Welcome to Starting 5 – a weekly column by Operation Sports!
Each week, Managing Editor Shawn Drotar and Senior Game Editor Clay Shaver will tackle the world of sports and sports gaming in a rapid-fire discussion.

Is there a question on your mind? Find out below how to submit your question for next week’s column!

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Starting 5 – Five hot-button topics in the world of Sports and Sports Gaming

1) With Ohio State and TCU out of the picture, the National Championship game is starting to take shape. USC and LSU will battle down to the wire for an invite to the Sugar Bowl while Michigan waits in the wings should they both falter. The question is: does it matter? Or are they just fighting for the right to lose to the Sooners?

Shawn: I’ve said it before – the only team that can beat Oklahoma is Oklahoma. If they come ready to play, they’re simply unstoppable. However, they have shown in the recent past that they can be beaten if they come out flat. If that happens, I think USC has the firepower to stop them, but I’m not so sure about LSU. I’d rather see a USC-Oklahoma matchup, but at this point, watching any team but the Sooners hoist the Sears Trophy would have to be considered a monumental surprise.

Clay: Yeah, I think everyone is just playing for second place. The Sooners are THAT good. I think Oklahoma/USC could be fun, but I don’t think it’d be very close. I’d almost like to see them just give the Sooners the trophy and let the second tier match up in some far more interesting games. After Saturday’s Michigan-Ohio State game, who wouldn’t like to see a Michigan-USC Rose Bowl like the good old days? I hope USC gets in there, because they deserve it. But, the fan in me could think of a lot of matchups I’d rather see then “Anyone vs. Oklahoma”.

2) Though met with criticism and an overall unimpressed sentiment during the release of NFL Fever, XSN has suddenly started to heat up with the releases of “Amped 2”, “NBA Inside Drive” and Links. “Project Gotham Racing 2” appears to be a hit, as well. Is Microsoft (and XSN) starting to realize its potential or will the honeymoon period end as quickly as “NFL Fever’s” did?

Clay: I think it’s a simple case - there are just better products available now. “Fever” was…well…not good. This new batch of XSN titles are VERY good. I played “Fever” because of XSN. I would play these other titles without it. XSN is a great feature in the “bells and whistles” department; but it means nothing if the game is bad. Microsoft Game Studios did a great job with these latest four titles. If they could make “Fever” this addictive, they’d give the big boys a run for their money.

Shawn: Microsoft needed a little warm-up first, but they’re really starting to hit their stride. While some of their sports titles (“NBA Inside Drive” notwithstanding) still pale in comparison to Sega and EA’s offerings, “Amped 2” and “Links” have no online competition on the Xbox, and both titles sparkle. The XSN functionality is simply icing on the cake. Microsoft Game Studios has made extraordinary progress in a rather short period of time, and they just need to stay the course – they’re definitely on the right track.

3) Alonzo Mourning will be forced to retire from the NBA due to his continued struggle with his health. How will ‘Zo be remembered in NBA lore?

Clay: Unfortunately, I think his kidney will define him. He’ll be that guy with the “What If” hung on his name. If healthy in his prime, Mourning could have been one of the Top 5 players in the NBA. He was a gamer who had the heart of a champion. It’s a shame. But you play the hand that you’re dealt. And I am sure that same heart is what will push him through the rest of his life and the battle that is coming.

Shawn: You’re probably right, Clay. Mourning was a warrior. He was a muscular, but undersized center that left everything he had on the court every night. I think his struggles with his illness will only strengthen his reputation as a gritty, gutty player. He won’t make the Hall of Fame, but that doesn’t diminish what he accomplished during his unfortunately shortened career.

4) The next big sports gaming release season comes this spring with the slew of baseball titles. What could a developer do this year to distinguish itself from the pack?

Clay: Add the “repeatedly tap the ‘L’ trigger to inject designer steroids” function?!?!?

