During SmackDown last Friday, Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase confronted World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton ... sort of. Tired of listening to his former Legacy associates, Orton hit DiBiase with a devastating RKO, leaving him unable to compete in his scheduled match against Ezekiel Jackson. As for for DiBiase's supposed "mentor," Rhodes stood idly by, leaving his cohort at the mercy of The Viper.

This wasn’t the first time DiBiase suffered humiliation thanks to his faceguarded guru. Orton's RKO was only the most recent in a slew of similar degrading moments, and it prompts the WWE Universe to ask DiBiase: Why are you putting up with Cody Rhodes?

Since accepting Rhodes' offer of mentorship last May, mounting evidence suggests that it has been more burden than blessing for DiBiase. In addition to having to wear a paper bag over his head on more than one occasion, DiBiase has been mercilessly berated by Rhodes over his losses on SmackDown. Worse, when Rhodes won the Intercontinental Title from Ezekiel Jackson earlier this month, he instructed his protégé to put a bag over Jackson’s head. The result? An enraged Jackson went on the attack, not against the Superstar who had just taken his Intercontinental Title, but against DiBiase.

Seriously, after months of humiliation by his so-called mentor, hasn’t DiBiase taken enough abuse? If he's under the impression that Rhodes's guidance is leading him in the right direction, recent circumstances almost implore that he strongly reconsider his position. Perhaps enduring such harsh tutelage will end up paying dividends for DiBiase in the long run ... but it's also quite possible that Rhodes' underhanded "leadership" could ultimately leave DiBiase holding a very empty bag.