TBS/CBS taking heat on Twitter for showing replay of ref collapsing during Gonzaga-USC game

A scary moment happened on the court during the first half of Tuesday night’s Elite 8 matchup between 1-seed Gonzaga and 6-seed USC.

Referee Bert Smith collapsed on the court with no one around him, falling backward and hitting his head on the court.

We won’t embed the video in this post, as it is unsettling, but you can see it here if you really want to.

TBS, the station airing the game, showed a slo-motion replay of Smith’s collapse, prompting many on Twitter to express their displeasure with the station (and with CBS, the parent network of March Madness). Here are some of the responses:

Gonzaga Vs USC, Ref collapses…

TBS – “wow this is scary… now let’s show you the slow motion replay!” #MarchMadness #TBS #media

— Micah (@MicahTheBruce) March 30, 2021

Didn’t need to see the replay of the referee collapsing, geez CBS

— Ryan L (@ryannealg) March 30, 2021

CBS actually showed a replay of this, and it's just like……. why? https://t.co/lA4xE6NfpL

— Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) March 30, 2021

CBS just did an instant replay of the collapse and drew a circle around on him on the screen what the hell is going on here

— Booster (@kyleb40) March 30, 2021

I'm disappointed in the way @CBS handled the collapsed official. Extremely poor taste to zoom in on him unconscious on the floor and even worse taste to show the replay of him collapsing. This director should be fired.

— Ty (@MediaGuyTy) March 30, 2021

I also do not need a slow-mo replay of the ref collapsing, CBS

— Barrett Tomek (@BarrettTomek) March 30, 2021

So glad the referee is okay, but there was no need for TBS to replay his collapse! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/HmL6o5QaYH

— Tyler Roney (@TylerJRoney) March 30, 2021

What was the purpose of TBS showing a replay of a basketball referee collapsing and slamming his head of the floor? No reason to show! ??‍♀️

— Mike Murphy (@mj21murphy) March 30, 2021

Fortunately, Smith appeared alert and in fairly good spirits as he was being stretchered off the court:

Referee Bert Smith was stretched off after collapsing in the USC-Gonzaga game.

Hope he's okay ? pic.twitter.com/WZXo7V7nbv

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 30, 2021

TBS’s officiating expert, Gene Steratore, provided an update, saying Smith was feeling light-headed on the court before his collapse. He’s being tended to by medical personnel in the locker room.

Hopefully, he is able to make a quick recovery.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.