t.---Errin Haines Whack covers urban affa | Forum

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. NFL Jerseys Cheap . -- Adrian Petersons return to practice has brought much optimism to the Vikings late in the regular season.Peterson has been wearing a brace supporting the right knee, which underwent meniscus surgery earlier this season.Peterson and the Vikings (7-6) are tempering any thought of a swift return for this Sunday against Indianapolis.Speaking on Thursday for the first time since returning to practice, Peterson didnt hold firm to any return date, but acknowledged his hope of being back on Dec. 24 against the rival Green Bay Packers.That was the goal I had set for me, so Im just going to continue to take it one day at a time, Peterson said.When that time comes, as a group, well sit down and talk and see which direction its best to go in.Peterson said hes felt good in his return to practice and the reports were encouraging from coach Mike Zimmer and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.However, there are many factors in determining when Peterson can return to game action.Zimmer said Peterson went through a full practice but needs to continue to work. Peterson said hes still gauging the progress of his knee as well as getting into game shape. Then theres also the aspect that Peterson is 31 years old and is owed $11.75 million base salary next season in the final year of his contract, along with an $18 million salary cap figure.Hoping to regain full health and continue on his Hall of Fame-type pace, Peterson said the future is also on his mind.I would be lying to you to say that its not factoring in, Peterson said. Of course, that will be something that goes into that circle of so many things to consider.Peterson isnt returning to the same offense, either. Norv Turner was the offensive coordinator when Peterson went down and has since resigned, leading to Shurmur taking the lead of the offense.Theres still a lot of stuff that remains the same, just a couple wrinkles in there thats a little different, Peterson said.Peterson had 50 yards rushing and a 1.6 yards-per-carry average in the first two games before tearing the meniscus and opting for surgery.Without him, the Vikings havent established much of a ground game with Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata.Minnesota has dealt with injuries along the offensive line, too, with starting tackles Matt Kalil and Andre Smith out for the season.The Vikings are one game behind Tampa Bay for the final wild-card spot in the NFC, despite ranking last in the league in rushing with a 73.4-yard average.Theyre certainly some new things that were doing that hes not as familiar with, Shurmur said. Hes been in meetings. Hes been around. Hes somewhat familiar with what were doing, but knowing it and actually going out and executing it are two different things.Peterson said he plans to continue to wear the brace and will do so in games. In the past, hes preferred to play without any type of brace.As Peterson and Zimmer both said, the teams medical staff will play a big role in determining the date of any potential return.In my mind, Im telling myself that its 100 percent healed, Peterson said. But I really wont know until I look and see from images. With that, got to be smart about how you approach everything going ahead.---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL . Wholesale NFL Jerseys Free Shipping .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Cheap Jerseys From China . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. http://www.wholesalecheapjerseys.us/ . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. PHILADELPHIA -- Andrea Lawful-Sanders has a ritual for cheering the black heroines of the Summer Olympics.She gets into her corner of the living room, sets up her chair, demands silence before screaming at the top of her lungs, flails her body wildly and -- in keeping with her Jamaican-American heritage -- bangs pot covers together to celebrate victories.From Simone Biles gravity-defying flips to the history-making medal trifecta of the U.S. women racing in the 100-meter hurdles, many of the Olympics most memorable moments have come courtesy of African-American women. Their accomplishments in Rio have spurred excitement and pride at home in the U.S., particularly for black women who say they are seeing themselves in the Olympic Games like never before.While everybody else is talking, we are doing, said Lawful-Sanders, 50, of Philadelphia. When we excel, nobody can take that away from us -- ever. They may try to marginalize us, but how can you marginalize excellence?With competition continuing through Sunday, Americas black female athletes have won more than two dozen of the 100-plus U.S. medal haul.Black women havent just shined in this years Olympics; theyve been ubiquitous -- from gymnastics to water polo, fencing to swimming. Previous Summer Games featured black women mainly in track and field and, more recently, in gymnastics. Fans at home had to wait days to cheer on sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner or gymnast Dominique Dawes.It is very interesting to see black women going into areas where you really dont see black women competing, with all different body shapes, complexions and hairstyles being represented, said Kaye Wise Whitehead, a professor at Loyola University who studies race and gender. Black women see and feel that there is no door closed to us ... and that were not just walking through those doors, but were dominating.In Rio, the two Simones -- gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Simone Manuel -- both stood atop the podium on a night that made history, with Manuel becoming the first black woman to win an individual medal in swimming. In all, she took home four medals and Biles five. Biles was chosen to carry the American flag for the U.S. team in Sundays closing ceremony.Michelle Carter became the first American woman to win gold in the shot put. Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, who won a bronze medal in the womens team sabre event, was the first Muslim-American woman to compete for the U.S. in a hijab.On the track, Dalilah Muhammad became the first American woman to win gold in the 400-meter hurdles, and three black women -- Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin -- became the first Olympians from the same nation to finish 1-2-3 in the 100-meter hurdles. Cheap Jerseys China. acqueline Wills has loved rooting on female gymnasts since she was a child watching the Olympics. During these games, as she lost count of the numerous black women winning, her cheers went beyond just Biles.At this point, its like too many to name, said the 38-year-old who lives in Brookhaven, Georgia. Its the same reason we cheer Michelle Obama when she does something fabulous: Its (a black woman) doing things well and on their own terms and being unapologetically black. Those images kind of reaffirm us.Some said the Olympics also provided a much-needed respite from racial tensions at home.It is a good distraction and a good way to celebrate our successes, even as the world may not appreciate us, said Luvvie Ajayi, a pop culture blogger and author. In a Facebook post, Ajayi quipped: Black women had a secret meeting before (hash)Rio2016 and the only thing on the agenda was: `TAKE ALL THE MEDALS. And it was done.Black women are showing that weve always been a force to reckon with, but now ... were showing that we kind of are superheroes that are real, Ajayi said in an interview. We are really unstoppable; we can dominate at anything we want to do.Black women have also felt the struggles of their athletic counterparts at the games. Many took to social media to defend veteran gymnast Gabby Douglas amid remarks that she lacked patriotism for not placing her hand on her heart during the national anthem, that her hair was not polished enough and that her attitude was unsportsmanlike.The stereotype of the angry black woman was familiar to Wills.That is one of the things that comes with being a black woman in this country, she said, adding that she tried to shrug off the criticism in a Facebook post.I said, `People are just mad at her bold lip, Wills said, referring to Douglas lipstick color.As the games come to a close this weekend, Lawful-Sanders is warming up her pot covers for a few more chances to cheer.We have made up our minds that we are going to give it the best that we have, and we are watching it manifest in the Olympics, she said. Its black girl magic. We are tired of being told that we couldnt or we shouldnt. ... Were taking no prisoners, and Im enjoying every second of it.---Errin Haines Whack covers urban affairs for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous and read more of her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/errin-haines-whack ' ' '