by Tanner Hittesdorf
Minnesota sports is still reeling from the loss of legendary columnist Sid Hartman, age 100, who passed away this Sunday afternoon. In the state of Minnesota, the man had seemingly done it all and wrote it all. He wrote well over 21,000 bylines and articles. Outside of writing, he also ran the Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 to 1957, helping create the National Basketball Association’s very first dynasty.
I think that Hartman is an incredibly influential figure in the grand scheme of Minnesota and beyond. He would report almost every day (save for a few hiatuses), because reporting was what he loved. He grew up smack-dab in the middle of the Great Depression; as a job, he sold newspapers on the streets to make even a little money. He dropped out of high school and on September 11, 1945, had his very first article published. 1945 to 2020 sure seems like a lifetime to others, but for Sid, every day was a work day.
Along the way, he made some “close, personal friends”, as he called them. Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant was perhaps the greatest of all of them. Hartman was personally chosen by Grant to induct him into the National Football League Hall of Fame in 1994. Among other incredibly close contacts were George Steinbrenner, Lou Holtz, and Bobby Knight.
In a way, Sid Hartman should be a role model for everyone, that if you love something enough, you never have to give it up just because you grow old; you can still involve yourself if you want. That’s a rather comforting and sweet thought, don’t you think? So go out there and pursue your dream, and if you enjoy it enough, you can be a little like Sid.
