While Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith continues to avoid interviews with the local media (It's nothing I did this time, folks), he doesn't have any problem telling all to the national media. Last week, Smith did an in-studio interview with ESPN and on Thursday night he was featured in a segment with Cris Carter on HBO's Inside the NFL. It's worth a look if you can catch one of the reruns this week but nothing new info-wise that you probably haven't read about here or there at some point in the past.

   In the interview, Smith talks about the altercation with Anthony Bright, the teammate he beat up in a film room fight a few years back. Smith said he started going to anger management counseling on his own (not because the team told him to) and that he still attends them now.

   Smith also talked about how it has helped him grow personally through the years.

   There is one uncomfortable moment in the interview when Carter asks Smith about the incident earlier this year with Atlanta cornerback DeAngelo Hall. I didn't tape the interview so I don't have the exact quote, but to paraphrase Smith basically says if this were a few years ago people would still be trying to drag him off of No. 21 (Hall).

   When Smith says it, Carter laughs. And I don't blame him, it's kind of a funny line.

   But as Carter laughs, Smith just glares at him, showing no change of emotion. It's pretty clear Smith is being quite serious and the scene quickly becomes uncomfortable. Finally, the camera pans away from Smith, who is still glaring at Carter. Hey, I've been on the receiving end of that glare before and I can promise you it's no fun. But that's part of dealing with Smith. Sometimes you think he's trying to say something funny and really he's being completely serious. I've about given up trying to figure out Smith. It's kind of like reading a Dan Brown novel -- once you think you've figured it out, everything changes.

   The thing with Smith is he can be a friendly, chatty guy when he wants to be. He can turn on the charm at anytime. And I can promise you one thing -- that Panthers owner Jerry Richardson absolutely loves him, although I'm willing to bet he's never been on the receiving end of a glare.

   But Smith seems to feel a need to be angry at someone -- whether it's another player or a member of the media -- whom he feels has dissed him. And I'm not dissing him here. I'm just trying to give fans a little insight into what it's like to deal with him.

   I guess that's part of what makes him tick, part of what makes him a great player. He uses anger or perceived lack of respect toward him as motivation. Hey, it works for him. You can't argue with his success.

   But I don't know, to me it just seems like a tough way to go through life. And that's just my opinion. Steve Smith is Steve Smith, and if we all had the same personality life would be pretty boring, right? So, to each his own, I guess.

   I just don't think the relationship between player and media (which is the conduit to the fans, by the way) needs to be so combative.

   Anyway, the HBO Inside the NFL segment, which features some rare shots from inside Smith's Charlotte home, is worth a glance because you probably won't be reading much about Smith on this website -- at least until the ban on talking to the local media is lifted.