UEFA Cup Finals 2011

RivalryRage.com Tim Jones, founder of Rivalry Rage, talks about the the biggest soccer match of the year. The 2011 UEFA Cup finals with Barcelona vs. Manchester United on May 28 at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

J.R. Reid Talks With Dr. Smack

If there’s anyone out there who still does not know what shade of blue my blood is, you obviously haven’t read many of my articles. Although I try my best (at times) to be as neutral as I can when creating videos or writing articles or simply posting content to either Facebook or the website (www.RivalryRage.com), I fail miserably most every time. Of course when your blood is Tar Heel blue, you simply can’t help it…in fact, I’ll go right ahead and say it’s pretty much impossible, at least for me.

I was born in the early 80’s, the summer before Michael Jordan drained the game winning shot against Georgetown to win Dean Smith’s first NCAA national championship. I think I was about 10 months old, and even though I don’t remember this epic event, I know I was in the living room watching it with my dad. About 6 ½ years later I started playing the wonderful game of basketball, trying my best to “be like Mike” and other UNC greats. One Carolina player in particular that I tried to imitate more than once while playing was J.R. Reid, a big time recruit from Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was the best player UNC had seen since MJ had left just a few years earlier.

So here we are, nearly 23 years later and I’m pushing 30, hardly remembering the days of all those hard fought wins I won for UNC on the dirt court in my parent’s backyard. A month or so ago I was on Facebook and came across…you guessed it…J.R. Reid. So I figured what the heck, I’ll send him a friend request, and wouldn’t you know it, he accepted it!!!! I was now friends with J.R. Reid!! Another shot in the dark, or so I thought, was to ask Mr. Reid to do an interview with Dr. Smack from Rivalry Rage.com…you know, my alter ego. And wouldn’t you know it, he agreed to do it! Becoming the first interview we have ever gotten on Rivalry Rage. So I typed up a few questions and the interview was underway:

Mr. Reid, what was it like to play for Dean Smith at North Carolina?

“Playing for Coach Smith was an honor and a "no brainer." UNC had the best returning team (K. Smith, J. Wolf, D. Popson, J. Lebo, etc....) A 98% graduation rate, and of course Coach Smith himself.”

Of course I figured that his response would be something like that, but I had always dreamed of playing for Dean Smith, so I had to ask someone who had actually played for the god-like coach.

So any of you on here that are UNC fans, I’m sure you want me to ask him about dook…or “duke”, my bad. Well here I go:

Can you tell us about your first experience playing the Duke Blue Devils?

“The 1st time playing against Duke wasn't that big of a deal to me. At the time (my freshman yr) I looked at NC State as our rival game. It later became Duke.”

So I’m not going to lie, I felt a little stupid with this one because I should have known better. The Pack was the Heels’ big rival in the 70’s and 80’s, don’t you remember, that’s when State was actually good at something. I mean, had I really forgotten the little jingle “can’t get to heaven in a red canoe because God’s favorite color is Carolina blue”? Man, I used to sing that all the time! Just like “duke is puke, wake is fake, but the team I hate is N. C. State.” Oh well, I mean he did say that it “later became Duke.”

Anyway, moving on to question 3, and something that I was clueless about until now…partially because I was only 8 when it happened. But in the 1988-1989 season, Reid’s junior year at UNC, some duke students put together a sign that read, “J.R. Cant Reid” during the first meeting of the season between the two schools. It was an ordeal that caused a lot of attention, mainly because of the involvement from both Dean Smith and coach k. UNC spanked duke in the first meeting at Cameron Indoor, but duke came to Chapel Hill just a few weeks later and beat UNC on senior night. A week after that UNC faced off against duke one more time in the ACC championship game in Atlanta, and that game ended up being one of the most intense duke vs Carolina games ever:

How much of an impact did the “J.R. Cant Reid” sign have on you and how big a part did that play in UNC winning the 1989 ACC Championship that same year?

“None at all... The Duke fans really motivated us and brought our team together in a hostile environment. I had always had good grades in high school and college and I came from a household where education was always first - both of my parents were school teachers. I realized the "JR can't read' was just a play on words. Didn't affect me at all.”

Side note, Reid’s SAT score was higher than the two star players on the duke squad at the time. You may remember them…Christian Laettner and Danny Ferry.

