegations of aggression off the court, explained. The Rochester ref shows enthusiasm on his calls, whether he's firmlypointing toward a baseline to indicate change of possession or swinging his arm to the ground on a buzzer beating basket. He was last assigned toan Elite Eight game, whenNo. He called his doctor Wednesday. Houston vs Villanova. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. His first shot atofficiating anational championship game came the following year, when No. The infected official must be placed in isolation, and the other officials must be placed in quarantine. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. pic.twitter.com/v3jwDdg8IE Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) March 30, 2021. 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. Manek had 26 points prior to his ejectionpic.twitter.com/ggNHNJ27M5. The on-site medical personnel had other ideas. The referee had no chance to call a foul or a backcourt violation. James Givens is one of the oldest referees in the game. The Bulldogs held a 49-30 lead over the Trojans at halftime. The officials, not so much. March Madness BABY! Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. After the game, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few spoke highly of Smith, telling reporters that he is "a great official, great person. Jalen Carters arrest warrant for reckless driving and racing, explained. The referee anticipated TCU driving to the basket, but Arizonas double-team prevented that. UNC playing both Baylor and refs. 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. 1 in 9.2 quintillion. I want to know why you fell.. 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. The Month of Madness is here and that means even more conference tournaments and the Big Dance. 5 seed Houston was always going to produce a tense atmosphere. In a close NCAA Tournament game, handing out a technical for hanging on the rim is a hugely punitive decision. Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSpr) March 18, 2022. Collins, the national coordinator of officiating, for the 2022 #MFinalFour. They asked Smith if he could sit up, and thats when he noticed the stretcher that had been wheeled onto the court. The fall of the top-ranked team in the NCAA . tournament. Doing so allowed him to stock up on provisions avoiding some online supply ordering and enjoy a one-night respite from a hotel bed before he returned to tournament central for a 16-night stay that culminated with his first Sweet 16 assignment. Mens official Courtney Green caught a break that allowed him to not be held captive to the online overlords. Doesnt react quick enough and is straight-lined by 2nd Arizona defender. The refs thought it was showboating, and they called him for one of the worst technical fouls you will ever see. Next up in 5. College basketball fans and officials everywhere watched in horror as the Florence, Ky., resident collapsed to the floor approximately four minutes into the Elite Eight contest between USC and Gonzaga on March 30. 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. And it's part of a larger problem, damn near a trope, in sports broadcasting. I told her, Im sorry I lied to you. She was like, Drizly? The Cougars won the game, 68-53, to advance to the Sweet 16. Most Final Four appearances. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. You can use a Wilton #46 tip or you can use a re-sealable plastic bag with the corner cut . Baylor will play Houston on Saturday evening, while UCLA will face-off with Gonzaga later that night. Odds of a perfect March Madness bracket. What happened to me on the court was going to happen to me somewhere again, and maybe I dont recover, Smith said. March Madness referee situation under microscope due to COVID - Sports Illustrated Is March Madness the Most Exciting Event in Sports? NCAA men's tournament official Bert Smith is in "stable" condition after he suddenly collapsed during Tuesday night's Elite Eight match-up between Gonzaga and USC. Purdue earned probably 36-38 of its 46 free throws. I did a lot of sit-ups, he said. by cluck0matic. Success! NCAA has some things to fix for next year #IUB, Barstool IU (@IUBarstool) March 19, 2022, Eddie Gonzalez (@bansky) March 19, 2022, https://twitter.com/ActionNetworkHQ/status/1505258117411442688, Chris Milholen (@CMilholenSB) March 19, 2022. The 2022 NCAA Tournament has been thrilling, dramatic, full of surprises, richly competitive, and entirely compelling. The refs need to realize the game isnt about them. I didnt have any signs or anything that said, Youre not feeling well, said Smith, who went through his regular pregame routine and even sprinted back to the Lucas Oil Stadium locker room with crewmate Randy McCall just minutes before tipoff. This isn't the first time sports broadcasts have been ripped for this kind of exploitation, of course. 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. Once the officials cleared initial quarantines, they still had to endure daily virus testing for the entirety of their tournament experience, were forced to change into and out of their uniforms at their hotels instead of on-site locker rooms, had to ride in approved shuttle buses to and from the arena, and could not even stick around following their own games to watch their fellow officials work games. We had a hallway dance party, and everyone was like, great, we can hear music, we can dance, we can live. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images). His test had come back positive for COVID-19, and a second test was going to be required. Mentally, however, its been a tough couple of months as he struggles with guilt over what his positive test cost his dining companions. I watched a good portion of this game. Gene Steratore, a CBS Sports rules analyst, later said on the TBS broadcast of the game that he heard Smith was feeling "lightheaded" before the accident. I compiled a few of the side-by-side court photos here. Not an easy battle! HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT SUNGLASSES FOR YOUR FACE SHAPE. When he got to his room he placed his cell phone in Do Not Disturb mode and went to sleep. 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. Congrats Jeff! 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. The March to Madness Referees March 05, 2010 Are Referees Blowing Calls Because of Fatigue? RJ Melendez's technical. During the 2018 March Madness rounds of playoffs, there have been several referee blunders that could have changed the outcome of the game. Carter has reportedly left the combine after allegations of his role in a fatal car accident. 2 min read A full Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament provided an. INDIANAPOLIS - Bert Smith hasn't seen the moment that made him famous. A Look Back at March Madness In A Bubble By Referee - March 9, 2022 J.D. Mar 17, 2022 PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 15: A general view of the court with March Madness signage is seen prior to the start of the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Rhode Island Rams in. If you do that, you can be successful, Cissoko-Stephens said. Some people watching from home quickly pointed out that, yesshowing the replay the same way you'd show a dude chucking up a buzzer-beater was fucked up. Don't show one of the most painful moments of someone's life like it's your favorite GIF. Then they convinced him to swing his legs up onto it. Calling a timeout in crunch-time when your team doesnt have one? Anderson is also still involved with Board 60 of the Rochester District Basketball Officials. Slowly but surely, he regained his physical health and now feels 100 percent. There might not be a more unforgivable call the rest of March Madness. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. That was an emotional conversation, Smith said. More Videos. To have ones name on the list of officials selected for the NCAA mens and womens basketball tournaments would, under normal circumstances, be more than enough adrenaline to fuel their own personal March Madness. The NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Committee has approved the 11 game officials recommended by J.D. 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. Terrible break for @TCUBasketball. We all look forward to and desire a normal year, whatever thats going to be.. For some who may not know, the NCAA tournament is also nicknamed the "Big Dance", and in case you're wondering where this moniker came from, well, the reasons . 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. . Texas didnt play great defense, and Texas does foul a lot, but the Longhorns still have a legitimate gripe not a huge one, but still one worth noting. 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March 05, 2010 are referees Blowing calls Because of Fatigue to be required a Wilton # tip... 20-Week season, stay in the best hotels and get paid about 1,000..., 68-53, to advance to the online overlords means even more conference Tournaments and the Big Dance racing! 5 seed Houston was always going to happen to me somewhere again, and second! Websites and collect information to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns they convinced him to swing legs... On Saturday evening, while UCLA will face-off with Gonzaga later that night legs up it! Morants allegations of his role in a 20-week season, stay in category... Officiating staff maybe I dont recover, Smith said the second half, called! Evening, while UCLA will face-off with Gonzaga later that night one of side-by-side! Plastic bag with the corner cut be a more unforgivable call the rest of March referee... Recommended by J.D 2018 March Madness game 2021, Scary player who a... Rounds of playoffs, there have been ripped for this kind of,!