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
No. 17/13 Track and Field’s Nina Ndubuisi makes history at SEC Championship
Story Links LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nina Ndubuisi won No. 17/13 Texas Track and Field’s first-ever SEC track and field title on Friday in record breaking fashion on the second day of the Outdoor Championships. The Longhorn men sit sixth in the standings with 16 points after seven scored events, while the women […]
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nina Ndubuisi won No. 17/13 Texas Track and Field’s first-ever SEC track and field title on Friday in record breaking fashion on the second day of the Outdoor Championships. The Longhorn men sit sixth in the standings with 16 points after seven scored events, while the women are seventh with 23 points after eight.
Ndubuisi claimed the lead and Texas program record on her third attempt that went for 18.74m (61-5.75). She later improved her lead and the new UT record with a personal best throw of 18.91m (62-0.50) on her fourth attempt to claim the SEC title. Her title is the first SEC title, indoor or outdoor/men or women, the Longhorns have won. The throw also took down the late Eileen Vanisi’s 25-year record of 60-0.50 set in 1994.
Brock Lewis recorded six personal bests in the decathlon to finish fifth overall with a personal best score of 7,259 points. After the first five events, the sophomore was seventh overall, but after a weather delay in the morning, Lewis returned to the track to run the 110-meter hurdles in 14.94. He later threw for 37.59m (123-4) in the discus, cleared a personal best bar of 4.65m (15-3) in pole vault, threw a personal best mark of 49.50m (162-5) in javelin and ran the 1500-meter in 4:36.39. The Boerne, Texas native’s fifth-place finish gave Texas four team points.
Freshman Meagan Humphries was fifth in the women’s heptathlon scoring a personal best 5,452 points. Her score moved her to No. 4 on the UT All-Time list. Her final three events saw the California native jump for 6.13m (20-1.50) in long jump, record a personal best in javelin with a heave of 32.59m (106-11) and finish the 800-meter in 2:24.19.
The long jumpers also got points on the board when the men scored seven team points led by Solomon Washington’s fourth-place finish. He equaled his personal best jump of 7.88m (25-10.25) on his last attempt. Kelsey Daniel was seventh with his third-round jump of 7.68m (25-2.50). Aaliyah Foster finished fourth on the women’s side with a mark of 6.17m (20-3) to score five points.
Logan Patete was the final scorer after finishing sixth in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 8:54.59.
Four Longhorns also advanced to Saturday’s finals led by Kendrick Smallwood who posted the fastest qualifying time in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.25. In the women’s 100m hurdles, Akala Garrett qualified for her second final with her time of 13.11. Elizabeth Stockman also advanced to the 1500-meter final with her time of 4:18.86. Kenondra Davis also reached her second final after reaching the 100-meter final with the time of 11.21. It was the second fastest time of the day.
Texas Scorers:
Nina Ndubuisi – Shot Put (1st) – 10 pts
Aaliyah Foster – Long Jump (4th) – 5 pts
Solomon Washington – Long Jump (4th) – 5 pts
Eva Jess – 10K – (5th) – 4 pts
Brock Lewis – Decathlon – (5th) – 4 pts
Meagan Humphries – Heptathlon – (5th) – 4 pts
Logan Patete – 3K Steeple – (7th) – 2 pts
Isaac Alonso – 10K – (7th) – 2 pts
Kelsey Daniel – Long Jump (7th) – 2 pts
Sports
MacLean, Rubio & Wang Qualify For NCAA Outdoor Championships
MacLean, Rubio and Wang each qualified for the championship. Story Links Audrey MacLean, Emily Rubio and Zoe Wang of the Middlebury women’s track and field squad have qualified for the 2025 NCAA Championship. The top-22 in each event punched their ticket to the event that begins on Thursday, May 22 from.the SPIRE […]

MacLean, Rubio and Wang each qualified for the championship.
Audrey MacLean, Emily Rubio and Zoe Wang of the Middlebury women’s track and field squad have qualified for the 2025 NCAA Championship. The top-22 in each event punched their ticket to the event that begins on Thursday, May 22 from.the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field facility in Geneva, Ohio.
MACLEAN’S HIGHLIGHTS
- MacLean has picked up where she left off after a stellar rookie campaign, qualifying for the NCAA Championship for the second-consecutive season and fourth overall. She also made the national finals for cross country in each of the last two campaigns.
- The Panther punched her ticket to the Buckeye State in the 3,000 steeplechase and 5,000-meter run. MacLean comes into the championship with the fastest time in Division III for the steeplechase (16:36.94) clocked during the NESCAC Championship and is ranked 12th in the 5,000 at 10:21.15.
- Her time in the 5,000 is less than 20 seconds from the top performance in the Mideast Region that was clocked by Vassar’s Haley Schoenegge (16:17.29).