Tell us about that 1989 ACC Championship game. Some people still refer to that game as a full on war.

“Yes, the '89 game was one of the most physical in ACC history, the two teams genuinely didn't like each other. The interchange between Coach Smith and Coach K during the game just seemed to really get us more determined to "stick it to them."

Now see I like that, I don’t ever want my Heels to like anyone or anything about duke. And by the way, UNC beat duke in the ACC title game 77-74 ;)

So on to my next question, and one that I totally expected a different response to, but one I had to ask:

Your former teammate Dennis Rodman was just inducted into the hall of fame. He would no doubt be in the hall of fame of trash talkers if there were such a thing. What was the craziest thing you ever heard him tell another player…of can you even repeat it?

“To be honest, Dennis didn't talk much trash... he was a very quiet guy, but when he smelled the popcorn popping and it was game time, he became a warrior. One of the hardest working guys I've been around. "D-Rod" had a way of getting under his opponents skin without having to say too much -- a very physical player that really never got the credit he deserved for his knowledge of the game.”

Dennis Rodman was a joy to watch, some people didn’t like him, all of which were for stupid reasons, but Rodman had heart and played with passion that cannot be found in every professional athlete. I can only imagine what it was like to play with such a competitor.

So next to the last question…what life lessons have you learned from the game of basketball both collegiately and professionally?

“I learned with hard work, anything can be attained. Use whatever it is you need to use as motivation... just get it done.”

Please tell us all about your basketball camp and how basketball fans can register for your camp?

“Since I retired, I have started the JR Reid Outreach Program -- a non profit organization that goes to various communities where kids don't usually get the attention from former college and pro players. We work with area businesses and individuals to offer sponsorships to kids, who otherwise might not ever get a chance to go to camp and hear from others that have gained success in many different fields. We teach balance in life -- through diet, education, and physical activity. We feel basketball can be used as a vehicle to achieve a variety of goals. Please visit our website, www.hrbc-jrreid.com, to read more about what we are trying to accomplish.”

And that my friends is what a true member of the Carolina family looks like. A man who has worked hard to get where he is today, and giving back to the community as a way to help others fulfill their dreams just as he did.

A very special thank you to J.R. Reid for taking the time to talk with me and answer my questions. It was a privilege and honor for Rivalry Rage’s first ever interview to be with J.R. Reid. We hope that everyone will please check out his website (www.hrbc-jrreid.com) and see how your child or someone you may know can be a part of his wonderful camp.


Stephen Bethea aka “Dr. Smack” – Rivalry Rage, Inc.

Tell us what YOU want!

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and The Smack Pack are here to talk about...well they don't know. But they do want to hear from all of you on what extreme video they could do next to capture the attention of all youtubers.

Harrison Barnes Returns!

North Carolina Tar Heel Harrison Barnes will return for his sophomore season.

After rumors of him leaving, rumors of him staying, and statements released about all the rumors being BS...the wait and rumors are done. In a statement from the school on Monday, Barnes said that he and his team are preparing for a “special season” with a national championship as their goal.

The Tar Heels are now returning all five starters from last season with Barnes decision.


Rivalry Rage, Inc.

Tiger Woods – Ruthless Killer?

What an exciting final day at Augusta National! Tiger Woods was charging in one fairway, Rory McIlroy was playing in the woods in another, while a no name South African, Charl Schwartzel, was hitting back to back to back to back birdies on 15, 16, 17, and 18 to win the 75th Masters Tournament. 6 golfers were all tied up at 10 under at one point in the final round, which provided one of the most exciting and unpredictable finishes I’ve ever seen.

There are quite a few different topics that could be discussed from Rory’s collapse, or 6 golfers at 10 under, or Schwartzel winning the damn thing, but I believe the main story is with (you guessed it) Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods shot a 67 on Sunday, which was the lowest he’s ever shot in the final day of the Masters. The scary part, and the reason in why I’m writing about this, is if he had putted the way he used to then this would have been an easy win for Tiger and possibly given him the course record and his 5th green jacket.

Tiger Woods is back! He’s got that “move bitch, get out the way” look back in his eye, and I believe I’m almost prepared to start picking Tiger as my favorite to win every tournament he plays in again. I mean let’s face it folks, unless you’re a senior citizen, there is no way you enjoy the game of golf without Tiger Woods in the lead pumping his fist, pointing the ball in the hole, chipping in from off the green, and yelling at himself, “Damn it Tiger, WTF are you doing!!” He’s the best thing to happen to golf since the days of Arnie and Jack, and without him the game wouldn’t be the same, in a really bad way.

