Sports
Stephen A. Smith opens up to The Post on 'crazy' role in 'Law & Order'
Stephen A. Smith is a “different animal” when it comes to his acting career. That’s something the ESPN personality heard many times over the years from his colleagues, and it has served as fuel for his goal of making it to primetime television, Smith said in an interview with The Post on Monday. Smith, who’s […]


Stephen A. Smith is a “different animal” when it comes to his acting career.
That’s something the ESPN personality heard many times over the years from his colleagues, and it has served as fuel for his goal of making it to primetime television, Smith said in an interview with The Post on Monday.
Smith, who’s known for his loud, theatrical personality as a sports analyst across multiple shows at ESPN, will have a guest star role on “Law & Order,” airing Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
“I’ve always been told and all my colleagues always say, ‘When the lights come on, he’s a different animal. He’s ready,’” Smith, 57, said. “So, I take pride in that. And the lights come on, it’s showtime and it’s time to step up and produce, and that’s what I pride myself on being able to do.”
It might be difficult to grasp another version of Smith, who became a household name by being himself in front of the camera.
In the episode entitled “Tough Love,” Smith plays Ted Hunter, an outspoken sports agent who is stabbed to death, leaving a trail of suspects who wanted him gone.
“It was crazy to say the least,” Smith said of playing the character. “I mean, from the standpoint of knowing who [sports agents] are and how they can be as professionals, I get that because I’ve been in sports journalism for over 30 years, so in that regard, that’s fine.
“But it’s still a challenge when you have to go in front of the cameras on a set and act the role and step out of character and be something that you’re not.”
The most fascinating part of all is that Smith has never taken a single acting class or sought any type of formal training.
Smith explained that he was approached by Pam Wechsler, a writer for “Law & Order,” about a guest star role on the show — just as he was for his role on “General Hospital,” which is ABC’s longest-running soap opera.
“We were both in LA, said she was a fan and that many of her colleagues were fans and they wanted to know if I would be interested in appearing on ‘Law & Order,’” Smith recalled of his conversation with Wechsler. “And I said, ‘The ‘Law & Order’? Are you kidding me? Prime time? Are you kidding me? Absolutely!’ So, I jumped at it and that’s how it happened. I was ecstatic.”
Smith made his acting debut on “General Hospital,” with a short cameo appearance as a television reporter on Feb. 2, 2007.
Later in 2007, he was in the Chris Rock motion picture, “I Think I Love My Wife.”
Smith returned to “General Hospital” in April 2016 as Brick, a surveillance expert for the Mob, and has continued to make regular appearances on the soap opera since then — and most recently April 28.
This is just the beginning for Smith’s acting career, and he said he won’t stop until he lands more roles on primetime television and in movies.
However, giving up his job with ESPN to become a full-time actor is where he draws the line.
“It would have to be the right opportunity, of course,” Smith said of future acting roles. “I mean, I have a day job that pays me pretty well, so I don’t really need the work.”
Smith signed a five-year, $100 million contract extension with ESPN in March, according to The Athletic.
“If I’m gonna do it, it has to be the kind of [role] that I want,” Smith said. “I want to be in the movies. I want to be on primetime television. I want to be on epic shows like ‘Law & Order,’ I want to work with great actors and great directors and stuff like that. It’s certainly something that I aspire to do. There’s no doubt about that.”
“If the right opportunity presents itself, of course I’d be willing to do it and sacrifice the time necessary in order to do it well because I’m not interested in doing anything half-ass. That would basically be my approach, but it’s not going to be something that’s going to compel me to give up my day job — that I’m not going to do.
“I wouldn’t do that to become a full-time actor. That’s not what I would do, not after what I’ve been blessed to accomplish and I’m on throughout my career over the last 30 years. I’ll continue doing this for as long as I can.”
Smith credited “General Hospital” star Maurice Bernard, who’s played Sonny Corinthos on the soap since 1993, along with producer Frank Valentini, for taking him under their wing in Hollywood.
He also attributed longtime “General Hospital” stars, Laura Wright, who plays Carly Corinthos, and Steve Burton, who plays Jason Morgan, for “teaching me about the profession.”
