A county medical examiner says Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano died of heart disease.

The Hennepin County medical examiner's office said Monday that the 56-year-old Sparano died of arteriosclerotic heart disease [url=http://www.jaguarscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-a.j.-bouye-jersey]A.J. Bouye Jersey[/url] , or hardening of the arteries. The manner of death is listed as natural.

Sparano died Sunday in Eden Prairie, a Minneapolis suburb. He had been the Vikings' offensive line coach since 2016.

Sparano began his NFL coaching career in 1999 and had stints as a head coach with the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders.

He was the Dolphins' head coach from 2008-11 and went 29-32. He went 11-5 and won the AFC East in his first season with Miami.

Sparano also spent time with the Browns, Redskins, Jaguars, Cowboys and 49ers.
Seemed fairly clear that Marcin Gortat and the Washington Wizards were ready to part ways. Now they will.

The Wizards traded Gortat, their starting center, to the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Austin Rivers on Tuesday night. Both players are entering the final season of their contracts and are set to earn similar salaries [url=http://www.lionscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-kerry-hyder-jersey]Kerry Hyder Jersey[/url] , making a straight-up exchange work under NBA rules.

The 34-year-old Gortat is a durable, screen-setting big man who has played 12 years in the league, the past five with Washington. He averaged 8.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season, his lowest numbers since 2009-10, when he was with the Orlando Magic, but could fill a need in Los Angeles if DeAndre Jordan departs.

After the Wizards finished eighth in the Eastern Conference and lost in the first round of the playoffs to No. 1 seed Toronto, Gortat was adamant that he had no interest in changing his style of play at this late stage of his career.

Asked about the possibility of working on his outside shot [url=http://www.lionscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-da_shawn-hand-jersey]Da'Shawn Hand Jersey[/url] , Gortat replied: ”This summer, I’m going to work on my tan. I’m going to work on my 6-pack. Get my biceps definition a bit better. You can’t improve 3-point shooting. You can’t improve your shot, specifically for me. I truly believe I’m a solid, good shooter up to 15, 17 feet. But I’m not going to shoot 3s. No, I’m not going to do that. I want to go into the paint. Body people. Be physical. Get scratches. Bleed.”

Gortat also discussed the widely held perception that he and All-Star point guard John Wall did not get along.

”We are good. Are we best friends? And, like [url=http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-kelvin-benjamin-jersey]Kelvin Benjamin Jersey[/url] , the greatest friends? Brothers? Probably not. But I’m not best friends with probably half of the team over there,” Gortat said in April after Washington was eliminated. ”So I have a few good friends, but the rest of them are just my colleagues and teammates. That’s how it is. That’s how it is around the league.”

The Wizards had a bit of a roster problem at center, with Gortat plus a similar, stay-in-the-paint, well-paid backup center Ian Mahinmi.

They also were in need of backup help at guard, which Rivers can provide.

Rivers [url=http://www.bearscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-mike-singletary-jersey]Mike Singletary Jersey[/url] , who turns 26 in August, averaged a career-best 15.1 points and four assists last season while playing for his father, Doc, the Clippers’ coach.

”He is coming off a career year and his ability to create offense for himself and others will help our second unit and allow us to play a variety of lineups throughout the season,” Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement announcing the trade.

—

[url=http://www.basketballofficialauthentic.com/nba-jerseys/memphis-grizzlies/jevon-carter-jersey]Jevon Carter Jersey[/url] ,