You can bet your ass that Tiger will fix his putting, and when he does, he’ll be back to the Tiger we all remember so well. A ruthless killer on the golf course with an overwhelming ability to step on his competitors’ throats while they’re down…yeah he’s almost there, and you’re a fool if you didn’t see that in his eyes on Sunday...your even more of a fool or not a fan of golf if you don't want that to happen.


Stephen Bethea aka “Dr. Smack” – Rivalry Rage, Inc.

The Masters - Breaking In

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack is reporting live from Augusta National for the 2011 Masters.

2011 NCAA Tournament Bracket Winner

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack is here to talk about the final game in this years NCAA Tournament between Butler and UCONN. He will also be presenting a 2011 Lexus GS 400 to the Rivalry Rage Bracket winner.

UCONN - 2011 National Champions

RivalryRage.com The UCONN Huskies are the 2011 NCAA National Champions and Rivalry Rage has put together a tribute to their run.

Butler vs UCONN - The Final Countdown

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here bring you the NCAA Men's National Championship game between the Butler Bulldogs and the Connecticut Huskies. Enjoy the tribute video for both teams at the start.

Tiger Woods Set To Retire

RivalryRage.com Listen in as Dr. Smack is here for some breaking news about Tiger Woods and his retirement from the game of golf.

2011 NCAA Final Four

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack, T. Jones, and Big Ben are here to bring you the 2011 NCAA Final Four. What a "MAD" tournament it has been thus far.

Houston…We Have No 1’s or 2’s!!

Does March get anymore mad than it has this year in the 2011 NCAA Tournament? Wow, I do believe this has been as unpredictable a tournament as we’ve ever witnessed! First, Pittsburgh gets upset in the 2nd round by the magical Butler Bulldogs in possibly the craziest finish in NCAA tournament history…then duke gets smashed in the 3rd round by Arizona (in my favorite upset of the tourney :) ) as well as Ohio State falling to Kentucky. Finally, to officially finish off all the #1 seeds, the play-in Cinderella team VCU, knocks off Kansas in the Elite 8.

So, the Final Four is now set for Houston, and FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, no #1 or #2 seeds are in, and it’s also only the 3rd time in history that no #1 seeds are in.

The beginning of the tournament started off somewhat predictable…with the exception of Morehead State knocking off Dicky V’s national champion pick, Louisville. I mean there were some typical upsets, but out of the top 5 seeds in each region, only one #4 seed and one #5 seed were upset in the first round. Then, of course, from round 2 on is when things starting getting “mad.” It’s been fun to watch, exciting as always, but also very depressing. And, don’t even get me started about my busted bracket. I felt as though I had the most educated bracket that I ever filled out… turns out it’s the worst bracket I ever filled out and I’m currently 21st in the Rivalry Rage bracket pool we established.

In the end, we are less than a week away from the Final Four, and exactly a week away from the national championship, which no doubt has all the makings of a historic final, with an 8 and 11 seed playing for a spot in that oh-so-glorious final game next Monday night. For the 2nd year in a row we will be watching a Cinderella team in the final game, and I just happen to believe that whichever Cinderella team makes it to next Monday, will be your national champions.

Of course that would be the only thing I picked correctly this year…

Final Four – UCONN 72. Kentucky 64. – Butler 71. VCU 68.

Championship – Butler 71. UCONN 63


Stephen Bethea aka “Dr. Smack” – Rivalry Rage, Inc.

Elite 8 - Deep Powder

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack T. Jones are here to talk about the Elite 8 from Winter Park / Mary Jane Colorado.

"Let the steeps be steep, and the powder be deep". - Tim Jones

NCAA Sweet 16

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack T. Jones are here to talk about the upcoming sweet 16 match-ups in College Basketball.

March Madness Craziness

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack T. Jones and special guest Tea Bag are here to talk about the crazy upsets and game of the first 2 rounds of March Madness.

