Hutchinson thinks Vikings' chemistry is the best he's seen

Vikings left guard Steve Hutchinson played for Seattle in Super Bowl XL in 2006, when his Seahawks lost 21-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field in Detroit.

Asked to compare that Super Bowl team and the current Vikings, Hutchinson said players on both teams worked well together, on and off the field. He remembered the Seahawks having "a really tight locker room.

"The guys really got along well, and the chemistry was good," said Hutchinson, who came to the Vikings after Seattle failed to match an offer sheet extended to him in March 2006. "I think so far, out of the three years that I've been here, so far this is shaping out to be the best in that regard."

Hutchinson said former Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen, who was traded to the Vikings and signed for six years and $73.3 million in April, will further improve the chemistry.

"Yeah, [Allen] will help," Hutchinson said. "Not only is he a great player on the field, but he's going to be a great guy in the locker room to help build and maintain that chemistry that I was talking about."

From a personnel standpoint, Hutchinson also is impressed with what he saw in the minicamps.

"I think we should make some pretty good jumps forward from last year," he said. "I think our whole pass offense, our pass protecting included, that's a focus of ours now, and I think we're going to continue to get better. There's no substitute for experience, and a lot of these young guys that we have are just getting reps and reps and getting better."

Hutchinson said the players are supporting McKinnie.

"He's our teammate, he's a cornerstone of this team, and I think everything will work out," Hutchinson said. "He's going to have to do what's required of him, but I think he knows that and everybody's behind him 100 percent."

The left side of the Vikings offensive line, with Hutchinson and McKinnie, ranks with the best in the league in protecting the passer. In fact, with Matt Birk at center, the Vikings have three of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, and nobody appreciated that more than Adrian Peterson, who set a few records as a rookie running back last year.

Tiger connection Vikings placekicker Ryan Longwell is a close friend and neighbor in Orlando of golfer Tiger Woods, who is missing this week's PGA Championship after having reconstructive surgery on his left knee.

"He's doing all right," Long- well said. "He's not real active at this point. I've seen him driving around the community a bit.

"He'll come back hitting it pretty well, I'll promise you that. I would say, in my opinion ... the Masters would be the target [for his return to the PGA Tour]. I don't think there will be anything before that. If it was before that, it would be pretty amazing, because he swings so hard and puts so much force on that knee. It would take a long time to have it strong enough to hold up to him."

Span has developed Twins hitting instructor Joe Vavra has watched outfielder Denard Span from the day he was selected by the organization in 2002 as a first-round draft choice. Vavra said Span, now hitting .315 for the Twins since being called up from Class AAA Rochester on June 29, has been getting better and better each year.

"I could see him way back in instructional league, in his first year after he was drafted and signed," Vavra said. "And he's just been a sponge about learning how to do things and the whole game. He's becoming a real good, complete player. You like to get those young guys to do all facets of the game well, and he's doing it real well.

"Offensively, he's always had real quick hands and been able to turn on a pitch. Early on we tried to get him to go the other way ... and be able to come back and pull. So he's doing a nice job. He utilizes his speed well. He's fun to watch."

Vavra said it was a close call between Span and Carlos Gomez to see who would make the club this spring.

Gophers in the black While many college athletic programs are struggling financially, Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said the university is in good shape and will end up with a surplus.

"I think it's going to be close to $1 million overall, which is pretty significant," said Maturi about the 2007-08 fiscal year. "[Senior associate athletic director] Liz Eull deserves much of that credit. She watches the dollars like a hawk, and at the same time, we want to make sure that our teams have what is necessary, and it's really a fine line.

"Four months ago, we were wondering if we were going to operate in the black, and all of a sudden, because this happens or that happens and we didn't spend here or didn't have to spend there, we're OK. We feel good about what we accomplished in '07-08."

Jottings One of the many positive things Gophers football coach Tim Brewster has seen in the first few days of practice is that two transfers, offensive lineman Matt Carufel from Notre Dame and defensive back Kim Royston from Wisconsin, are going to be big contributors once they become eligible for the 2009 season. "Carufel and Royston stand out, with the experience they have had, and there is no doubt they will fit in next season," Brewster said.

The Twins still have to sign their sixth-round draft choice, 6-6, 220-pound righthander Brett Hermsen, before Aug. 15. Hermsen has signed a letter of intent to play at Oregon State.