Sid Hartman chats with Vikings coach Mike Zimmer in 2018. The sports media legend’s impact was felt well beyond Minnesota.getty images
The phrase “end of an era” is often hyperbole, but in the case of the recent passing of Minnesota sports media legend Sid Hartman, it is a simple fact.
Hartman died at 100 on Oct. 18, leaving behind a legacy unlike any other anywhere in the country. There will simply never be another journalist with that kind of impact on one market.
He was once the de facto GM of the Minneapolis Lakers and a local newspaper guy. At the same time. When Vikings star Adam Thielen referred to him as a “big part of this organization,” no one batted an eye. Sid — who had one-name status in Minnesota perhaps paling only to Prince — was too big a force for conflicts of interest. Stories circulated last week of Sid browbeating local high school sports stars into playing for the University of Minnesota. Not the role of a typical journalist. Power broker is more like it.
And his impact went far beyond the Land of 10,000 Lakes: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman last week spent 90 seconds on air memorializing Hartman with personal remembrances, even while play was going on in a game that didn’t involve the Vikings.
For generations, he owned the column of record for the Minnesota sports world in the Star Tribune. Over the years, I have made appearances on countless national and international outlets, which was always part of the job. But seeing my name in Sid’s column for the first time as a young exec: That was huge. That mattered. That, I’ll truly never forget.
How did Sid achieve all of this? According to many, he just wanted it more. He was tireless in his pursuit of the next story, merciless on anyone who gave a scoop to anyone else. At 96 he broke a hip, and a few weeks later was at a press conference, making sure a new coach appeared on his radio show.
Like many, my late grandfather (a former co-owner of the Vikings) was a “close, personal friend” to Sid. Despite a story breaking at the time, Sid came to his funeral. I was touched. Then I looked around and saw him with his notebook out. A target-rich environment. Always working. His last column, on the day he died, was his 119th of 2020. An end of an era, indeed.
Minnesota native Ben Grossman is a media consultant/investor and a minority owner of MLS Minnesota United and NWSL Angel City FC.
