Boxengasse » second game this season, both to rest. He stayed in Chicago a

MANKATO, Minn. -- Two-and-a-half years ago, Mike Zimmer was debating whether he should take a second interview with the Minnesota Vikings and risk another round of rejection in his ongoing quest to be an NFL head coach.On Thursday, Zimmer began his third training camp with the Vikings knowing the team plans to invest in him for years to come.The Vikings kicked off training camp Thursday by announcing they had signed their head coach to a contract extension, rewarding Zimmer for leading the team to its first NFC North championship in six years. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but general manager Rick Spielman said, There is no doubt that Coach Zimmer is going to be our football coach here for a long time.The team approached Zimmers agent, Marvin Demoff, about a new contract this spring, intent on rewarding the coach whose exacting style helped the Vikings become the first team ever to host a playoff game in a temporary stadium last year. Zimmer was not headed into the final year of his current deal, so the Vikings didnt have any urgency to complete the deal from a contractual standpoint. Nonetheless, the team, which moves into its new $1.1 billion stadium this fall, also appears to have its football foundation in place.Im extremely grateful to the Wilfs and to Rick, Zimmer said. They kind of came to us and wanted to get it done. They really didnt have to; there was nothing that was pushing this deal. I feel very, very fortunate to be the coach of the Vikings. Its a great organization with a lot of great people. Theres no way we could have had the success that weve had to this point without the people in the front office, the people in the business (side) and all those things. Its good to get it done now and have a chance to move forward.Zimmer became a head coach for the first time at 58 years old, and didnt seem to betray any sense of relaxation now that the deal is finished.Thats what pushes me, is that someone else can come and take my job if we dont play as good as we can play, he said. Proving people wrong, thats just my mentality.Zimmer, who is 18-14 in two seasons at the Vikings helm, led Minnesota last season to its first NFC North division title since 2009 before the team exited the 2015 season playoffs with a wild-card loss to Seattle.Vikings owner Zygi Wilf had high praise for Zimmer after the deal was announced.Mike has instilled a very positive atmosphere over the past three years and our players have thrived under his tutelage and leadership, said Wilf. His focus on helping our players develop and maximize potential, individually and collectively, is critical for our current and future success. We believe the continuity established with Mike leading our football team is a very positive step for our organization. Air Jordan 1 Outlet .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. Cheap Retro Air Jordan 1 . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. http://www.wholesaleairjordan1.us/ . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. Cheap Jordans China .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not. Air Jordan 1 China .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. DALLAS -- Wesley Matthews has taken greater responsibility with Dirk Nowitzki out of the Dallas Mavericks lineup much of this season.Matthews scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half of Dallas 107-82 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.Matthews was the star of the game, obviously, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. He is our leader right now with Dirk out. He really sets the tone for us in the locker room and on the floor. He is just the vocal guy.Matthews has accepted the expanded role as Nowitzki has been limited to five games by a strained right Achilles tendon.I feel like thats one of the reasons why they brought me over here (from Portland). Through this rough patch, injuries and everything, everybody had to mold together. Its almost like we had to restructure ourselves. I think everybody has embraced that.Harrison Barnes scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half to help Dallas improve to 4-15.Chicago was coming off a 111-105 victory over defending champion Cleveland on Friday night.Jimmy Butler led Chicago with 26 points.I dont think anybody played well tonight, Butler said. We didnt play with energy on either end of the floor.Barnes powered the Mavericks to a 17-point first-quarter lead with eight points.They came out and threw the first punch and kept throwing, and we could just never recover from that, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. We did expend a lot of energy (Friday) night.Dwight Powell (17) and rookie Dorian Finney-Smith (11) had career highs in scoring, and Deron Williams had a season-high 15 assists with only one turnover.The biggest thing was we were even (43-43) on the boards, Carlisle said. Andrew Bogut had a game-high 11 rebounds, and Powell grabbed eight.Neither team scored in the first 2:15, but Dallas went on a 7-0 run over the next 1:20. The Mavericks led 23-6 with 3:17 left. The quarter ended with Dallas leading 29-18. Bogut had six points and eight rebounds.Chicago pulled within six points three times in the second quarter, but Dalllas finished the first half with a 57-45 lead.dddddddddddd In the third quarter, Matthews had 14 points, and the Maverick led by as many as 21 points.TIP-INSBulls: C Robin Lopez has a career-high 11 straight games with 10 or more points. He scored 15 against Dallas. ... F Jimmy Butler has reached 20 points in 17 of 19 games. He scored on a drive with 1:00 left in the third quarter, but was charged with a technical foul for arguing that he had been fouled.Mavericks: G Wesley Matthews made 7 of 11 3-point attempts. ... C Andrew Bogut fouled out, but had 11 rebounds and a season-high eight points. ... The Mavericks 29 first-quarter points were a season high. ... Their largest margin of victory before Saturday was 12 points.WADE RESTSBulls G Dwyane Wade missed his second game this season, both to rest. He stayed in Chicago after Fridays win over Cleveland. Their flight landed in the DFW Metroplex at 2:30 a.m. for the second game in a stretch of four games in five days. Nikola Mirotic started in Wades place and was scoreless in 13 minutes played.NOWITZKI INDEFINITEThe Mavericks said that they no longer will keep a timetable for when F Dirk Nowitzki (strained right Achilles tendon) would play. Instead, his return will be listed as indefinite. He has played in only five games this season.We said Im still a few games away, but luck can change, so I just have to go day by day, Nowitzki said.At this stage in my career, I dont move well anyways, so if Im out there at like 80, 90 percent, I dont think Im a big help, so I want to make sure my bodys responding the right way and well go from there.UP NEXTBulls: Return home to play Portland on Monday night. Chicago won at Portland 113-88 behind Jimmy Butlers 27 points on Nov. 15.Mavericks: Host Charlotte on Monday night in the second game of a four-game homestand. Dallas lost to the Hornets on the road Thursday night. ' ' '