- MacLean won the steeplechase at the conference championship and claimed second at the Aztec Invitational that featured competitors from all three NCAA Divisions.
- In the 5,000, the Panther has finished as the runner-up in three-consecutive meets and comes off her career-best time from the Farley Inter Regional Extravaganza hosted by Williams.
- At last season’s NCAA Championship in South Carolina, MacLean claimed All-American honors with her sixth-place showing in the steeplechase.
RUBIO’S HIGHLIGHTS
- Rubio makes her second-career appearance in the NCAA Championship after claiming 21st place in the heptathlon at the 2023 version as a rookie.
- In the high jump, Rubio sits tied for 19th in the country with a career-best leap of 1.67 meters recorded during the Carla Coffey Invitational.
- The Panther tallied an All-American nod during the winter championships, placing 12th in the pentathlon.
- Rubio is a four-time USTFCCCA All-Region honoree.
WANG’S HIGHLIGHTS
- Wang makes her initial NCAA postseason appearance.
- The senior comes off a program-record pole vault performance at the MIT Final Qualifier, clearing a height of 3.83m. That mark is fourth regionally and tied for 19th in Division III.
- Wang has claimed top-five finishes in four appearances this spring.
- The Panther has earned All-NESCAC recognition twice and tallied two all-region honors in the event over her career for Middlebury.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
- There will be a new champion in the 3,000 steeplechase as Central’s Megan Johnson graduated.
- Calvin’s Sophie Bull is the lone returner who finished in the top five during last year’s championships. The Knight is right behind MacLean, stopping the clock at 10:24.32 during the WashU Distance Carnival on March 27. Keira Rogan of Hamilton (10:27.88), Central’s Peyton Steffen (10:33.21) and Ann Brennan of SUNY Geneseo (10:33.41) sit third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
- Faith Duncan, who won the 5,000 in her rookie campaign, will not return to the field for Wilmington (Ohio). Vassar’s Haley Schoenegge claimed bronze last season and comes into the championship seeded third with a clocking of 16:17.29.
- The reigning high jump champion, Sara Hoskins from Loras, has graduated. Hailey Carolan of Cornell College is the lone returner from the top five a year ago. Allie Wildsmith, who claimed a share of 13th last season for Coast Guard Academy, leads the country with her clearance of 1.78m.
- Washington University-St. Louis’ Yasmin Ruff returns to the field looking to defend her pole vault title. The senior cleared 4.06m last year and enters the championship leading the country with her showing of 4.17m. Runner-up Gracie Holland sits third in the country after clearing 4.05m at last month’s Meet of Champions hosted by Augustana.
CHAMPIONSHIP INFO
- Location: Geneva, Ohio
- Host Site: SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field Facility
- Schedule (Event times are approximate and subject to change)
- Thursday, May 22
- 12:30 p.m. – Pole Vault (final)
- 7:35 p.m. – Steeplechase (opening round)
- Friday, May 23
- 11:30 a.m. – High Jump (final)
- 4:55 p.m. – Steeplechase (final)
- Saturday, May 24
- 4:25 p.m. – 5,000 (final)
- Thursday, May 22
- Championship Central
- Live Results
The three-day NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship runs from May 22-24 at the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track and Field Facility in Geneva, Ohio.
Sports
A Rabbit’s Foot The Plague review—Lord of the Flies meets Water Lillies
What distinguishes great water polo from a good water polo? The most skilled play happens beneath the surface. Olympians shave their pubes off so opponents don’t tug them off. Others, having smoothing down their regulation fingernails, bite them before play, creating a sharpness that allows them to scratch under water. This is something the menacing […]

What distinguishes great water polo from a good water polo? The most skilled play happens beneath the surface. Olympians shave their pubes off so opponents don’t tug them off. Others, having smoothing down their regulation fingernails, bite them before play, creating a sharpness that allows them to scratch under water.
This is something the menacing Jake (Kayo Martin) tells Ben (Everett Blunck) early on in Charlie Pollinger’s The Plague. The film, premiering as part of Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival—follows Ben’s arrival in 2003 for a summer at the Tom Lerner Water Polo camp. Rather than a central part of the drama, water polo is only the mise-en-scène for a thrillingly controlled tale of social contagion, violence and pubescent masculinity which translates European arthouse sensibility stateside.
Ben is a slightly awkward boy who has recently moved to the West from Boston is keen to fit in. His teammates, a Greek chorus of 12 and 13 year-old boys with Jake as their bully-in-chief, play explicit rounds of ‘would you rather’ and reel over phallic humour. Their Beta coach (Joel Edgerton)—Daddy Wags—fails to command too much authority. It’s a confident move from Pollinger to keep Edgerton’s role firmly on the sideline—or poolside—allowing the excellent performances of the child actors to shine both as a collective, sportive body and as matching individuals—Lord of the Flies-style.
