The STARTING FIVE

This week's "Starting Five" to include:

Bob Hyldburg, author of "The Total Patriots Book," http://www.totalpatriotsbook.com/; who currently works as a photographer and statistician for the NFL during every New England Patriots home game.

(Bob is on the right side of the banner as the Patriots revealed their 2004 World Championship Banner on opening day of the 2005 regular season. He photographs all the action from 20' to the right of this banner.)

Steve Pratt, former Vermont Cabot High School & Hazen Union boy's basketball coach; now co-founder of Chicago's Full Package Athletics, http://www.fullpackagesports.com/ He's developed the games of Elton Brand, Brad Miller, Thabo Sefolosha, Brian Cook and Ruth Riley to name a few.

We'll look at the UVM Catamounts, as the Ice Cats prepare for the school's second trip to the NCAA Frozen Four, facing the #1 team in the country, the Boston University Terriers. (The University of Vermont's first NCAA Frozen Four was in 1996 when they lost in the semifinal game, a double overtime thriller, to Colorado College, 4-3. To this day, that still remains the longest game ever played by UVM hockey, 89:31.)

Join the "877" and break down the NCAA men's basketball championship game; while analyzing the keys of success displayed by this year's Final Four; UCONN/MSU and UNC/Villanova.

Rounding out our "Starting Five," the Boston Red Sox and their pursuit of MLB's World Series Crown, the 3rd in the past six years. Josh Beckett takes the mound Monday at 2:05; and Boston looks to avenge some of the sting from last October 19th's Game 7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. James Shields is scheduled to pitch for Tampa. (That game; and all the Boston Red Sox games can be heard from the stations of Radio Vermont, AM 550 and FM 96.1, 96.5 & 101.9.)

LIVE Sun. night, 9-midnight, on my sports, rant & talk show "Wrapping Up the Weekend."

THIS week, April 5th, on "Wrapping Up the Weekend":

Our first hour will feature:

Author of "The Total Patriots Book" (www.totalpatriotsbook.com), Bob Hyldburg; who
the Boston Globe called "one of the most creative historians of the Patriots." Fray Magazine calls him "the single biggest team geek in the United States." He's spent more than 15,000 hours researching every player and every game of the New England Patriots. Bob's been a guest on ESPNradio's Mike&Mike in the Morning and WTTK Sports Talk Radio with Pro Football Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti, Patriots Legend Gino Cappelletti and Chris "Boomer" Berman.

and in the second hour,

Co-founder of Full Package Athletics (www.fullpackagesports.com), former high school basketball coach of Vermont Frost Heaves head coach, Will Voight, Steve Pratt will be sharing how his journey has taken him through Cabot, VT to Hazen Union and now to be headquartered in Chicago, IL, considered 'one of the finest basketball teachers in the nation.' From Kindergarten to the National Basketball Association, Steve's expertise has been sought to develop one's game, taking it to the next level.

THANKS to Premier Basketball League's

Thomas Sanders, former Gardner Webb standout and current Vermont Frost Heaves (www.VermontFrostHeaves.com) tenacious defender.

And to Sienna alum, Tommy Mitchell of the Manchester Millrats (www.ManchesterMillrats.com) Congratulations on Sienna's double OT thriller against Ohio State University in the first round of this years Madness.

Slam4Sudan

http://www.theslamforsudan.org/

Thank you Alex Brandstetter for organizing such an incredible event.

Special thanks to Clancy Rugg (Burlington), Vermont State Player of the Year, and Jon Goldberg (Rice), two-time Division I state champion, for joining me last Sunday night on my sports, rant & talkshow!