Welcome to Starting 5 – a weekly column by Operation Sports!
Each week, Senior Game Editor Clay Shaver and Managing Editor 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) Super Bowl XXXVIII is now in the books. The New England Patriots edged the Carolina Panthers 32-29 in the closing seconds of the game from Houston. Where does this game rank among the best Super Bowls?

Clay: The first 22 minutes ranked amongst the worst in Super Bowl history, but fortunately the final 38 made it one of the more enjoyable to watch. The drama just kept setting itself up. Vinatieri has only missed indoors twice, both times in Houston. Boom! He misses his first two in this game. Every time Carolina’s offense looked stymied, Delhomme pulls out a bomb to a streaking receiver. Brady shows unbelievable poise bouncing back from what appeared to be a devastating interception in the end zone. The best description that I can come up with is made of two simple words. Fun and unexpected. I didn’t expect this game to be fun, but it was. It was a fun game to watch! Congrats to both teams!

Shawn: I’m not sure it was one of the greatest Super Bowls ever, but the second half was awfully entertaining. The first half, however, made we wonder how either of those squads got there in the first place. But, please – no more of this Patriots “dynasty” garbage. I’m taking nothing away from what they’ve accomplished, but these are the facts: 1) The Patriots have won two Super Bowls in three years, but both of them were courtesy of last-second field goals. This team could have easily lost them both. 2) The year in between the two, they missed the playoffs entirely. Such things do not a dynasty make – so let’s move along…

2) In honor of Janet Jackson’s “accidental” “wardrobe malfunction” at the hands of Justin Timberlake, who was the biggest boob of the Super Bowl?

Shawn: Well, I would like to quickly point out that no one’s ever seen Timberlake and Michael Jackson at the same place at the same time. The falsetto voice, the spastic dance moves…hmm… It has to be Panthers’ kicker John Kasay. That game was over the second he shanked the fateful final kickoff. The odds say that Carolina wins the game if New England has to go an extra twenty yards. Simply unreal. I know Panthers coach John Fox has endured his share of criticism for going for two-point conversions early in the second half, but in all honesty – they felt like the right moves to me at the time. Fox did a fine job in the game, and his criticism appears to be due to a case of 20/20 hindsight.

Clay: I’ve got to go with John Kasay. How in the Carolina blue h-e-double hockey sticks do you kick that ball out of bounds with 1:08 to go in the Super Bowl? I was sure that the two Adam Vinatieri misses in the first half were going to be the story of the game, but Kasay giving the Patriots the ball at the 40 yard line was the difference in the game. Was there any doubt what was going to happen at that point? Amazing. That was his “Norwood” moment.

3) One more Super Bowl question before we put the season to bed. What was the best Super Bowl commercial?

Clay: Well the best of a pathetically bad crop, I think, was the commercial for the new “NFL Network” where players were singing “Tomorrow” from “Annie”. Not only was it funny - including a great shot of Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones crooning to one another on the field at Texas Stadium – but they ended it with the brilliant tagline; “Because tomorrow, we’ll all be undefeated.” Great spot and, from what I hear (stupid Comcast), a great network. Honorable mention has to go to the Bud Light commercial with the referee being chewed out by the coach. Funny stuff! Although, the wife didn’t laugh nearly as hard as I did…

Shawn: I agree with Clay. The NFL Network spot was priceless. The spot for Major League Baseball wasn’t too bad, either. Otherwise, all the ancillary Super Bowl bric-a-brac (commercials, pre-game/halftime show, etc.) were atrocious. I was embarrassed and offended by the asinine plastic moon at midfield during the “tribute” to NASA’s fallen heroes. Quite frankly, the NFL should stick to what it does best – football games. Bring in some of the top collegiate marching bands to play, and be done with the rest.

4) Still a month away from the baseball release season; the world of sports gaming is in sports gaming limbo. What title is dominating your console right now during the lean times?

Clay: “NBA Inside Drive 2004” by Microsoft (High Voltage Studios). I love this game. It has really been a long time since a basketball title has held my interest as long as this one has. It seems like the response on this title is very “hot and cold” - you either love it or hate it – and there isn’t much middle ground. I fall squarely in the “love it” camp. I think it plays the most realistic game of basketball ever. Yes, ever! The online play is second to none. And the XSN compatibility is fantastic. No, it’s not a perfect game, but it is dominating my Xbox drawer!

Shawn: It’s not that lean! I’m splitting time between “NFL Street”, “Links 2004”, and “ESPN College Hoops” – and I wish I had more time to play each one. This is truly the golden age of sports gaming.

5) It’s official. Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez has joined with the Detroit Tigers for four years and $40 million. Is this the greatest example of “money talks” in sports history?

Clay: I don’t know if it is the greatest example in history, but it’s up there. The beauty is that it is mutual. Pudge gets at least $2 million more per year than any other team was willing to pay and the Tigers get a little bit of credibility. The Tigers moved into Comerica Park three years ago and you can count the sell-outs on two hands. That’s ridiculous in a new ballpark! The Tigers need something to put butts in the seats. A little bit of credibility does that. The Tigers opened their wallet for the first time in years, and all the moves should turn a 43-win team into a 60-65 win team. That’s nothing to get excited about for most people, but Detroit is a great baseball town that has been a laughingstock since 1991.

I do give the Tigers some credit in the deal. They insisted on an “out-clause” after two years if “I-Rod” spends too much time on the DL. That takes large “baseballs” for the worst team in baseball to make those kinds of demands to a Hall of Famer. Pudge has said that he took the deal because he was treated with honesty and respect from Tiger’s owner Mike Illitch. Yeah, right. It’s all about the dough….boy! And there is nothing wrong with that.

Shawn: I’m not surprised this has happened, because it’s not the first time that Rodriguez has painted himself into a corner with his salary demands. For Rodriguez, I think this is a completely foolish move on his part, and it’s undoubtedly driven by his desire for the green over just about anything else. For the Tigers, however – it’s utterly brilliant. One of the worst teams in history manages to sign one of the best catchers in history; coming off of a World Series victory, and protects themselves financially against his injury potential? Unbelievably spectacular. The Tigers made the single best move of the off-season here, even if it doesn’t make their team that much better.

6th Man – A little help off the bench

6) The NFL season is now over. What is the next big event in sports this year?

Clay: There are millions of dentally challenged people that would insist that February’s Daytona 500 is the next big event. And, while sure there is no arguing that it is a big event and big dollars are involved, there something about the “granddaddy of them all” being at the beginning of the season that doesn’t make any sense to me. While I am probably looking forward to the NFL Draft most of all, Baseball’s Opening Day is coming and I couldn’t be happier. Baseball brings melting snow, green grass, and the first signs of summer here in the Midwest. For the past few years, my “Opening Day Posse” has grown. This year we’re expecting to bring at least a dozen down to “the CoPa” for brats, burgers, and brew in 40-degree temperatures (if we’re lucky). I love baseball. It makes me feel like a kid again. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just a few weeks. I can hardly wait!

Shawn: Major League Baseball. End of discussion. The game’s health is improving again, and slowly increasing parity (see Marlins, Florida and Royals, Kansas City for further details) is helping to bring fans back to the ballparks and re-discover the great American game. In the meanwhile, though – I won’t mind watching Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James on the same team in next week’s NBA All-Star Rookie Game. This time, the Rookie Game won’t be an appetizer – it’s the main course.

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

Clay: Cheers to Houston on their Super Bowl. But why was the turf so wet and sloppy? Houston, we have a problem!