What they can do is give me a complete baseball title. Last year, I could have taken the four major baseball releases and made a nearly perfect game by taking a chunk out of each. It seemed as if the gameplay is good, the AI stunk. Or if the game was deep, the controls were awful. I think they actually spend too much time trying to distinguish themselves from one another and lose sight of just going with what works. So what if people think you are copying or stealing? Every game next year should have “MVP Baseball’s” throw meter. Every game should be as deep as “All-Star Baseball”. Settle it on the field, boys, settle it on the field!

Shawn: You don’t ask for much, do you? In all seriousness, though – you’re right. The throw meter from “MVP” is brilliant and realistic, and every game should have something like it. “All-Star Baseball” was very deep, but had so many other flaws and annoyances that I simply couldn’t play it. However, if there were two changes I could make in all the baseball titles, it would be these: 1) NO MORE CURSOR BATTING! I’ve played a lot of baseball in my life, and batters don’t think like that. The cursor system completely ruins the illusion of a baseball game, and makes me feel like I’m 11 again; playing “Missile Command”. 2) Throwing strikes with consistency is one of the most challenging things in baseball – but in baseball video games, every pitcher becomes Greg Maddux. “MVP Baseball” had the right idea, but it was still far too easy to throw strikes. As a player, if I’m using a mediocre pitcher, I should have at least a few walks - no matter how good I am with the game pad. I should also have a very tough time taking that pitcher into the seventh inning and beyond. Pitching is the most difficult part of baseball, but thus far, it hasn’t been translated well to gaming. Build a game that does those two things right, and they will come…

5) 14-year-old phenom Freddy Adu has signed a contract to stay in the United States and begin his professional soccer career with the MLS. Have we seen the beginning of a trend that might someday find 14 year olds playing in the NBA or NHL?

Shawn: I sure hope not. The skill level in the NBA has already dipped to nearly unwatchable levels. I think Adu (is he really only 14?) is an isolated case. He’s a freak of nature; a preternaturally gifted athlete that comes along once in a lifetime – if then. It also helps Adu’s case that soccer is not a contact sport. While there is contact and physicality in the game, there aren’t that many advantages given to larger, stronger players. A 14-year old in any other sport would be mincemeat by their first game. There’s just no way for them to handle the pounding. Whether such players can be forcibly kept out is in doubt. Let’s hope the courts never have to consider it.

Clay: I could see it happening in the NHL, but there’s no way that a 14 year old would be able to compete in the NBA. Look at Darko this year. He’s barely 18 years old, and even at 7’0” and 2 and a half bills; he just isn’t mentally and physically mature enough to compete. He should be a high school senior this year. Kids that age aren’t ready. Soccer and hockey are so much more team based; a younger player can compete there. I also feel that in those two sports, it is possible to play a less physical game. Both are more games of leverage and balance when it comes to the physical part. A 14 year old in the NBA would get backed down by Earl Boykins. It can’t happen – but… someone will try.

6th Man – A little help off the bench

6) Four NFL games were decided in overtime this week. Is the competition that good, or has parity caused teams to be that evenly matched?

Shawn: It’s parity – and I think it’s a good thing. While parity can certainly be frustrating when following one particular team, there’s no question that it’s good for the league as a whole. More teams have the opportunity to win the championship each year in the NFL than in any other league, and it’s directly the result of the NFL’s salary cap – which creates this parity. As for myself, when I’m not watching my hometown Broncos, I’d much rather watch a tight, exciting contest than a blowout. I enjoy what I see in the NFL every week; even it does hurt my favorite team from time to time. I can’t honestly say that about any other sport.

Clay: I think everyone just plays the same game this year. Did you ever notice that in the NFL, if someone brings something new to the table and does it well, they can dominate for at least one year? The following year, though - everyone is doing it or has figured out how to stop it and the playing field is leveled. Remember the year that Bill Cowher took the Steelers to the Super Bowl by running a zone blitz on almost every play? Or the Rams and “The Greatest Show on Turf”? I think everyone is basically running the exact same schemes and plays this year. Nothing unique.

24 Second Clock – Get one more off in 24 words or less

Clay: It’s gotten ugly. People are starting to laugh. You’re tarnishing your legacy. It’s time to go, Joe Pa!