March Madness - East Region

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here for Bracketology and a breakdown of each region. Last on their list is the East region. Also be sure and join Rivalry Rage and their group bracket at -

http://rrage.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?ttag=11_cbsinv

The Group password is: trashtalk

March Madness - West Region

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here for Bracketology and a breakdown of each region. Third on their list is the West region. Also be sure and join Rivalry Rage and their group bracket at -

http://rrage.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?ttag=11_cbsinv

The Group password is: trashtalk

Bracketology - Southwest Region

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here for Bracketology and a breakdown of each region. Second on the list is the Southwest region. Also be sure and join Rivalry Rage and their group bracket at -

http://rrage.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?ttag=11_cbsinv

The Group password is: trashtalk

Bracketology - Southeast

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here for Bracketology and a breakdown of each region. First on the list is the Southeast region. Also be sure and join Rivalry Rage and their group bracket at -

http://rrage.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?ttag=11_cbsinv

The Group password is: trashtalk

Hot Topics in Sports

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here to talk about the hot topics going on in the sports world. Jim Tressel, Miami Heat, Tiki Barber and Villanova.

Duke vs UNC Not a Rivalry? Haha

RivalryRage.com Austin Rivers seems to believe that Duke & UNC are not a rivalry right now. He thinks UNC needs to "do something" before this can be a rivalry again. Hope you enjoy the video :)

2011 ACC Tournament

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here to talk about the 2011 ACC basketball tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina...and how Duke will come up short in the Big dance.

2011 Big 12 Tournament

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here to breakdown the 2011 Big 12 basketball tournament with some wheat bread and sidewalk chalk in hand.

2011 Pac 10 Tournament

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here to breakdown the 2011 Pac 10 Tournament.

SEC Tournament - Dueling Banjo's?

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here to breakdown the SEC Tournament and to give a little shout out to all of Vol nation :)

Big East Tournament Breakdown

RivalryRage.com Dr. Smack and T. Jones are here to breakdown the Big East Tournament.

Duke vs North Carolina - Armageddon Part 2

RivalryRage.com The Smack is back to bring you game 2 of the biggest rivalry in sports. Duke vs North Carolina.

Let The Madness Begin!!

RivalryRage.com - March Madness is here and Dr. Smack and T Jones are here to break down the NCAA tournament.

Uncle A-Hole & Uncle D-Weed

http://www.rivalryrage.com/ Stephen aka Dr. Smack talks about his punk uncles as they ski in some unbelievable powder in Colorado.

Philly Trash Talk

http://www.rivalryrage.com/ Dr. Smack is here to introduces some superstar NFL guru's to the show. Be sure and check out The Mole & Meares Show at all the below links.

http://www.moleandmeares.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/meares78
http://www.facebook.com/mole.n.meares
http://twitter.com/#!/moleandmeares

North Carolina vs Duke - Biggest Rival In Sports?

Rivalry Rage.com is here to give a tribute in honor of the greatest rivalry in all of sports...North Carolina vs Duke.

Final Four Picks? Who Knows

Here we are, with only about 6 weeks remaining in College Basketball with “the best team in the country” still under debate. First you had duke at #1...then Ohio State, and then Kansas…now it’s back to duke…but is any one of those teams the best team in the country?

This is turning out to be one of those unpredictable years once again, and I think it’s safe to say that anyone in the top 20 has a chance at making it to the Final Four. Some teams look unstoppable at times, and then those same teams get beat by someone you never would have guessed had a chance.

Sure, this is what makes it fun to watch every year, but with players leaving early the way they do these days, and most players only caring to impress the NBA scouts, this is probably something we’d better get used to for a very long time.

So who are your Final Four picks…do you have any idea or are you like me? I mean picking the Final Four teams at this point is pretty much a lost cause…however, I’m going to go ahead and give you my current picks for the 2011 Final Four…Kansas, Ohio State, Texas and BYU. Then again who the freak knows? Either way it promises to be yet another exciting March in College hoops, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us all this year.

Sweet Lord in heaven, just please don’t let the dookies do anything special again this year…….


Stephen Bethea aka “Dr. Smack” – Rivalry Rage, Inc.

