Vikings

Kevin Cowherd : Vikings Edward Lee : Vikings Mike Preston : Vikings Peter Schmuck : Vikings Matt Vensel: Vikings Aaron Wilson: Vikings Jeff Zrebiec : Vikings

Teyarnte Carter Mount Hebron The Vikings boys won the Class 3A state championship at Morgan State last month, the first outdoor track and field team title in school history. Under Carter and coaches Leigh Langmead and Paul Ulrich, No. 3 Mount Hebron edged No. 4 Hereford, 58-55, at the meet. The Vikings had won the Howard County and East regional meets earlier in the spring. Carter, the All-Metro Performer of the Year and Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year for girls track and field as a senior at Long Reach in 2000, helped the Mount Hebron boys come together this spring.

Predictably enough, Ravens center Matt Birk's opposition to same-sex marriage has caught the attention of Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. In response to an op-ed Birk penned in support of, as he wrote, “preserving marriage as the sacred union of one man and one woman,” the outspoken Kluwe published a six-point takedown of what he calls Birk's “logical fallacy.” The crux of Kluwe's response - which is far less profane than his...

Archbishop Spalding fell behind early to No. 6 South River (3-2), but the Cavaliers (5-4) regrouped behind a four-goal effort by Maggie Kaulius and upset the Seahawks, 13-10, in girls lacrosse Saturday night. Spalding trailed 2-0 before taking a 10-4 lead at the break. No. 8 Severn 17, St. Mary's 7: Annie Igler had six goals and Cami Whiteford had five for the host Admirals (5-3). No. 9 Marriotts Ridge wins two: The Mustangs beat Lassiter (Ga.), 24-6, and Winters Mill, 7-6. Maggie Brooks and Marrissa Davey each had four goals against the Trojans, and Zoe Stukenberg had four goals against the Falcons.

Site: RFK Stadium, WashingtonTime: 3TV: Channels 11, 9Radio: WBAL (1090 AM), WTEM (570 AM)Line: Vikings by 7Records: Vikings 8-7; Redskins 4-11Last week: The Redskins lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 38-3. The Vikings beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-10.Last meeting: The Redskins beat the Vikings, 24-7, in the playoffs last year in what turned out to be Joe Gibbs' last victory as Redskins coach. Brian Mitchell ran for 109 yards, added 84 yards on returns and 16 yards on three receptions for a 209-yard day.The series: The Redskins have a 6-3 edge in regular-season games and a 3-2 edge in playoff games.

Site: Metrodome, Minneapolis, 1 p.m.TV: Channels 11, 9Radio: WBAL (1090 AM), WTEM (570 AM)Line: Redskins by 2 1/2Last week: The Redskins beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 16-12, and the Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions, 31-14.Last meeting: Although the Vikings routed the Redskins, 30-0, in their final exhibition game in August, the last game that meant something between these two teams was the 1987 NFC title game. The Redskins beat the Vikings, 17-10, a month after the Redskins won a 27-24 overtime verdict in the Metrodome in the regular-season finale.

Even though Mother Nature forced a squeeze play in this week's league schedule, few questions remain in the races for the Howard County girls title and regional playoff berths.Hammond, which assumed the No. 1 ranking today after beating then top-ranked Western, 61-60, in last week's Fuel Fund Classic, appears headed for its first Howard County championship.The Bears (16-1 overall, 10-0 league) also have a lock on the top-seeded spot in the Class 2A South region. As for the rest of the local teams, only Centennial mathematically has been eliminated from the regional playoffs although Atholton would need a lot of help to make it.In the county race, the Bears could end up edging four-time defending champ and No. 6 Mount Hebron (12-6, 9-1)

PONTIAC, Mich. -- The fans still sing a fight song here, in this place bereft of professional cheerleaders, and end zone dances, and quitters.The star running back still has never spiked the ball. The coach is thick-jowled, jolly and smokes cigars.More than an hour after important victories, players still can be found in their ragged game pants, their eyes filled with wonder."People had our whole team dead . . . dead and buried," Detroit Lions linebacker Chris Spielman said yesterday. "Call me biased, stupid, crazy.

D.J. Dozier returned to the Minnesota Vikings yesterday but not on the best of terms.First, Dozier must make the club. Then he has to deal with his own possible lawsuit against the organization.Dozier, the Vikings' No. 1 draft choice in 1987, has gained only 643 yards during a four-year NFL career that has included multiple injuries and disagreements with management. Only 12 of those yards came in 1990, when he had similar contract problems and didn't sign until midseason.A promising outfielder in the New York Mets' system, Dozier turned down a September call-up to the major leagues because the Mets insisted that he not negotiate with any football teams during the month.