At his first lunch, Ben is quickly given the nickname ‘Soppy’ after he is marked out as being unable to pronounce the ‘t’ in ‘stop’. But the real horror lies on the table beyond. Eli, a less athletic, stranger boy—arguably just daring to be himself—is outcast, leper-like, by his peers for having ‘the plague’, his long-sleeves covering a rash across his torso.
Sports
Filias & Swann Earn Spots In NCAA Championship Field
Dave Filias and Xander Swann will represent Middlebury at the NCAA Championships. Story Links Dave Filias and Xander Swann have been selected to represent the Middlebury men’s track and field team at the NCAA Championship. The top-22 athletes in each respective event garnered a spot in the outdoor meet to be held […]

Dave Filias and Xander Swann will represent Middlebury at the NCAA Championships.
Dave Filias and Xander Swann have been selected to represent the Middlebury men’s track and field team at the NCAA Championship. The top-22 athletes in each respective event garnered a spot in the outdoor meet to be held in northeastern Ohio.
FILIAS’ HIGHLIGHTS
- Filias is making his third-consecutive appearance at the national outdoor event.
- He qualified in the hammer throw for the second-straight spring.
- Filias is the three-time champion in the discipline at the NESCAC Championship, winning this year’s title with a toss of 57.47 meters.
- The senior is the school-record holder in the event, hurling the implement to a distance of 61.22m to secure the conference crown a year ago.
- Filias is ranked 11th coming into the national meet, just 2.21 meters out of the third spot. He posted his entry distance of 60.37m to claim first at the Julie LaFreniere Commonwealth Invitational.
- He finished 13th on the national stage last season with a toss of 57.41m. During his first championship two years ago, Filias claimed 15th with a heave of 55.74m.
- The Panther has won the event four times this spring, including at the Division III New England Championships and the conference championship for the second year in a row. His triumphs garnered him all-region and All-NESCAC accolades, respectively.
- He was tabbed the NESCAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week in back-to-back weeks after winning the crown at the Amherst Spring Fling and the Julie LaFreniere Commonwealth Invite title earlier this season.
SWANN’S HIGHLIGHTS
- Swann will appear in his first outdoor championship.
- He was recognized as the league’s Sabasteanski Award Winner, given to the top male and female performer during the conference championship.
- The senior qualified for the NCAA meet in the 400-meter hurdles. He is seeded sixth with a qualifying time and personal-best clocking of 51.96 during the NESCAC Championships. That effort was good for second place.
- The top-six competitors in the 400 hurdles are separated by 0.49 seconds.
- Swann’s time in the event is just 0.01 seconds off the school-record clocking of 51.95 by Kevin Bright in 2006.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
- In the hammer, there will be a new champion as last year’s title holder has graduated.
- Wilmington’s Nathen Borgan, who finished as the runner-up a year ago, leads the way this spring with a toss of 66.21m, while teammate JJ Durr (64.33m) and Yakob Ekoue from Wisconsin-Eau Claire (62.58m) are slotted second and third.
- The 400 hurdles will feature a new national champion following the graduation of Dubuque’s JoJo Frost (51.04).
- Susquehanna’s Ben Bulger boasts the nation’s fastest time this season, stopping the clock at 51.47 during the Landmark Conference Championship. He was 19th a year ago with a clocking of 54.40. Bethel’s Jayson Ekiyor (51.57) and Colin Scanlon (51.63) are seeded second and third, respectively.
CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION
- Location: Geneva, Ohio
- Host Site: SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field Facility
- Schedule: (Event times are approximate and subject to change)
- Thursday, May 22
- 6:10 p.m. – 400 Hurdles (preliminaries)
- Saturday, May 24
- 1:45 p.m. – Hammer throw (preliminaries and final)
- 3:15 p.m. – 400 Hurdles (final)
- Thursday, May 22
- Championship Central
The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships are from May 22-24, 2025 at the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field facility in Geneva, Ohio.
Sports
Govs Finish Second Day of ASUN Track and Field Championships
Story Links CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s track and field team concluded its second day at the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Friday, at Hodges Stadium on the campus of North Florida. The Governors began the Friday’s events with the discus toss, as Emma Tucker […]

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University’s track and field team concluded its second day at the 2025 Atlantic Sun Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Friday, at Hodges Stadium on the campus of North Florida.
The Governors began the Friday’s events with the discus toss, as Emma Tucker set her second personal best in as many days with a 39.78-meter throw. Heading to the long jump, Amani Sharif earned a four-place finish with a personal-best 5.78-meter lead leap, which was just a centimeter off the third-place mark in the event.
