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Buccaneers GM Talks Importance of Godwin Signing

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht has made several impactful moves throughout his tenure. One of his most notable successes is the 2017 draft selection of wide receiver Chris Godwin. Godwin was taken out of Penn State in the third round (84th overall), a pick that ranks among Licht’s best.

Godwin has established himself as a cornerstone of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Showcasing his reliability and dynamic receiving skills since joining the team. His impressive work ethic, toughness, and sure hands have made him a fan favorite. And his ability to outmaneuver defenders from various alignments has solidified his position as one of the NFL’s top receivers.

At just 29 years old, Chris Godwin has already cemented his status as the second-most prolific wide receiver in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history, trailing only Mike Evans in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Given his impressive résumé, it’s no surprise that Godwin was widely regarded as the top receiver available in this year’s free agent class.

When free agency officially began on Monday afternoon, Buccaneers fans were thrilled to learn that Chris Godwin would be staying in Tampa Bay, having agreed to a 3-year, $66 million contract extension.

Shortly after the news broke, Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht, who originally drafted Godwin eight seasons ago, released a statement expressing his thoughts on the new deal that ensures his trusted receiver will remain in Tampa Bay for years to come.

via Fox Sport’s Greg Auman,

“Chris has been crucial to our success and we are excited to ensure he remains a part of our offensive core into the future. He has an unparalleled work ethic. He’s a tremendous leader, and is a pro in every sense of the word. His versatility, combined with his playmaking ability and consistency, makes him a perfect fit for our offense.”

Licht’s sentiments echo the sentiment of the entire Buccaneers organization and its fans. They both deeply value Chris Godwin’s exceptional talent, outstanding character, and immense contributions to the team. The fact that Godwin reportedly declined an additional $20 million from other teams to remain with the Bucs speaks volumes about his reciprocal appreciation and commitment to the organization.

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SEC Tournament – The most competitive in all of college basketball. Florida hopes it will vault them into NCAA 1 seed.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — There’s only one way for No. 4 Florida to guarantee itself a top seed in the NCAA Tournament: win the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

And coach Todd Golden badly wants one of those No. 1 seeds in the NCAA field, which will be announced Sunday.

“We’re going to go try to win this thing,” he said emphatically Wednesday. “We’re going to give it all we got.”

Florida (27-4, 14-4 SEC) will play Missouri, LSU or Mississippi State in the quarterfinals Friday in Nashville, Tennessee. The second-seeded Gators enter the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the league, winners of nine of their last 10.Texas A M Florida Basketball

Texas A M Florida Basketball© Alan Youngblood

It’s not enough, though. Florida appears to have a tenuous grip on the final No. 1 seed, behind Duke, Auburn and Houston. Losing in the SEC tourney would put that at risk, especially if Alabama or Tennessee ends up cutting down the nets inside Bridgestone Arena.

“To be honest, I think it’s really important to us,” Golden said. “But at the same time, I’m not sure how big of a difference our path would truly be whether we’re the third or fourth 1 seed, or the first or second 2 seed. …

“We definitely want the 1 seed, don’t get me wrong. At this point, I think we’re in a really good spot. Pride-wise, we’re going to do everything we can to get this 1 seed. But I’m confident in our potential, whether we end up getting it or we’re a high 2.”Mississippi Florida Basketball

Mississippi Florida Basketball© Alan Youngblood

Why does it matter? Sixteen of the last 23 national champions were No. 1 seeds. Six of the past seven champions have been top seeds, as well as 13 of the last 17.

“We’re approaching it with the same mentality we had all year, and that’s just going out and doing our job, trusting each other, having confidence in each other and go out and win,” senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. said.

LISTEN TO ALL THE TOURNAMENT ACTION FROM ALL THE MAJOR CONFERENCES AND MARCH MADNESS WITH THE VARSITY APP.

Clayton added that a No. 1 seed would mean little to him and his teammates.

“Whatever path, I like my guys,” he said. “Me and my guys against whoever.”

Golden, though, believes in analytics and numbers – so much so that he ordered up research on whether winning the league or advancing to the title game had any effect on NCAA Tournament success.

Golden and his staff were intrigued after the Gators made the SEC finale last year and then lost in the NCAA’s opening round. Golden decided to turn to data to see if the two had any historical correlation.

The results were mixed.

“It doesn’t matter enough,” Golden said.

