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SEATTLE -- The first major contract extension finalized by the Seattle Seahawks following their Super Bowl title was a commitment to coach Pete Carroll -- and to an ideology that finally proved successful at the professional level. While getting stars such as Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman locked up remains important, the focus for the Seahawks was making sure Carroll was sticking around. "This was a huge priority for us coming into the off-season," Seattle general manager John Schneider said Friday. "We knew it was around the corner and it was, quite honestly, were trying to take care of our own people and keep our young players together. But where do you start? You start at the top." The Seahawks locked up Carroll through the 2016 season with a three-year extension announced Friday. The new contract rips up the final year of the original five-year deal Carroll signed in January 2010, and cleared up any uncertainty whether the 62-year-old coach wanted to stick around after his original deal expired. Carroll is staying. So are the ideas and beliefs he brought with him when he arrived from Southern California. Back then, there was skepticism whether his style and attitude would work in the NFL. Now, theres no question. "Whether this came about or not I was going to keep busting it and going for it. It wasnt going to matter in that regard. But I think the statement, that they wanted to validate the commitment to what were doing and how were doing it, was extraordinary," Carroll said. "It was an extraordinary effort on their part and Im just humbled and thrilled they see it that way." Carroll is 38-26 in four regular seasons with Seattle and 5-2 in the playoffs. Hes the second-oldest head coach in the NFL -- yet rarely acts his age -- and one of seven current coaches with a Super Bowl title. The championship was a crowning achievement for Carroll after struggles in his two previous stints as an NFL head coach with the New York Jets and New England. Carroll was lured to Seattle because of something he didnt have in his previous NFL stops: control. Seattle gave him the reins to the franchise, and hired him before adding Schneider to the mix, and creating a relationship that has been marked by stability and success. After nearly a decade of winning with the Trojans and having say over a program, that level of control was crucial if he was going back to the professional ranks. The Seahawks were willing. "I loved my time at USC and I was having the time of my life being part of that wonderful school and all the things that we were doing," Carroll said. "But I knew there was another challenge out there and that was coming to the league." The challenge Carroll inherited included tearing down and rebuilding the Seahawks roster and treading water through a pair of 7-9 seasons his first two years. The breakthrough came in Year 3 when Seattle drafted Russell Wilson, who gave them stability at quarterback. Seattle went 11-5 in Carrolls third season and reached the divisional round of the playoffs. Carroll followed that by guiding the Seahawks to 13 regular-season wins, the 2013 NFC West title and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Seattle knocked off New Orleans in the divisional round then edged San Francisco in the NFC title game before routing Denver 43-8 in the Super Bowl in February. Part of the allure for Carroll now is Seattles potential. The Seahawks are still young and have the likes of Wilson, Sherman, Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Percy Harvin and Michael Bennett, among others, returning from the title team. "Fortunately weve had a pretty good little run and were in the middle of something pretty special," Carroll said. "Theres no reason that either one of us think, OK, we did this one time and that was it and that was our shot. We think were right in the middle of a great opportunity here." Cheap Nike Vapormax Sale .I shared with him how much I appreciated all he had done for us, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said of that Thursday night farewell. Nike Vapormax Sale Outlet . Yet now its time for the most important pick of them all; the Grey Cup. The thought of going 5-0 with the correct choice is quite intoxicating, I dont think I have ever gone perfect in my CFL futuristic playoff speculations and would take great pride in guessing - I mean analyzing - correctly. http://www.vapormaxukcheap.com/... maybe even more than that. Maybe all season I have to take a few blows. Wholesale Nike Vapormax . In Englands first game since its worst-ever World Cup showing, Roy Hodgsons side rarely looked like scoring