Sports announcers obviously want a good relationship with coaches and athletes. In return for access, they do not tend to ask tough questions. And they have to fill time, during the pauses in play.
But some of the questions are so soft they are meaningless. Where the answer is even more crystal clear than usual. Today’s interview subject: “Would winning the (NBA) title enhance Lebron’s reputation? Now, that’s quite the head scratcher.
What is the most obvious, softball question ever asked in a sports interview?
Cite
“Is that the best game you ever pitched?” - Question asked by a reporter (to Don Larsen) after the 1956 World Series perfect game.
(Bolded addition mine)
"What are you going to do next?“
“Cash this check from Disneyland!”
Supposedly an athlete was asked at Super Bowl 48 if it “was a must win game”. Don’t recall the answer, but they probably didn’t sing Monty Python: “Just remember that you’re standing on a planet that’s evolving…”
“How does it feel to win the big game?”
Maybe it could have been worded a little better, but that’s not a terrible question. I mean, you could throw a perfect game where you’re in complete control and the batters flail helplessly at your pitches. You could also throw a perfect game where your stuff wasn’t overpowering, but you were lucky that the batters kept swinging at garbage out of the strike zone and hitting balls right at your fielders. It’s fair to ask which kind of game Larsen thought he threw.