Inside the world of Sid Hartman

Nice feature in Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine on the one and only Sid Hartman, now 97 but still working 5 days a week. Remarkable life and career -- the whole Minneapolis Lakers thing is still amazing -- and this is a great look at some of the pricklier aspects of his life and legacy. Also some good insight into his rivalry with fellow Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse.

Sid Hartman: Inside the World of the Iconic Star Tribune Sports Writer

 

My first Big Ten basketball road trip was to Minnesota. Apparently I scattered my belongings too liberally in the media room because the first words Sid Hartman ever said to me, with no introduction, came bellowing over my shoulder: "You need two seats!?!?" I corrected my sprawl. A few minutes later I leaned across the seat next to me to ask the IT guy a question right as Hartman walked up again. "YOU NEED TWO SEATS!?!?"

Flash forward a couple of years to a football game at TCF Stadium, where Hartman is blaring his radio in the press box during the game. Which I found ironic considering his previous aversion to other people encroaching on his space.

 

Recently read an old magazine story on Irv Kupcinet, the famed Chicago Sun-Times gossip columnist who died about 15 years ago, and he was similar to Hartman in many ways -- so powerful, entrenched, well-connected and important to their publications back in the day that the rules of newspapers and journalism really didn't apply to them. The big difference: "Kup" was (or at least seemed to be) a genuinely nice and decent guy who had a kind word for everyone, even journalists who ripped him (and there were more than a few of those in his later years). As the original post indicates, Hartman had (and still has) a prickly side.

 

Minor quibble with the piece..I think Reusse and Soucheray had Grant leaving first on their radio show via Dark Star, who was not quite Dark Star yet.

I may be mistaken, long time ago and all that.

 

Sounds like an old, crotchety jerk.

 

Minnesota trivia for the two of us who care! I thought of that at first too, but Dark broke the second Bud retirement, after his comeback season. Which of course led to Dark's entire career! Which is kind of crazy considering Bud's relationship with Sid. I'm trying to remember if he overheard it at a bar or something crazy like that.

 

It was at a card game at a club he was a member at, I think?

 

“The tip-off is Reusse doesn’t have a statue, Reusse doesn’t have no media deal. Reusse doesn’t—none of the other guys have that stuff. I must have done something good for the Vikings to put that media room there. There’s a reason you got a statue. There’s a reason the Twins call it the Sid Hartman Media Room. Because I knocked my brains out to help ’em get all these different stadiums. ...

“They’re jealous, that’s their problem. They’re jealous of the statue, they’re jealous of the ballpark in Northeast Minneapolis, they’re jealous of the media access, they’re jealous of the Twins having a day for Sid Hartman. They’re envious and they’re jealous. You can quote me on that.”

 

Although I got along with Sid, he can be very tough to take. That was 20 years ago. I'm sure whatever inner asshole he has is much less inhibited now.

 

I quickly surmised, after some dealings with Mr. Hartman quite a while ago, that "jerks get old, too."

Admire him for his energy, his single-mindedness, his connections and his genetics. Beyond that, not so much.

 

Seems like everybody there is just afraid of the guy. Fear is what makes him relevant. Etc.