They all wanted to see how heavy they were and things like that

MANKATO, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings trickled into the residence hall for their two-week training camp stay, toting the usual duffel bags, electronic gadgets and mattress pads.Coach Mike Zimmer came with a contract extension.The Vikings announced Thursday theyve added to Zimmers deal, rewarding their revered coach well before his contract status ever became a headline and further galvanizing an organization already buzzing with anticipation of the season and the future.General manager Rick Spielman declined to disclose the terms of the deal, revealed when the Vikings reported to Minnesota State University, but Zimmers original contract was not close to expiring. Zimmer even said he saw no rush to address it, entering his third season on the job.They really didnt have to. There was nothing that was pushing this deal, Zimmer said. But I feel very, very fortunate to be the coach of the Vikings. Its a great organization, a lot of great people.Talks took place over the past month between Spielman and Zimmers agent, Marvin Demoff.Our ownership, myself, the entire organization felt very strongly about getting something done with coach Zimmer, Spielman said.We have so much excitement building up with the new facility, the new practice facility, and I know how strongly we feel about coach Zimmer in leading this football team in the future.The ribbon has been cut at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Next week, theyll break ground on new suburban headquarters. Coming off an 11-5 regular-season finish that earned them the NFC North title, the team has plenty of momentum. Now the power structure has even more stability.I can tell you, in my 26 years in the NFL, I have not had the experience and the cohesiveness with a head coach as I do with coach Zimmer, Spielman said.Zimmer, a long-time defensive coordinator for Dallas and Cincinnati who got his first opportunity to be a head coach with Minnesota at age 57.Hes 18-14, with one loss in the playoffs. Only Dennis Green, with 20, had more wins in his first two seasons as coach of the Vikings.I dont want to oversimplify it because I think hes done a lot of things, safety Harrison Smith said, finally settling on a favorite: Really, just the get-it-done attitude. Theres no excuses for anything. Its either you got it done or you didnt get it done, and guys really enjoy that. Because its just straightforward, and you know where you stand, and that allows you to get better.Both sons of football coaches, Spielman and Zimmer have been in step from the beginning. Spielman is the boss, but Zimmer said theyve hardly had any disagreements about decisions regarding the roster.Were kind of like the odd couple. Hes messy, and Im the clean one, Zimmer said, before his tone turned serious. Its been a real good relationship, and Im looking forward to more.Zimmer is the kind of coach who can keep a team carrying high expectations appropriately grounded. Supplementing his own brand of defiance, fueled by all those head coach positions he interviewed for but didnt get, Zimmer has rarely missed an opportunity to prod his players by slapping the doubt card down on the table.Deep passing and the kicking game are the biggest questions surrounding this team, not the danger of complacency.When you have a lot of good people, guys who work hard, all the things that Ive been saying about this team, I think its easy, Zimmer said.Throughout his first two seasons, Zimmer often said half-jokingly in response to queries about the future that he wasnt sure whether hed be around for it. He once dismissed a question from a team official about the color of the wood in the new stadium locker room: I said, `Heck, I dont know if Im going to be here for the new stadium.Here he is, with the Aug. 28 exhibition opener against San Diego a month away.Thats what pushes me, that someone else can come and take my job or we dont play as good as we can play or proving people wrong, the 60-year-old Zimmer said. Thats just my mentality.---Online:AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Nike Air Force 1 Haute .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. Air Force 1 Off White Pas Cher . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. http://www.airforce1belgique.com/chaussure-nike-react/react-presto.html . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. Air Force One Destockage . LOUIS -- Roman Polak was celebrating even before Alexander Steen scored the winning goal in Saturdays 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Nike React Element 87 Belgique . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. WASHINGTON -- One by one, swimmer Katie Ledecky handed her Olympic medals to Bryce Harper. Four gold medals and one silver from the Rio Olympics sat in the hands of the reigning National League MVP.As the Nationals star outfielder admired the medals of the Olympic champion and held her hat, Ledecky threw the ceremonial first pitch to reliever Shawn Kelley before the Baltimore Orioles beat Washington 10-8 Wednesday night.Ive swum in front of 14,000 people, Ledecky said of the pitch. Once the ball leaves the hand, you cant really control it.Ledecky, a native of nearby Bethesda, Maryland, has thrown out the first pitch at Nationals Park before. That was in 2012 after she won the 800-meter freestyle at the London Olympics as a 15-year-old.I think Ive gotten stronger and a lots happened in four years, she said. Ive been to a couple world championships, more international meets, another Olympics, Ive gone through high school, Im heading out to college. Looking back four years ago, a lot has changed since then.Ledecky has just become more dominant.She tied as the most decorated U.S. female athlete in Rio along with gymnast Simone Biles and just short of Michael Phelps for the most among Americans. Before Ledeckys first pitch, a tribute played on the video board, featuring a clip of her world record-shattering victory in the 800-meter freestyle performance in Rio when she won by more than 11 seconds.The 19-year-old met several Nationals before the game, including Harper, whom she called one of her faavorites.dddddddddddd They didnt give her any tips on the first pitch, which she said she practiced plenty Tuesday, but they were curious about her five medals.They all wanted to see how heavy they were and things like that, Ledecky said. They are pretty heavy. It was kind of a different feeling for me to have them be a fan of me when Ive been a huge fan of theirs for a couple years.Ledecky got a warm reception on the field 20 minutes before the start of the game but a rousing standing ovation when she was shown on the video board before the fifth inning. Fans cheered and broke out in chants of U-S-A! U-S-A!She said her accomplishments in Rio are slowly but surely sinking in, only days after the closing ceremony.I expect itll sink in as we move forward the next couple weeks, Ledecky said. Once I get back in the pool and start working toward my next goals, I know you just kind of have to put everything youve done behind you and start working toward the next thing.For now, the next thing is college. Ledecky will be a freshman at Stanford in the fall and plans to take some time off before starting school.Before she finds out who her roommate his, Ledeckys mind is already on the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.Itll probably be the longest break Ill take in the next four years, she said. Its just nice to be out of the water a little bit and get recharged for the next four years. ' ' '