“I remember when Maurice Bernard told me one time [on set], ‘This is who I need you to be at this moment.’ And when I went and taped the scene for ‘Law & Order,’ I was like, ‘This is who I need to be in this moment right here. This is what it calls for,’” Smith said. “And I knew it instinctually because of the things that they taught me over the years, and I’m incredibly grateful to them, and they’re all my friends and we communicate all the time.”
Sports
Hofstee, Machu Lace Up for NCAA Outdoor Championships
Story Links 2025 NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS THURSDAY, JUNE 12 | HAYWARD FIELD | EUGENE, ORE. ESPN LIVE STREAM | LIVE RESULTS 6:56 p.m. | 10,000m National Final | Logan Hofstee, Rosina Machu EUGENE, Ore. – Gonzaga women’s track will make program history Thursday evening at […]

2025 NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
THURSDAY, JUNE 12 | HAYWARD FIELD | EUGENE, ORE.
ESPN
LIVE STREAM | LIVE RESULTS
6:56 p.m. | 10,000m National Final | Logan Hofstee, Rosina Machu
EUGENE, Ore. – Gonzaga women’s track will make program history Thursday evening at Hayward Field, racing two athletes in the same National Final event for the first time ever. This will also mark the first time two Bulldog women have qualified for the NCAA Championship week, as Logan Hofstee and Rosina Machu will compete in the 10,000-meter final at 6:56 p.m. on ESPN.
For Hofstee, she becomes the first true freshman to reach the NCAA Championships after a gritty 11th place finish at the NCAA West Prelims in College Station on May 29. Her time of 34:30.82 in College Station came amidst the chase pack, working her way into the Top 12 before crossing just one second ahead of the final qualifying mark. She reached the qualifying round with a time of 33:17.80 at the Stanford Invitational in April.
Machu makes her second consecutive 10,000-meter Final appearance, placing 15th to earn Second Team All-America honors last spring in Eugene. Two weeks ago, she finished third at the West Prelims in 33:50.76 after running a qualifying time of 32:33.18 at Stanford in April. Machu is just the third-ever repeat finals qualifier and first since James Mwaura in 2023, and she’ll look to become the first female two-time All-American on the track in GU history.
Including Gonzaga’s first appearance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2015, the Zags will send at least one athlete to the final week of NCAA competition for the eighth time in the last ten championship meets (2020 canceled due to COVID-19). In five of the previous seven instances, GU has walked away with an All-American. Fraley was the first Zag to earn the honor in 2017 before Mwaura earned five over the span of three years in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Sports
CU Buffs’ Kole Mathison finishes 21st in steeplechase at NCAA finals – Boulder Daily Camera
With the future of the Colorado track and field program in transition, a small contingent of Buffaloes hit the track on Wednesday in Oregon for the NCAA outdoor track and field championships. Assistant coach Lindsey Malone’s final appearance for the Buffaloes won’t be an extended one. Kole Mathison was unable to advance out of the […]

With the future of the Colorado track and field program in transition, a small contingent of Buffaloes hit the track on Wednesday in Oregon for the NCAA outdoor track and field championships.
Assistant coach Lindsey Malone’s final appearance for the Buffaloes won’t be an extended one.
Sports
OUTLOOK ON NEW FOOTHILL AREA RELEAGUING: Artesia could see more sports fighting for playoff spots in future new conference
June 11, 2025 By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X This is the first in a series of area schools involved in the upcoming Foothill Area releaguing that will begin for the 2026-2027 school year. The 20 schools involved, in what will be a new conference are from the current 605 League, Del Rio League, […]

June 11, 2025
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
This is the first in a series of area schools involved in the upcoming Foothill Area releaguing that will begin for the 2026-2027 school year. The 20 schools involved, in what will be a new conference are from the current 605 League, Del Rio League, Gateway League and Mid-Cities League. The name of the new conference and potential leagues will be determined during the 2025-2026 school year. This is the third time since the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year that area schools have been involved in releaguing.
