Reporter Chooses Unusual Line of Questioning for Steve Smith

The dynamic between athletes and the media has always been interesting.

In many cases, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of trust or mutual respect there, and the relationship is tenuous at best. The two sides appear to tolerate one another for professional reasons, and there's a fragile accord at work.

However, this peace is occasionally broken, such as when a player gets a completely inane question like the one a reporter asked Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith after the Panthers 23-10 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Check this out.

Yes, he really did pose this thoughtful query to a professional football player after a difficult playoff defeat.

I'm not exactly sure what his objective was with this penetrating question. If his goal was to piss off Steve Smith, then mission accomplished.

Smith’s frustration was perfectly understandable, considering the circumstances and level of intellect behind the question. Why exactly would he care who wins the NFC Championship Game, particularly 15 minutes after losing to one of the two teams involved?

Also, why would the reporter care?

The discourse between reporters and athletes is often silly and pointless, and both sides share the responsibility. Obviously, the athlete is under no obligation to make their answers interesting or insightful, and in many cases you get the standard series of clichés regarding effort, opponent, strategy, etc.

When questions are answered in this fashion, I can understand how a reporter would become annoyed, as they do need something to print. Of course, their questions are often equally generic or ridiculous, such as when a player is asked how he felt on a particular play or what was running through his mind during a critical juncture in the game.

Both sides are certainly culpable here, but I suppose they make the best of it. Because post game interviews and press conferences are often so banal, it's refreshing to hear athletes or coaches who are candid and will actually speak their mind.

Steve Smith is one such athlete and can be rather entertaining, which is all the more reason not to ask him such a ridiculous question. Perhaps that reporter does deserve a ‘thump’ upside the head.

Oh, and good luck to Steve’s kid’s team. We are all rooting for them.