El Sid ripped

[SockPuppet]

Noticed on Romenesko an item where the Minny Star Trib public editor ripped Sid Hartman for his gloating column regarding Minny finally getting its stadiums approved.
Hartman ripped the polticos who voted against: "Voting no were Linda Berglin, Scott Dibble, Larry Pogemiller and Jane Ranum. Most of them don't know the difference between a baseball and a hockey stick. The heck with doing the right thing, they were only worried about being reelected."
The public editor pointed out that Jane Ranum has announced she is not running for re-election because she needs to devote time to her husband, who has a degenerative brain disease. A correction was printed. The PE said Hartman should apologize. Here's part of her column: Hartman was unapologetic. When I sought to interview him for this column, he would say only, "I was referring to the whole Legislature. I think I'm right. You write what you want." At that point, he cut off the interview. He apologized later for "being gruff," but stood his ground about the column.
I'm sure his old pal Bob Knight will send Sid a letter of support.

[Norman Stansfield]

I remember back in '94 I was an agate and when our NBA writer went on vacation, I got to fill in for him at the team's post-draft camp.

The team drafted Voshon Lenard in the second round. I did this bang-up feature on him, spoke to his dad (who was at the camp). Both swore up and down he wouldn't take advantage of the (then) new rule allowing players to return to school after being drafted, so that was the gist of the story. Feature ran on the front page the next morning -- my first ever. Then my SE calls me mid-afternoon and says, "Lenard is going back to school." After shitting my pants, I tracked down the appropriate people and wrote a decent follow-up story.

Anyway, I'm back at home now, rattled by the whole experience and the phone rings. I answer, and on the other line is Sid Hartman. Me, being a punk-ass kid, had no idea who this grumpy old man was calling me. Anyway, he badgered me into giving him some info about Lenard, then hung up with barely a thank you.

My brush with grate-ness.

[Flying Headbutt]

This Sid guy sounds like a real dick.  Is he still that popular up in Minny?

[Rosie]

Not with the people I associate with!

Sid is a first class self-important jerk as far as I'm concerned. The couple times I've been in the Metrodome press box for a game, he has either brushed by me with not so much as an "excuse me" or he has given me eye daggers.

I can think of a couple ex-pros who thought he was a joke.

I don't know why he is still around. Yuck!

[Norman Stansfield]

I heard another great story about Sid from a former Vikings beat guy, who said one day following a practice Sid backed his big Lincoln or Cadillac or whatever he drove right into the cherrypicker that was holding the team's video guy about 50 feet in the air.

Nearly knocked him out of it. But instead of apologizing, he got out and yelled at whomever had the gall to park that damned truck there. And this was in the players' lot, no less.

Class act.

[Turfburger]

It would be well worth anyone's time to read Don Yaeger and Doug Looney's book, "Under the Tarnished Dome.'' The section about Sid Hartman is absolutely priceless on how some of the national media treat this joke.

[Piotr Rasputin]

My only Sid Hartman story is a minor one, and represents the first time I ever heard of the gentleman. Which I suppose is a commentary on how I should pay more attention to columnists aside from those at the paper I work and my hometown paper.

In 2002, Indiana blew a sizeable lead at Minnesooooooota and lost a basketball game. Apparently, Mr. Sid strolled into the press room afterwards loudly proclaiming that "Bobby wouldn't have blown that lead." Aside from Mr. Sid conveniently forgetting that his boy had a team absolutely piss away a win at Minny in 2000 in a much worse scenario (big lead late, Joel F%$&ing Przybilla makes the winning layup after a big rally), it just strikes me as unprofessional for a gentleman to act this way in a press situation. Not that my press box behavior is always above reproach, I'm sure, but . . .

Anyway, if anyone could recount what Under the Tarnished Dome says about this person for those few of us who have not read that book, it would be appreciated. 

[Fenian_Bastard]

I backed a chair into his path once in the Metrodome press box. Sid was not thrilled. I was not impressed. I think the phrase, "Go blow an owner" flew indiscreetly. We have not spoken since.

[slappy4428]

I'm sure his old pal Bob Knight will send Sid a letter of support.

Sid has no pals. You're either against that doddering old fuck, or you're a "close, personal friend."

I remember one time in the Metrodome for a UM-UM game. We're interviewing lloyd Carr in the hallway for postgame; Sid strolls up with his tape recorder and microphone, starts his own personal interview finishes and walks away -- leaving the local guys shaking their heads and the Michigan guys saying what the fuck is he doing,...

[slappy4428]

I backed a chair into his path once in the Metrodome press box. Sid was not thrilled. I was not impressed. I think the phrase, "Go blow an owner" flew indiscreetly. We have not spoken since.

I'm sure it was accidental on your part, right?

[Rosie]

Sid has no pals. You're either against that doddering old f*ck, or you're a "close, personal friend."

Confession time: I used to work for a MN professional sports team.

More than once during my time with that team, I used to hear snide comments -- both players and front office -- about being a "close, personal friend" of Sid's.

I remember years and years ago he used to have a spot on WCCO radio during "The Cannon Mess" (I still miss Steve Cannon!) where Sid did his "close, personal friend" schtick.

I wish he'd just retire! He's such an embarrassment to this state!