A trio of Governors then competed in the 400-meter dash preliminaries, with all three – Taylin Segree, Mia McGee, and Alexis Arnett – posting qualifying marks and both Segree and Arnett posting the best marks of their careers.
In sprint events, Alijanae Cole and Seven Pettus both set personal records and Gabrielle Miller earning a qualifying time for Saturday’s finale.
In the Govs’ final event of the day, Shaye Foster broke program record – for the second time this season – in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:12.94, which bested her own record set at the Outdoor Music City Challenge
The Governors are back in action for the final day of the 2025 ASUN Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where Myra Eriksson will compete in the pole vault at 3 p.m. Emmani Roberts, Denim Goddard, Ja’Kyah Montgomery, and Eriksson then will compete in the triple jump at 4 p.m. Track events then will begin at 6 p.m. with the Govs’ competing in the the 4×100-meter relays
For news and updates throughout the Governors’ postseason stay, follow the Austin Peay track and field team on X or Instagram (@GovsXCTF) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com for the latest news and stories.
Sports
Benicia’s Cinderella run ends in finals – Times Herald Online
As it turns out, the third time wasn’t a charm for the Benicia High School boys volleyball team on Thursday. After losing to Berean Christian twice in the regular season, the Panthers fell to the Eagles once more — this time in a 25-23, 26-24, 25-13 sweep in the North Coast Section Division IV championship […]

As it turns out, the third time wasn’t a charm for the Benicia High School boys volleyball team on Thursday.
After losing to Berean Christian twice in the regular season, the Panthers fell to the Eagles once more — this time in a 25-23, 26-24, 25-13 sweep in the North Coast Section Division IV championship game.
“The guys played to the best of their ability,” Benicia head coach Maynard Patacsil said. “Things just didn’t go the way we would have liked. Still extremely proud to get this far.”
Although it wasn’t the ending they envisioned, the 12th-seeded Panthers put together a run to remember, pulling off three straight upsets to reach the program’s first section title game since it returned to having the sport in 2019.

“It’s just amazing to see how far we’ve gotten,” said sophomore setter Jacob Santos. “Last year we didn’t even make it past the first round of the playoffs. Now here we are at the championship.”
Benicia fought hard against the second-seeded Eagles, but lost each of the first two back-and-forth frames on controversial calls, allowing Berean Christian to take advantage of the demoralized Panthers in the final set.
“I could only fight for the kids as much as I could with the referees,” Patacsil said. “That’s my job, but then they have to fight for themselves on the court. The ball just didn’t fall in our favor.”
The Panthers will now turn their attention towards the Northern California State Playoffs, which begin on Tuesday. Benicia will find out its opponent when brackets are released on Sunday.
“It all just depends on how we take this,” Santos said. “It’s not just one player, it’s the whole team, so the whole team has to work together and bring it back next week.”
The championship atmosphere was on full display in the first set, with both sides trading kills to meet at 5-5 and 17-17.
The Eagles found separation with a 4-0 run, but the Panthers clawed their way back, narrowing the deficit to 23-22 after Duncan Seeley capped off a 3-0 spurt with a service ace.
Berean Christian’s Preston Fehr silenced the run with a cross-court kill before both sides traded errors to clinch the set for the Eagles.
Berean Christian’s front row gave Benicia problems in the first set, recording four blocks – two of which coming on double blocks from Lukas Mittone and Steven Sun.
“They brought the intensity knowing that we were going to be swinging a little bit more,” Patacsil said. “We were trying to adjust, but again, they got lucky with a lot of the balls.”
Mittone showcased his attacking prowess in the second set, landing two kills to give the Eagles an early 7-4 lead.
Seeley and Alex Washburn answered with back-to-back kills before Santos took control of the set, scoring four of Benicia’s next five points to put the Panthers ahead, 11-7.
“I told myself before the game, even if we didn’t win or if we were down, I wanted to play to the best of my ability,” Santos said.
Although it looked like Santos extended Benicia’s run with an assist to Washburn, the line judge ruled it an error, awarding the point to the Eagles instead. Berean Christian settled into a rhythm soon after, taking a 20-16 lead.
Similarly to the first set, the Panthers refused to go down quietly, tying the set at 20-20 after Santos punctuated a 4-0 run with a service ace.
The Eagles and Panthers tied twice more before Berean Christian clinched the set on back-to-back Benicia errors. The second of which looked like a Kahbran Marvin kill, but it was ruled he committed a net violation.
After two tight sets, the Eagles overwhelmed the Panthers in the third, racing out to a 16-7 advantage.
Benicia answered with five straight points, but Berean Christian closed out the victory with a 7-1 run capped by a kill from Mittone.
“Calls didn’t go our way. What can you do?,” Patacsil said. “You want it to go a certain way, but it’s all opinions, it’s all objective…I’m not going to put our loss based on that.”
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