Krzyzewski Passes Smith…But Still Not At The Summit

Sometimes you have to do and say things you really don’t want to, and this is one of those times…

If any of you follow anything I have to say about Dook or coach k, you know that I’m not a big fan...never have been and never will be, and I’ll save my reasons for another time. Anyway…last night mike krzyzewski moved into 2nd place on the NCAA men’s college basketball all time wins list leaving behind his long time rival, Dean Smith.

coach k has 880 wins and is now only 22 wins away from becoming #1 on the list and passing his long time mentor and former coach, Bobby Knight. However, when he does pass ol’ Bobby, he’ll only be moving into #1 in “men’s” college basketball…it is very unlikely that the 63 year old Dook coach will ever pass the 58 year old Pat Summit who is currently at 1044 wins with 8 national championships and showing no signs of retiring.

Either way, coach k has passed the beloved former UNC coach and without a doubt gives all of Dook nation something to talk trash about and all of Tar Heel nation something to cry about.

So for all that, I say congratulations coach k, you’ve had an amazing career and I’m sure when it’s all said and done it will be even more amazing…assuming you don’t leave the game due to a freak back injury or something…


Stephen Bethea aka “Dr. Smack” – Rivalry Rage, Inc.

Greene Devils Have Finally FINISHED!!

It was cold and raining as we stood on Main Street in downtown Greeneville, to send off the Greeneville Greene Devils as they were bound for Cookeville, Tennessee for the TSSAA state championship game...a game they made it to for the first time in school history just last year.

But something was different this year...you could almost sense it in the air as the team drove by in their bus. This team was prepared like never before; they were focused like never before; they were disciplined like never before; and they were determined like never before, to win a state championship. As the Greene Devils ran out onto the field for the first time before the big game, you could instantly tell that they were not going to lose this game.

The Devils jumped out to an early 7-0 lead just 3 ½ minutes into the game...5 minutes later the score became 14-0. The Devils never let up and never looked back. At the half, the Devils had a 35-6 lead over the Trezevant High School Bears.

This was a game that got out of hand on so many levels, but while the Bears got out of hand with one personal foul after another, taunting, and near fights with players from Greeneville High, the Greene Devils stayed focused and unmoved by the Bears unsportsmanlike conduct. Not once did I see a Greeneville player react in a way the Bears were hoping for…I mean after all, the Devils were not there to taunt the opposing team with their mouths or their body language, and they were not there for a fist fight. Coach Caine Ballard had his team focused on one thing, and if there was any taunting to be displayed, or trash to be spoken, it was delivered through the beat down they put on the Bears. The Bears ended the game with 16 penalties for 129 yards.

The Devils continued to dominate this game in the second half on both sides of the field, and in the end, the Greene Devils of Greeneville High School won their first ever TSSAA football state championship. Final score…Bears 12. Greene Devils 60.

After the game Coach Ballard said, “It would have taken the Pittsburgh Steelers or somebody to deny us this time. Our kids came out ready to play. It was a tremendous effort.”

The Greene Devils also set a single season record for the most points ever scored by a Tennessee high school. All they needed in this game was 46 points, and they scored 60 to end their season with 748 points. The previous record was set at 733.

QB Willie Carmichael aka “Mr. Football” ended the game with 47 yards passing and two touchdowns; he also went for 80 yards rushing with one touchdown on 13 carries. Perhaps even more impressive and the reason behind ol’ Willie becoming Mr. Football, is the fact that he caught three interceptions in this game while on defense, and earned himself the defensive Most Valuable Player of the game.

In case you’re wondering why Carmichael only threw for 47 yards (that’s not a whole lot of passing yards for anyone, especially Mr. Football), here’s why…BJ SPRADLIN!! Spradlin carried the ball 31 times and rushed for an insane 235 yards and three touchdowns to earn himself the offensive Most Valuable Player of the game.

What an amazing season for the Greene Devils to say the least. They ended the season 15-0. Coach Ballard said that last year’s title-game loss to Giles County doesn’t seem so bad now and, “That gold ball sitting there will make that silver ball feel a whole lot better.”


Congratulations to Greeneville High School for finishing and finishing big! They got the job done and did so with class. It’s something that will never be forgotten by this team and the whole town Greeneville. I know I’ll never forget it and will always consider myself privileged to have been there to witness it.


Click HERE for our tribute video to the Devils.

GO big GREENE!!!


Stephen Bethea aka “Dr. Smack” – Rivalry Rage, Inc.

