Why bother to answer a question no one is asking?

Don't you just love it when someone in the MSM answers a question absolutely no one was asking? Or they make a declarative statement about something we already take for granted as true?

ESPN is obviously the biggest culprit, as screamfests like Around the Horn are nothing but talking heads spouting off their opinions over made up questions and making absolute declarations about the story of the day. Never mind the questions are those no one is asking and statements are blatantly obvious observations to even the casual observers.

Unfortunately, this style of sports coverage has crept it's way to the local level.

In Sunday's Freep, Drew Sharp concocted an entire column in this way, declaring for all to hear...

"Ozzie isn't the Wings' most valuable player through the first two rounds."

Really? Chris Osgood isn't the Red Wings' MVP?

No fucking shit, Sherlock.

Has anyone, anywhere said such a thing? From what I've read, not the Red Wings bloggers, or the beat writers. I haven't heard it spoken on sports talk radio or by the TV talking heads, either. But for the sake of filling column inches, Sharp has to set up a scenario no one believes is true to begin with.

Sharp goes on to ask, "who is the Wings' MVP the first two rounds?" His brilliant deduction?

"Johan Franzen is the runaway MVP right now."

Well I'll be damned. I'm actually gobsmacked! The Mule? What a surprise!

Why on earth would Franzen be considered the Red Wings MVP? Especially when you look at the stats, and see Franzen only leads the NHL in playoff goals, breaking every Wings' playoff scoring record in the process. He's also 2nd overall in points.

Not a bad postseason so far. Conn Smythe-like, in fact.

So Sharp says Franzen is the Red Wings MVP to this point? Again, let me say...No shit!

Actually, before even bringing up the darling of Downriver puck bunnies, you could also make the MVP case for Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, who have dominated playing both ways. Zetterberg is tied for 3rd in points and leading in +/-, and Datsyuk is also tied for 3rd in points and is tied for 4th (With ANOTHER Wing, the marvelous Nick Lidstrom) in +/-. In fact, thanks to their destroying the Avalanche, winning 6 consecutive games, Wings are all over the playoff scoring leaderboard.

I'm not saying Osgood hasn't played damn well, as he has. He's undefeated and leading in goals against. But other Red Wings have played better. Noticeably better.

What we have here is a columnist writing down to their extremely knowledgeable readership. If there is a fanbase who know much more about a sport than a columnist (who rarely covers the sport) at your local fishwrap, it is your typical hockey fan.

Yet columnists of Sharp's ilk would have you believe Wings fans are too stupid or lovestruck to determine it for themselves.