When Artesia High, and two other area schools, broke off from the old Suburban League after the 2017-2018 school year to form the 605 League with the addition of three other schools, it was meant to create more competitive equity in its athletic program. In the past seven years, the Pioneers have seen some success while other sports continued to struggle.
Now, those struggling sports will have a chance to do something that was not possible in the former Suburban League, or even the 605 League-compete for a CIF-Southern Section playoff berth.
Artesia athletic director Matt Soriano, who hasn’t been in his position as long as the other athletic directors, wasn’t as skeptical when the process began leading up to the May 1 Foothill Area releaguing vote.
“To be honest, I don’t think I had the most positive favoritism towards a 20-team league”, said Soriano. “As a new A.D., I just heard, ‘oh, it’s time to revote for bylaws and see if anyone’s open to releaguing’”.
The initial buzz amongst the athletic directors was to simply keep the 605 League together and not add other schools. But all six proposals which were brought to the table last month involved a 20-school conference.
“We kind of sat down as A.D.’s and said, ‘hey, we like the six of us staying together in most sports’ even though we would get killed by Cerritos and Whitney in some tennis events or golf events,” said Soriano. “We’re competitive in every other sport, and I like the six of us about it.”
The 2018-2019 school year had mixed feelings around the 605 League with Artesia winning two league titles and sharing one of the major sports in the inaugural year. The most notable one was the football team where the Pioneers won all three league games and advanced to the Division 12 championship game. Since then, the program has finished in second place and earned a playoff spot.
Boys soccer won its first 605 League title in 2019 and the softball team tied Cerritos High for first place that spring. Since then, the Pioneers have won 11 league titles, six coming from boys soccer, three from boys basketball, and one each from girls flag football and girls soccer.
Soriano went to the first meeting with the plan of just moving for football only because he thought that’s how Orange County schools did their releaguing.
“We sat down as A.D.’s and said if we’re going to support something, I need to know number one, we’re all in this, or if we’re going to be against this, we’re all against it,” said Soriano. “The one commitment we couldn’t have was that Glenn would still field a football team.”
With the new 20-school conference, Artesia may not face ABC Unified School District rival Cerritos in league competition, but the program figures to be in a desirable place for playoff contention every season.
“We were not the best team in [the 605 League], but every school had a chance to qualify for the playoffs every year,” said Soriano. “And I think that’ s the way we wanted it to be. There were years where we won on the last play on a double reverse against Pioneer to qualify for the playoffs. There were years that Glenn was up there in the top two; there were years where they weren’t in the top two. Pioneer didn’t get an automatic bid this [past season] but they went to the [CIF-Southern Section] finals. The 605 League gave people what they wanted out of it, football-wise.”
Soriano says other than boys basketball and some of the other major sports, which has been near or at the top of the league consistently, the other sports aren’t nowhere near the other schools. Part of that reason, which the league has looked at and voted together as a league, is some schools in certain sports have a lower level team.
Since the 605 League was formed, the Artesia girls volleyball program has finished no higher than third place while the other two fall sports, boys water polo and girls tennis have finished in fourth place or below. In fact, of the major sports, the Pioneers have finished in fourth place 18 times, fifth place 10 times and last place nine times.
Boys basketball and the two soccer programs have done quite well as has the softball program and should be grouped in with the upper to ‘middle of the pack’ schools once the new conference begins. Sports like boys tennis, boys volleyball, boys water polo, girls basketball and girls tennis are projected to be situated in the last of the three or four leagues in two years and be with other fifth and sixth place teams from the Del Rio League, Gateway League and Mid-Cities League. It should be noted that in a six-team league, the top three get an automatic playoff berth.
“It is going to be every sport on a per sport basis,” said Soriano. “So, just like in Orange County, your football team may be in this league, but your basketball teams will be in a different league. The model, I think, that makes the most sense…is if there are 20 teams in every place but football, you do four leagues of five [teams]. That would make the top three all get an [automatic] berth. Technically, you would get 12 automatic spots out of your 20 teams.”
Soriano believes that the new conference will benefit Artesia in a lot of the sports that aren’t mentioned on an everyday basis. For example, Artesia’s girls basketball team most likely wouldn’t have to play Cerritos, Pioneer or Whitney twice every season in league competition.