He pointed to Auburn as an example. The Tigers won the SEC Tournament last year and then lost in the first round of NCAAs. They also won the league tourney in 2019 and then advanced to the Final Four.

Digging deeper, only three of the last 10 national champions — UConn (2024), Kansas (2022) and Villanova (2018) — won their conference tournament.

But Florida would rather have a No. 1 seed, especially since it would mean playing closer to home for the first and second rounds.

“That would be a nice little cherry on top of our regular season if we’re able to get the 1 seed for sure,” Golden said.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball





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19 straight wins for the University of Tampa softball team. It is a big reason for their No. 3 national ranking.

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The No. 3 University of Tampa softball team extended its impressive season with a dominant doubleheader sweep over Caldwell, securing their 18th and 19th consecutive victories. The Spartans are now tied for the longest winning streak in program history, matching the 19-game streak set in 2019.

Inside The Matchup

Location: Naimoli Field | Tampa, Fla.
Final Score (Game One): No. 3 Tampa 11 | Caldwell 0 (5 innings)
Final Score (Game Two): No. 3 Tampa 7 | Caldwell 2
History: Tampa improves to 2-0 all-time against Caldwell.
Records: Tampa (23-1), Caldwell (0-9)

Game One Highlights

Tampa scored in each of the first three innings en route to an 11-0 run-rule victory. The Spartans exploded for seven runs in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Kenzie Reynolds and an RBI triple from Lauren FantoneGwen McGinnis and Kate DeSimone combined for a four-hit shutout, striking out five. Offensively, Tampa racked up 12 hits, with multiple players contributing an RBI. Mariah Galhouse got the scoring started with an RBI double, bringing in Lilly Kiester in the first inning. In the second inning, Tampa capitalized on defensive miscues and strung together a series of hits, including RBI contributions from Reynolds, Fantone, Kiester, and Alexa Russo. The Spartans extended their lead to 11-0 with a two-run double by Russo in the third inning. Kate DeSimone (W, 5-0) threw three dominant innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five.

Top Performers (Game One)

Game Two Highlights

Tampa used a balanced attack to defeat Caldwell 7-2. Mariah Galhouse controlled the game in the circle, pitching a complete game while allowing no earned runs. After a slow start, the Spartans broke through in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Mckenna Demartino. Galhouse helped her own cause with an RBI triple in the third. Tampa put the game out of reach in the fourth with a three-run frame, including another RBI triple from Demartino. Demartino’s third inning sacrifice fly gave Tampa an early lead. In the fourth, Galhouse tripled to drive in Fantone, making it 2-0. Tampa would put up three more runs, highlighted by Demartino’s second RBI triple and a single from Reynolds. An error in the fifth inning allowed Galhouse to score, extending the lead to 6-1. Galhouse (W, 9-0) was outstanding, allowing six hits but no earned runs in her complete-game effort.

Top Performers (Game Two)





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What Is The Next Step For Rays’ Ownership?

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The St. Petersburg ballpark post Hurricane Milton.

The stadium-village deal appears to be dead.

What’s the news in St. Petersburg? The ownership of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays’ franchise have pulled the plug on the construction of a stadium-village in St. Petersburg and that, of course, brings up the question. What happens now? Stu Sternberg, the franchise’s principal owner, tried to explain the rationale behind the decision. “After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment. A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision,” Sternberg said in a statement. “Our commitment to the vitality and success of the Rays organization is unwavering. We continue to focus on finding a ballpark solution that serves the best interest of our region, Major League Baseball and our organization.”

The Rays business’s lease ends in 2027 with St. Petersburg. The franchise will be playing its games in 2025 at a minor league ballpark in Tampa and it is possible that once St. Petersburg gets around to fixing the roof at the Rays’ home stadium that was blown off in October 2024, that the team could play in that stadium beyond 2027. But that is not a long term solution. Could MLB force the Rays’ ownership to sell the business to local individuals who want to keep the team in the market. Will MLB beg St. Petersburg and Pinellas County elected officials to keep the deal alive? Could the team move? A number of groups in various cities across the United States and Canada have expressed interest in landing an MLB franchise. None of the markets are ready for a relocated or an expansion franchise. There are stadium plans in the various markets but with the tariff wars taking place, stadium costs are suddenly more expensive. The Rays’ saga continues.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

Rays’ Prinicipal Owner Stu Sternberg







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