Welcome to Starting 5 – a new weekly column by Operation Sports!
Each week, Senior Game Editor Clay Shaver and Columnist Shawn Drotar 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) Sports Illustrated recently released a list of "The 50 Greatest Sports Movies of All Time"; selecting "Bull Durham" as their #1. Is this a home run call or way off base?

Shawn: There are a lot of great sports movies to consider, but I wholeheartedly agree with the pick. “Bull Durham” is not just a great sports movie – it’s a great movie, period. It was released fifteen years ago, and stands up just as well today as it did in 1988. It’s one of most quotable movies I can think of, to boot. Every single time I see the batboy walk up to the plate and say; ”Get a hit, Crash”, only to have Kevin Costner’s Crash Davis glare at the kid before casually telling him “shut up” still has me laughing out loud. There is one negative – Tim Robbins’ complete inability to throw a baseball realistically – but Robbins is hilarious in the film, and Costner looks like enough a pro to balance it all out. “Bull Durham” is a classic in my book, and a worthy choice for number one.

Clay: Boooooo! “Bull Durham” is a romantic comedy that happened to have baseball in it. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was a really good romantic comedy, but the “#1 Sports Movie of All Time”??? Please! What about “The Natural”? What about “Hoosiers”? What about “Rudy”? Wait…wait… what about “Rocky”? That won the Oscar for “Best Picture”! There are so many great movies in this genre, I think SI really screwed up on this one. They didn’t even pick Costner’s best baseball movie. Give me “Field of Dreams” any day. James Earl Jones’ speech about baseball is one of my favorite monologues in movie history. Big whiff, SI, big whiff.

2) Microsoft Game Studios is planning a "Super Tuesday" of sorts this October, when they release five sports titles on the same day (Top Spin, Amped 2, Links, NBA Inside Drive, and NHL Rivals). Is this too much of a good thing or are you saying “bye-bye” to 250 bucks?

Clay: Well, $150 for sure, with the other $100 likely to follow. I’m really trying not to get my hopes up too high for XSN. Yes, I was blown away by their presentation at E3. Yes, this is a lot of what I have wanted as a Sports Gamer for 15 years. But, it’s also a launch year. It’s software. It’s web-based. There are going to be bugs. Now, the games themselves I have mixed feelings on. Top Spin, Inside Drive, and Rivals I would be buying even without XSN. If XSN is what I think it can be, Microsoft will likely get the extra Franklin from me as well. It almost feels like the pending Fever release is going to be the beta test for XSN. So I am adding a third choice…too much, bye bye $250, or BOTH.

Shawn: Both. It’s almost like re-launching the Xbox for sports gamers. This will allow Microsoft to make a major splash on the market, and if XSN is all it’s cracked up to be – it’ll probably work very well for the lads in Redmond. I’ve said before that NBA Inside Drive is the best hoops title on the market, and based on my hands-on experience with both Top Spin and NHL Rivals, I think Microsoft Game Studios has two sleeper hits on their hands. With EA on the sidelines again in the online department, MGS is poised to take full advantage. Start saving those pennies now, boys and girls!

3) Ohio State is ranked #1 in college football heading into their title defense. Will it be a sweet repeat or are the Buckeyes dead meat?

Shawn: I think Miami was a superior team last year, and I think they still are now. Ohio State was both lucky and good, and deserved their title last year. That said; don’t count on it happening again. Ohio State will be a top 10 team, but with Maurice Clarett’s continuing issues of the field, and the loss of on-field leaders like Mike Doss, I just can’t see the Buckeyes having enough left to do it again in 2003.

Clay: There is the great expression “sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good”. Well, the 2002 Buckeyes were both. They were a great team that escaped some pretty tight situations in route to the championship game. I just don’t think lightning strikes twice. With the Clarett drama, a wicked non-conference schedule, and a ticked off Michigan team that is coming off two losses, this OSU team has a lot of hurdles this season. I don’t think they have it.

4) Madden Football is entering its 14th year, but Coach Madden himself is in his 67th and, potentially, not far from retirement. Is there an heir apparent for EA to attach their series to or will the Madden name outlive the man?

Clay: My gut instinct is that this series will always be Madden. But, if I had to scope out an heir apparent to the name, I could see it being Jon Gruden. The problem is that John Madden has lived three lives – coach, commentator, and video game icon – where you would lose the commentary angle (although some would argue that’s no big deal), but if you went with just a straight coach and tried to make him a video game icon, it might be difficult. So when you’re pulling from the “coach/commentator” pool…who does that leave? Jerry Glanville?!?!? That’d certainly be entertaining!

Shawn: I think Madden’s been around so long as a game, that it’s hardly equated with the man anymore. After fourteen years, it’s a staple in the gaming world, and I can’t imagine them ever changing the name. You don’t even have to mention that Madden’s an NFL football game – everybody knows it – it’s simply Madden. It’s ubiquitous.

5) The baseball season is rounding third and heading home. With little to no hope for a Wild Card berth for the second place finisher, the NL Central is a three-way battle for one playoff spot. Cards, 'Stros, or Cubbies...who's ready to represent?

Shawn: I know this – in the playoffs, nobody wants any part of the Cardinals. However, they’re in a dogfight right now, and they haven’t gotten it in gear yet. Houston and Chicago are both legitimate contenders, and I’m not sure there’s that much difference between the three teams. They all have flaws that they haven’t been able to overcome yet. Whichever team gets on a hot streak first could walk away with the division – and win the right to get smacked around by the Giants in the postseason…

Clay: This might be a place for the old “valedictorian of summer school” joke, but, as much as they could revoke my baseball purist card for saying it, I really like watching all of these teams. I know there records don’t necessarily show that they are playing good baseball, but I’m rarely disappointed when I watch these groups, especially head-to-head. However, when push comes to shove, I think the Cardinals are the only ones with a legitimate shot at making a little noise in the post-season. I like their team. I trust LaRussa. And I think we are watching greatness develop in Albert Pujols.

6th Man – A little help off the bench

6) Is Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey the NFL’s version of Dennis Rodman?

Shawn: Well, he sure seems to be trying. I think the press is letting him get off way too easy because he plays in New York. John Rocker said similar intolerant things about New Yorkers, and was justly vilified for doing so. However, since Shockey plays there – he seems to be getting a free pass with his unseemly comments. I don’t get it. He’s a very promising player, but he wasn’t even the best rookie from Miami in the NFL last year – that was Denver halfback Clinton Portis. I think he’d better keep his trap shut for a while, and make sure he plays as big as his mouth – because in New York, fad is fashion, and that reservoir of good will could dry up at any time.

Clay: Giant fans are absolutely rabid. The moment the first pass was completed to a TE since Simms to Bavaro, this guy had a free pass to be as big a schmuck as he wants. Plus, New Yorkers classically love “Anti-Heroes”. The problem is, Shockey’s “people” need to pull the reigns back on this big dolt a little bit, because when he stops catching 80 balls and mowing down LBs, he’s gonna be on the first subway train to Spreewell-ville. The kid is standing out in an NFL period that has a weak, weak crop of tight ends. It won’t last. No, he’s not Dennis Rodman. Rodman had staying power and crossover appeal. Shockey needs to shut his mouth and enjoy it, because, pretty soon, the Hilton Twins are gonna stop calling.

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

Shawn: Hail and farewell, Herb Brooks. Thank you for coaching USA Hockey to the “Miracle on Ice” - the definitive American sporting experience of the century.