PHILADELPHIA -- The big crowd was quiet now in the chilly dusk, and the players on the Minnesota Vikings bench were gathered at the edge of the sideline, imploring their offense to be big."At that moment," said Vikings running back Terry Allen, "you couldn't have told one of us that we weren't going to win the ballgame."The offense had boiled an 11-point Philadelphia Eagles lead down to four with a long touchdown drive on its last possession, and now, with five minutes left yesterday at Veterans Stadium, it had the ball back, first down, 70 yards to the end zone.

Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo and Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, two of the NFL's most outspoken advocates of gay marriage, have taken their fight to the highest court. The two filed an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court of the United States on Thursday that contends that California's Proposition 8, which says "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California," is unconstitutional. The brief also discusses the important role that professional athletes have in promoting tolerance.

While the NFL continues to investigate the San Diego Chargers for possibly using Stickum -- an adhesive that, when applied to a receiver's gloves, can help the player hold onto the football -- the Ravens are demonstrating that they need no such aid. After dropping 37 passes last season which ranked as the seventh most in the league, the team's receivers have dropped just eight passes thus far, which is tied with the Minnesota Vikings for the fewest...

Kevin Cowherd : Vikings Edward Lee : Vikings Mike Preston : Vikings Peter Schmuck : Vikings Matt Vensel: Vikings Aaron Wilson: Vikings Jeff Zrebiec : Vikings

Predictably enough, Ravens center Matt Birk's opposition to same-sex marriage has caught the attention of Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. In response to an op-ed Birk penned in support of, as he wrote, “preserving marriage as the sacred union of one man and one woman,” the outspoken Kluwe published a six-point takedown of what he calls Birk's “logical fallacy.” The crux of Kluwe's response - which is far less profane than his...

Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo wasn't the only athlete stunned by a letter from a Maryland politician urging the Ravens to silence the outspoken Ayanbadejo due to his support for same-sex marriage. In an open response to the letter written by Maryland Del. Emmett C. Burns Jr., a Democrat from Baltimore County, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe wrote that he was "ashamed and disgusted" by Burns' views and characterized the delegate as "mind-bogglingly stupid. " In an expletive-laden letter posted on sports blog Deadspin , Kluwe - who has been similarly vocal to Ayanbadejo as a proponent for gay marriage - took particular issue with Burns' assertion that political views have "no place in a sport.

After 4 games, look out Ron Fritz Baltimore Sun At first, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will be tentative and not the superior back he once was. But after four games, look out. I would expect him to run wild in the last 12 games, especially when quarterback Christian Ponder proves he can't win a game by throwing the ball. Peterson can return to form as one of the NFL's top running backs, it just won't happen overnight. He can easily gain 1,000 yards in 2012, but much will depend on how good the Vikings are. If they are always coming from behind, Peterson will get fewer chances to run the ball.

Confused by the Ravens' head coaching search? Fear not. Here's the scenario to root for:The Atlanta Falcons upset the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game tomorrow.Within 48 hours, the Ravens hire Vikings offensive coordinator Brian Billick.Billick trades for Brad Johnson, the Vikings' backup quarterback, who blossomed under Billick before being supplanted this season by Randall Cunningham.That would give the Ravens a new coach, a new quarterback and a new, offensive-minded outlook, giving everyone a reason to get excited about next season.

CINCINNATI -- Minnesota Vikings Coach Dennis Green likes to call a road game a business trip. All work and no play. Just do the job.On Sunday's itinerary, the Vikings managed to squeeze in a little fun at Riverfront Stadium. They blasted the Cincinnati Bengals 42-7 on one of their most successful business trips in recent years.The Vikings (3-1) moved into a first-place tie in the NFC Central Division with Tampa Bay after their best offensive performance of the season and highest point total since 1989.

Shannon Gierl's 3-pointer with 7.8 seconds to go lifted Annapolis Area Christian School to a 35-34 victory over two-time defending champion St. John's Catholic Prep from Frederick for the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland C Conference title Saturday at RAC Arena. After Eagles forward Lisa Fetter hit two free throws to tie the game at 32, St. John's freshman center Annie Breen put the Vikings ahead 34-32 on a follow shot with 27 seconds left. Breen had just come off the bench to replace Christine Hagan when the veteran center fouled out. As time ran down, the Vikings covered Eagles freshman guard Taylor Murray, who led her team with 15 points, and Murray couldn't get a shot off. But she spotted Gierl at the top of the arc and fed her for the 20-footer.

Ravens center Matt Birk was voted by the team as the 2011 Water Payton Man of the Year, the club announced Friday morning. Birk was the seven-time Man of the Year for the Minnesota Vikings and named one of three finalists for the 2008 NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. As the anchor of the offensive line, Birk has contributed to a rushing offense that finished the regular season ranked 10th in the NFL. He has also been active in the community. In addition to establishing the Matt Birk H.I.K.E.