Duke Needs UNC...And Help From The Planets

In case you haven’t heard already, Duke’s basketball is the preseason #1 and the favorite to win it all again this year…and although it’s hard for me to totally disagree with that, that’s assuming the stars align themselves again this year as they did last year. I know that’s what makes the tournament so special, but come on people, Duke was not the nation’s best team last year, and they better be glad that college basketball is not set up like college football, or they would not have even been in the championship game. Duke had the easiest road to the Final Four of any team in the tournament, and then they played Butler in the title game, who was merely inches away from beating the all mighty dookies? It just amazes me that in an obvious down year Duke is put in the easiest side of the bracket you could hope for…and because of that they won, which set them up to be ranked #1 and favored to win it all again this year? We will see…but until then, I have something else to rant about.

If I hear about Mike Krzyzewski taking his team to 11 Final Fours and how great of an accomplishment that is one more time I think I might just set something on fire!! Durham perhaps! :) But seriously, you can argue that Coach K is one of the greatest coaches ever, especially since he takes mediocre teams and makes them “ACC Champs” time and time again, but making it to 11 Final Fours and only winning the national title 4 times is not all that great…is it? That means he’s lost the damn thing 7 freaking times! All I know is Mike freaking Krzyzewski better do more than make it to the Final Four this year with this so called all star team, or else that will be 8 freaking times he’s lost in that glorious Final Four he makes it to oh so many times.

Okay so I’m hopping off my soap box now.

Does Duke have a great basketball program? You bet they do!! Do they have one of college basketball’s greatest coaches ever? Yes again!! But let us not forget about the little university 8 miles down the road that help put those dookies on the basketball map. Without those Tarheels the dookies would be nothing, of course you could argue that those Tarheels would be nothing without those dookies as well. Duke has had a basketball program since 1905 with an all time record of 1914-822. They also had a 5 year head start on the UNC basketball program, but still trails in all time wins. The UNC basketball program started in 1910 and their all time record is 2004-718. UNC leads the series between the two teams 130-99.

The bottom line is that I don’t like Duke, never have, and never will. But, I also realize that the two teams (as much as they hate one another) are deeply connected, and both would be less successful if the other didn’t exist. Let us all prepare ourselves as we await the battle between good and evil…it promises to be a lot different on Tobacco Road this year.

And, will dook win the title again this year? Sure they can, but only if the planets align themselves perfectly yet again…


Stephen Bethea aka “Dr. Smack” – Rivalry Rage, Inc.

Louis Oosthuizen: Another South African Hero

In a year when a European team won the World Cup in South Africa, a South African man named Louis Oosthuizen won the European's most prized golf championship, The British Open, on golf’s most hallowed ground, St. Andrews.

Again last week, many of us watched and wondered what Tiger was going to do. Was he going to lose his 9th straight major or was he going to finally break through and win at his most favorite place in the world? According to some analyst, he was going to have to win if he was ever going to make a final move on Jack Nicklaus’ 18 majors. Personally, I sure thought this was Tiger’ weekend and felt pretty confident that he would win his 15th major at the Old Course. Again, I was wrong (for the 3rd straight time, but who's counting?). :)

I truly believe Tiger will find his game again, and also believe that he may just be better than ever when he does find his game. But maybe, just maybe, even if Tiger had been on his game this weekend and playing like the Tiger of old would it have been enough to beat the determined 27 year old Oosthuizen? I say no, even though I am a Tiger fan and usually not a fan of a "no name" player like Oosthuizen winning a major championship. I now see that this one was possibly meant to happen. After taking the lead in the second round, Oosthuizen never looked back. I believed he would fall apart as I’m sure you may have also as so many do on those final two days.

But not Louis...he stayed focused and determined to be yet another South African hero. His first comments, after winning the 150th Open Championship was not about him or his game or what he had just done, but rather he wished former South African president Nelson Mandela a happy 92nd birthday. Mandela’s 92nd birthday, Oosthuizen’s first major and the mother of all majors all on the same day…coincidence? I don’t think so. I mean after all, Mandela has been known to inspire an entire Rugby team to win a little tournament called the World Cup. :)

Stephen Bethea aka “Dr. Smack” – Rivalry Rage, Inc.

Giving up the Grand Slam ball

So there we were...New Bridge Bank Park in Greensboro, North Carolina for the ACC Baseball tournament. The Smack Pack and I were there to shoot a weekly video and to promote Rivalry Rage, and of course to watch a little baseball.