“I’m not even saying it will help us get wins, it will just help the games be more competitive,” said Soriano. “The big part about it is we have to sit down as a group and decide…I guarantee the first year is going to be based on CIF rankings. But they talk about some relegation or promotion. If you’re in the middle league, hey, you won and you get to move up to the top league. I would prefer to see two teams [go] up and down every time.”
He continued to add that since this will be a conference, divided into three or four leagues, technically by the rules, the conference can do whatever it wants regarding the movement of teams to other leagues every year instead of going off power rankings.
This upcoming school year will be a stressful one for the athletic directors and principals for the 20 schools. When the 605 League was formed, there were four school districts involved and transportation, while difficult at times, wasn’t as big as an issue as it will be in two years. The scheduling of sporting events will be a nightmare, especially during the winter season as your traditional girls-boys basketball doubleheaders could be compromised.
“When we started meeting as the 20 schools, that was the whole 605 League’s contention; is how do you guys do it,” asked Soriano. “La Mirada kind of looked at me and was like, ‘well, when we ask for a bus, my district gives us a bus’. Well, my district doesn’t. Every bus that we took as a sports team was an overtime payment to a bus driver. My transportation [bill] is huge, and that’s with me sending boys and girls basketball to the same place.”
Another issue that schools will have to navigate through is the splitting up of cheerleaders during basketball games or other school functions. Soriano was quick to mention that Artesia decided to have its senior prom on a Thursday night in the middle of league. He worked with the other five athletic directors to have the games off that Thursday so the players could go to the prom and admitted he doesn’t know if he can get that same commitment from the other 14 schools that will be part of the new conference.
One bright area of the new conference will be schools reuniting with old rivals from previous leagues. It’s a fact that Artesia will face Bellflower High, La Mirada High, Mayfair High and Norwalk High in many sports. Those four schools were in the Suburban League prior to 2018.
“I don’t come from a time when all the rivalries [happened],” said Soriano. “I know I can just look up scores and see the main ones; the football, the soccer and basketball. We had some battles with Mayfair, but some of it is if we wanted to renew rivalries and things like that, we would have called them earlier and played non-league [games].
“We, as a 605 League, didn’t even want to play Gahr in anything anymore, even though they’re a part of a school district that had three of us in it,” he continued. “It took a long time for Cerritos football to say [they’ll] play Gahr. When we were playing Gahr and the scores weren’t very close…if Gahr is with us, then it should say that we should be competitive with them, and I think that’s the point of a conference.”
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Sports
Murphy Finishes Sixth in Semifinal Heat of 1500 Meters at NCAA Championships Get Underway
Story Links EUGENE, Ore.—Villanova kicked off four days of competition at the 2025 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships with national semifinal heats of the 1500 meters on Wednesday afternoon. Fifth year distance runner Liam Murphy (Millstone, N.J.) finished sixth in his heat and showed elite speed with a final lap […]

Murphy was an automatic qualifier for the semifinal round after two races at the NCAA East Preliminary in Jacksonville, Fla. two weeks ago. He raced in the first of two heats at Hayward Field on Wednesday and produced a closing 400 meters which shows why he has been on the cusp of a World Athletics Championship qualifying mark this season. Murphy’s final lap of 51.13 in his semifinal heat is just over three seconds faster than his bell lap of 54.18 at the Raleigh Relays earlier this year when he set the collegiate record of 3:33.02 in the 1500 meters.
By this point of the season any section of an event is going to be a strong one filled with competitors capable of winning a national title. That was true of the first heat in the 1500 meters, which featured nine runners (out of 12) who had run faster than 3:40 this season and five who were under 3:35 during their collegiate careers. The race went out slow for two-plus laps and the entire field came through the first seven meters in just over two minutes. Less than three-quarters of a second separated one through twelve in the ranks with both 800 meters left and at the bell.
It was almost as crowded at the finish line and Murphy was less than one-tenth of a second behind the runners who came in fourth and fifth in the race. Murphy wound up 18th overall in the semifinal round and will earn honorable mention All-America honors when those accolades are officially announced next week.
