Haftungsausschluss » PN, which broadcasts the NCAA Tourna

TAMPA, Fla. -- Cameron Brate describes his unlikely journey from undrafted college free agent to starting NFL tight end as pretty crazy. Now, the former Harvard standout is hoping to prove the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a smart choice.The third-year pro, released late last summer only to rejoin the Bucs after a brief stay with the New Orleans Saints, played his way into the teams long-term plans while filling in a portion of the 2105 season for an injured Austin Seferian-Jenkins, whos been unable to hold on to the No. 1 job in training camp.Seferian-Jenkins was a second-round draft pick two years ago. Hes shown flashes of being a potential star, but also has struggled to stay healthy while appearing in just 16 games since entering the league.Two years ago, I was kind of an afterthought, said Brate, who spent most of his rookie season on Tampa Bays practice squad, eventually winding up on the active roster for the final four games and catching one pass for 17 yards.My rookie year I didnt get too many reps in practice and was just hoping to catch on any way I could. ... Then last year, I was kind of at the bottom of the depth chart again, he added. It was a major bummer to get cut, but it ended up working out for me. ... Its pretty cool looking back, just kind of how far Ive come.Brate, 25, spent the opening week of last season on Tampa Bays practice squad. He smiles recalling what happened next during a whirlwind seven days that saw the young tight end get released, sign with New Orleans practice squad, stand on the sideline and watch the Bucs beat his new team on Sunday, and -- finally -- wind up back in Tampa Bay when his old team signed him to the active roster from the Saints practice squad.Brate went on to appear in 14 games, starting four and finishing with 23 receptions for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Seferian-Jenkins had 21 receptions for 338 yards and four TDs in seven games.I was holding my breath when we lost him to the Saints. .. I thought they were getting a really good guy, and it just worked out that we had a chance to get him back, Bucs coach Dirk Koetter, the teams offensive coordinator a year ago, said.Hes 65, he can run, hes smart, hes coachable, hes consistent, (and) he knows where to be and when to be there, Koetter added. Thats important. Guys that dont make mistakes. And then when you get a chance to make plays, youve got to make them, and he does.Meanwhile, Seferian-Jenkins said hes focused on working hard and contributing any way he can -- not the depth chart.It is what it should be right now. ... Im just thankful to be out here playing football and doing what I love, Seferian-Jenkins said. Im going to enjoy it and Im going to seize every opportunity that I get because thats the most important thing.Brate, meanwhile, knows hes far from a finished product.While excited about what he accomplished last year and the prospect for continued growth with Jameis Winston coming off throwing for more than 4,000 yards as a rookie, Brate also wants to improve his blocking in hopes of becoming a more complete player.`A big thing I think was confidence for me, said Brate, who had 18 career TD receptions at Harvard. Coming from a smaller school, not really playing too much my rookie year, just kind of believing in myself that I belonged in the league.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Toronto Blue Jays Store . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Custom Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/ .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. Wholesale Blue Jays Jerseys . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Toronto Blue Jays Shirts . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. NEW YORK -- College womens basketball is exploring ways to change the format of the NCAA Tournament, including moving the Final Four back a week to avoid overlap with the end of the mens tournament.In a survey given to the conferences and obtained by The Associated Press, the womens basketball oversight committee laid out a few potential changes that wouldnt take place until 2019 at the earliest. The date change would put the womens Final Four on the same weekend as the Masters.The committee is asking the schools and conferences for feedback on several alterations, including having the opening round at 32 sites and having the second round and regionals played at the same location. Moving the Final Four would add a bye week to the tournament schedule.The survey has a variety of implications, NCAA vice president for womens basketball Anucha Browne said in a phone interview Tuesday. Its an opportunity to see if the current format is where we should stay or look into doing something different. We want to talk to the practitioners on campus -- the senior womens associates, the coaches, we hope there is some feedback from the student athletes. Student athlete input is pretty important.The surveys are due on Dec. 2, and oversight committee chairwoman Jean Lenti Ponsetto, who is the athletic director at DePaul, said it would take a while to digest the information.For sure its going to take us a couple meetings to work through all the details without having a good idea what the results are going to look like, she said.Browne and Ponsetto both stressed that it would be nearly impossible for anything to change in the immediate future because regional sites and Final Four locations are already locked in through 2018, including with a new Friday-Sunday setup for the Final Four beginning in 2017.I think there seems to be a perspective in membership that we need to do something in womens basketball. The championship isnt broken and womens basketball is in a good place, Browne said. We want to deliver a strong crowd and going to a Friday-Sunday format this year will be an opportunity to see how that plays out.Shifting the entire tournament back to avoid a bye week wasnt discussed on the survey. Thats not a proposition that coaches would enjoy. Some dont even want to move the Final Four back a week.I like playing the following weekend, Louisville coach Jeff Walz said of the current format. At the same time, I see what were trying to do. Whats best foor womens basketball for attendance? Thats my only issue with that move.dddddddddddd Its a big break. That would be the biggest break in the entire season, including Christmas. We dont have a break that long at any time when the season starts up. It would be something completely different.Expanding to 32 teams hosting in the first round would potentially help expand the womens basketball fan base by allowing more schools to have tournament games on campus.If youre right on that bubble line, thats a great opportunity to host games, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference commissioner Rich Ensor said. Thats a good way of growing the game.The downside of having 32 first-round sites would be the travel cost. Those are a big reason why the womens NCAA Tournament is operating at a deficit, according to Browne.Its the highest revenue producing sport for women. If you take travel out of it, its doing extremely well, Browne said.The womens tournament travel party, including the band and cheerleaders, is the same size as that of the mens NCAA Tournament. The NCAA is estimating based on the survey that going to 32 first-round sites and the revised regional format would increase costs between $1.2-1.4 million.ESPN, which broadcasts the NCAA Tournament, was opposed to most of the changes in the survey because of costs and feasibility.Our research has shown that moving the NCAA womens Final Four to Masters weekend would negatively impact ratings, and would cause a loss of the cross-promotional benefits of the mens Final Four, said Carol Stiff, ESPNs vice president of womens sports programming.According to the survey, ESPN estimates that viewership could drop 30 percent if the Final Four is moved back. The network, which has been the exclusive home to the championship since 1996, also was against the idea of having 32 first-round sites.With the bracket being released on selection Monday, we expressed to the NCAA that it would be extremely challenging, if not impossible, for us to secure all the necessary resources in such a short time frame if the first-round games were expanded to 32 sites, Stiff said.Most of the ideas were originally discussed in a White Paper put together by Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman in 2013 on the state of womens basketball.---Follow Doug Feinberg on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg ' ' '