12th seed Boston College was taking on the 4th seeded Miami Hurricanes. Boston College took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning making the score 2 – 0, then scored 2 more runs in the bottom of the 5th to give themselves a 4 run lead. The Hurricanes bounced back in the top of the 6th with 4 runs to tie things up! Both teams went on to score a run a piece in the 8th inning, heading into the top of the 9th all square at 5 – 5.

In the top of the 9th the Hurricanes scored 1 run making it 6 – 5 before loading the bases for freshman, Zeke DeVoss.

There we were - - sitting on the left field lawn, not knowing who this young star at the plate was. I made the comment to Smack Pack lead man Jordan (aka "Schwoop") about 'how cool it would be to get a grand slam ball.' Jordan and Joshua had already collected a couple foul balls hit by both teams. But, a grand slam ball would be cooler than cool! I’m talking “Ice Cold.” And then it happened...#7 DeVoss smashes one to left center that starts curving and going and curving and going. GONE!!! A grand slam that did a one hop bounce right into Jordan’s glove! He turned to me excited and shocked about what just happened and gave me a high five that is still stinging as I type this article, but that’s not all. A woman, decked out in Miami gear, that had been sitting to the left of us ever since we sat down in the left field lawn, immediately approached us asking if she could have the ball. Jordan, now shocked again that someone would ask for such a prize, didn't really know what to say until she said, “That was my son...a freshman at Miami and we would love to have that ball.” Somewhat disappointed, Jordan didn't hesitate to give up the grand slam ball that he just caught. Then DeVoss’s mom came back with a pen and paper and asked for Jordan’s name and address so she could mail him an autographed team ball from the Miami Hurricanes! Now thrilled, we gave the lady his name and address and Schwoop awaits the coming of his team ball. Unfortunately, Boston College went on to tie things up in the bottom of the 9th and then went on to win the game in the bottom of the 12th off a 2 run homer hit by Andrew Lawrence.

It was a day never to be forgotten by The Smack Pack star and a reason for him to forever be a Miami Hurricanes baseball fan -- all because he gave up the Grand Slam ball!

Stephen Bethea aka "Dr. Smack" – Rivalry Rage, Inc.

Defending Tiger!!

This may not be the most popular article I’ve ever written, but I’ve had enough.

Tiger Woods haters have been waiting a long time for him to screw up so they would have a real reason to hate him, and sure enough he gave them just that at the end of last year. If you don’t like a player or a team then that’s ok; that’s why Rivalry Rage exists -- to give you fans a place to come and talk smack about your teams/players rivals. But not cheering for Tiger because of his recent off course failures is what is really starting to frustrate me.

Don’t get me wrong, Tiger Woods screwed up, he screwed up BIG TIME, and what he did was beyond selfish to his friends and especially his family. In fact, in my opinion, it’s THE most selfish thing you can do to your family. However, I believe he is trying to do the right thing at this point and I believe he understands the damage he has done. While that doesn't make it go away, he has done far more than a lot of people in the same situation in trying to own up and make things right...maybe some don’t like his "attempts" (press conferences, etc.), but he’s trying to make things right and I truly hope he continues to do so.

Tiger Woods is the biggest figure in sports because of what he has done on the golf course, not because of his personal life. Believe and say what you will, but I really do believe Tiger Woods is now at a point in his life where he is focused on changing who he has been, and that he desires to become the man that so many of us thought he was all along.

I also believe Tiger is not only sorry that he got caught, but sorry for the damage he’s caused to the game of golf and especially to his family. We can point the finger and hate on him all we want, and while there's no excuse for the things he has done the last couple of years, come on people...it’s time for us to move on and let him move on as well.

Like the old saying goes, “It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, but only a short moment to tear it all away." Tiger's image has no doubt been damaged, possibly forever, but let us not forget that he’s human just like the rest of us.

As you can tell, Tiger Woods was and is still my favorite, and that’s because of his desire and passion to play his best on the golf course. I wish he had done things differently off the course and I was terribly disappointed in him when all this happened, but I also know that WE all make mistakes (some bigger than others for sure), but if everyone in the world stops pulling for players in any sport (professional or not) every time they/WE screwed up, none of us would have anyone left to cheer for, and none of us would have anyone left to cheer for us either, on or off the course.


Stephen Bethea aka "Dr. Smack" – Rivalry Rage, Inc.