against unambitious opposition and the breakthrough in the friendly only came when Raheem Sterling was tripped in the penalty area. Nike Vapormax Uk Cheap . Today, well look at five frontcourt players today, here from the Bay Area. 1. AMIR JOHNSON (Raptors): I cant figure out what the issue or problem is, but based upon what Im seeing, hes not right. BALTIMORE -- As poorly as they played for the first seven innings, it seemed hard to imagine the Baltimore Orioles would be celebrating an uplifting victory well after midnight. Then again, strange things happen when the Chicago White Sox are involved. Nelson Cruz hit a game-tying grand slam in the eighth inning and David Lough scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 12th to give the Orioles a 5-4 victory Wednesday night. Nick Markakis had four hits for the Orioles, who won two of three from Chicago -- twice in their last at-bat. "Its big," Lough said. "Thats our second walk-off win against these guys. Theyre a good team. Give credit to them and their pitching staff for holding us." The Orioles didnt get a runner past first base against White Sox starter Hector Noesi until the seventh inning and trailed 4-0 entering the eighth. Noesi was pulled after giving up two straight singles, and Scott Downs walked Chris Davis to load the bases with two outs. Chicago manager Robin Ventura summoned Javy Guerra, the fourth pitcher of the inning, to face Cruz. On a 2-1 pitch, Cruz launched an opposite-field drive that barely cleared the wall in right field. It was his 24th home run, the second grand slam of the season and eighth of his career. "I had the chance to do some damage in a couple of at-bats before then, but I grounded into a double play twice," Cruz said. "It feels good to get the home run to tie the game." Said Lough: "Thats a big-time clutch hit right there, as big as it gets. Thats who we want at the plate, because he leads this team. You see what hes capable of doing and the numbers hes put up. Hes a special player." Neither team threatened before the grounds crew came with the tarp as soon as the ninth inning ended. Rain delayed the start of the 10th for 69 minutes. Nick Hundley opened the bottom of the 12th with a walk off Daniel Webb (4-2) and Lough entered as a pinch-runner. Lough took third on a single by Markakis and scored easily when Webb uncorked a pitch that got past catcher Tyler Flowers. "Its tough to lose like that," Ventura said. "Hector threw a great game, but we couldnt hold onto it. Weve got to be able to be better at the end.dddddddddddd" Tommy Hunter (2-1) got the final out in the Chicago 12th to earn the win. "It didnt look like it was a 4-4 game or it ended up being 5-4 in the first seven innings," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Eight innings. Whatever it was. It seems like yesterday. It was yesterday." Jose Abreu hit his 23rd home run for the White Sox, Adam Eaton tied a career high with four hits and Flowers drove in two runs. Abreu has four homers and 10 RBIs during his current 10-game hitting streak. None of it mattered. "The way we played, we should have (won), but the baseball gods must be upset with us in some way, shape, or form," Eaton said. Baltimore starter Ubaldo Jimenez allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander left the mound in danger of absorbing his ninth loss, but Cruzs slam took Jimenez off the hook. Until Cruz connected, Noesi and the White Sox dominated. Abreu provided Chicago a 1-0 lead by hitting the first pitch of the fourth inning into the seats in left. In the fifth, Alejandro De Aza drew a leadoff walk and scored on a triple by Eaton. The Orioles pulled the infield in, and that resulted in Eaton being thrown out at the plate on a grounder to third. Flowers hit a two-run single in the seventh to make it 4-0. That seemingly provided a bit of breathing room for the White Sox, whose previous seven games were decided by two runs or fewer. Unfortunately for Chicago, the lead didnt hold up. "That was my fault, I put this game on myself," Guerra said. "I have to be better in that situation, no matter what. I need to understand the situation. I feel bad for the team in general because I know I let everyone down." NOTES: Baltimore is off Thursday. Chicago sends Scott Carroll to the mound in the opener of a four-game series against host Toronto. ... Orioles RHP Bud Norris (strained groin) was supposed to pitch in Fridays split doubleheader against Tampa Bay. Chris Tillman will start instead, and Norris might not pitch again until Tuesday. He was expected to have an MRI on Thursday, Showalter said. ... Eaton has reached base in 20 straight games and owns a career-best 12-game hitting streak. ' ' '