Murphy set the collegiate record of 3:33.02 at the Raleigh Relays on March 27 and is a qualifier for the USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene from July 31-August 3. The top athletes coming out of that meet will be selected for the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo in September. Murphy’s PR and collegiate record is just two-hundredths of a second off the World Championship qualifying time of 3:33 flat.
Villanova continues competition at the NCAA Championships on Thursday night when senior women’s distance runner Sadie Sigfstead (Edmonton, Alta.) runs in the championship race of the 10000 meters. It is the second straight year that Sigfstead is running in this race. She came in 12th in her outdoor NCAA Championships debut last season and has run a PR of 32:39.54 this season.
Sports
Bair Adds NCAA Record Holder To His Resume On Day One Of The Outdoor Championships
EUGENE, Ore. – Mississippi State track and field concluded the first day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, with athletes competing in the decathlon, 800m and javelin. Peyton Bair was the first Bulldog to compete in the championships, kicking the day off in the decathlon. Bair broke the NCAA Decathlon 100m record in his first race […]

Peyton Bair was the first Bulldog to compete in the championships, kicking the day off in the decathlon.
Bair broke the NCAA Decathlon 100m record in his first race of the day, earning a personal best of 10.25. He also broke the meet record, which he set at last year’s championships.
He has maintained the lead throughout the day, after earning a wind-legal long jump personal best of 7.28m. He also matched his high jump personal best with a 2.01m clearance.
Bair finished the day in the 400m, running another personal best of 46.00. He leads the field by 287 points, closing out day one with 4,479 points next to his name. He will resume competition in the 110m hurdles decathlon tomorrow morning.
Sam Navarro made his NCAA debut in a big way, running a massive personal best of 1:45.32 for the fastest time qualifying spot in the 800m final. This performance makes Navarro’s third consecutive personal best performance in as many meets, dropping over a second off his East First Rounds time. Navarro will compete in the 800m final on Friday evening.
Rémi Rougetet and Tuomas Närhi continued competition in the javelin, with Rougetet earning second-team All-American honors.
The women will begin competition tomorrow afternoon, beginning with Marie Rougetet in the hammer. She enters the field seeded 17th nationally and will be the final thrower in the first section.
Nelly Jemeli will touch the track later that afternoon in the 3000m steeplechase, with Jessicka Woods closing out the day in the 400m hurdles, both being semifinals.
For more information on the Mississippi State track and field program, visit HailState.com and follow “HailStateTF” on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Sports
Johnson Places 22nd in 400 Hurdles at NCAAs
Story Links PHOTO GALLERY EVENT RESULTS (PDF) EUGENE, Ore. – Graduate student Marcus Johnson was 22nd overall in the first round of the 400 hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday evening at Hayward Field. In the process, he […]

EUGENE, Ore. – Graduate student Marcus Johnson was 22nd overall in the first round of the 400 hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday evening at Hayward Field. In the process, he concluded his prolific career at Binghamton and will earn honorable mention All-America honors when the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association (USTFCCCA) makes their official announcement following the four-day meet.
Running in the second of three eight-runner heats, Johnson was seventh with a time of 52.27. The top two finishers in each heat – plus the next three fastest times, advanced to Friday’s final round.
The USTFCCCA will make its All-America announcement on Monday. Places 1-8 in each individual event earn first-team accolades while finishers 9-16 receive second-team status. Places 17-24, meanwhile, earn honorable mention distinction.
Johnson is the first Binghamton men’s track & field athlete to qualify for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships since Dan Schaffer in the 5,000 during the 2022 season. He is also the team’s fifth NCAA Division I outdoor qualifier all time, joining Schaffer, pole vaulter Rory Quiller (2006-08) as well as middle distance runners Erik van Ingen (2010-12) and Jesse Garn (2015-16).
For his career, Johnson is a five-time America East champion and two-time NCAA East Region qualifier. At last month’s conference outdoor meet, he was named the Most Outstanding Men’s Track Athlete.
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