[write then drink]

I'm sure his old pal Bob Knight will send Sid a letter of support.

I remember one time in the Metrodome for a UM-UM game. We're interviewing lloyd Carr in the hallway for postgame; Sid strolls up with his tape recorder and microphone, starts his own personal interview finishes and walks away -- leaving the local guys shaking their heads and the Michigan guys saying what the fuck is he doing,...

ok, i don't know this guy, and he sounds like a jerk

but ... what exactly did he do wrong here? interview Lloyd Carr on his own away from the group interview? that's a bad thing?

[Rosie]

Sounds like a jerk?

He's a pompous, arrogant SOB!

Maybe you have to experience him in person, write then drink. He's very rude, has no respect for anyone other than himself and his "close, personal friends" and looks down on others as very insignificant. The way I read Slappy's post (and Slappy, correct me if I'm wrong) Sid most likely barged in and interrupted the first interview for his own.

That's just wrong in my book.

[slappy4428]

I'm sure his old pal Bob Knight will send Sid a letter of support.

I remember one time in the Metrodome for a UM-UM game. We're interviewing lloyd Carr in the hallway for postgame; Sid strolls up with his tape recorder and microphone, starts his own personal interview finishes and walks away -- leaving the local guys shaking their heads and the Michigan guys saying what the fuck is he doing,...

ok, i don't know this guy, and he sounds like a jerk

but ... what exactly did he do wrong here? interview Lloyd Carr on his own away from the group interview? that's a bad thing?

No, he walked up in the middle of the group interview, right in front of Lloyd and started "I'm standing here taking with Michigan coach Lloyd Carr.." and started asking his own questions... Basically ignored the rest of the pack, cut everyone off. He did his own 1-on-1 in the MIDDLE of the group interview... Then walked away.

[SockPuppet]

I was in Minny for the Midwest Regional in '89. Metrodome situation was a total mess, disorganized, etc. It was a warmup for the F4 in, I think '91. Homer Sid wrote about how great the Metrodome situation was, how all the NCAA suits were complimentary about Minny, etc., etc., blah blah blah VOMIT. He totally ignored the problems. The day his column ran, I introduced myself and called him on it, told him how FUBARed the whole situation was, etc.
Sid Hartman outlived his usefulness, oh, about 20 years ago. He's an embarrassment to journalism, sports columnists and ... considering his crass ass behavior, the human race.

[SF_Express]

Had the displeasure a couple of times when I covered pro football. We were covering a bad team, and we were a fun group. Boy, did he hate us when we joked our way through a couple of Vikings encounters with the team we covered.

I'm not a fan, whatsoever.

[Bruhman]

Saw the thread title and for the life of me couldn't imagine why sid fernandez was back in the news. 

[Fenian_Bastard]

slap --
Honest to god, it was.
It was a between-innings-god-this-game-sucks-where's-the-Diet-Coke? moment. He treated it like I'd run the chair over his grandchild.

[leo1]

not to defend him, but he comes from a different era. he was a sports writer for the old tribune (or was it the star?) at the same time he was general manager of the minneapolis lakers. i am not making this up. imagine a sports writer being a GM of a professional sports franchise today. not happening, obviously. i just read leigh montville's bio of babe ruth and there were plenty of instances in which writers made themselves part of the story. that's what they did back in the old days; they were not as objective. sid does the same thing -- he sees himself as a 'man about town' and a local mover and shaker rather than a chronicler of what happens. he's a dinosaur who hasn't learned to adapt like the few of his contemporaries who are still around. but he's survived because in some ways, he is what passes for a celebrity.

as was posted on a thread about sid a couple weeks ago here, he's pushing 90, but he'll die in a press box because he has no true friends and no life outside of journalism. i have plenty of sid stories but what stands out to me is that once the klieg lights go out, he's a miserable (but wealthy) and lonely old man.

[Armchair_QB]

One of the STrib's former columnists had (and I think still has) a show on KFAN in Minneapolis and he used to rip Sid every chance he got on the air. What made it funny was the fact that his co-host was Sid's son.

[SockPuppet]

That would be Dan Barreiro, who is the polar opposite of Sid "Fan Man" Hartman.

[leo1]

That would be Dan Barreiro, who is the polar opposite of Sid "Fan Man" Hartman.

speaking of barreiro, he weighs in on his blog, on his talk radio station's web site

http://rubechat.kfan.com/blogs/danbarreiro/default.aspx

That's not the funny part. That's the sad part. No, the funny part _ the side-splittingly hilarious part _  is Sid's more general suggestion of mad-as-hell-outrage that any legislator would lower himself to pandering for votes.

Is there any need to fill in the punch-line here?

Any need to play the irony card? This is a guy who has built his entire career on pandering. It is the very essence of who he is and what he does. If there were a Mount Rushmore of panderers, Sid's face would be chiseled on it. To steal a line from a distant presidential campaign, he is a regular Pander Bear.

Pander to owners, to general managers, and to players by giving them whatever they want in print or on the air.

They need a shameless plug? They got it. They need a phony boost? They got it. They need a re-write of an episode in sports history to make themselves look better than they deserve? Sweetheart, get me rewrite. They need somebody to run interference for their new stadium, their new ball park, their new arena, their new summer camp, their new acquisition, they have their lap dog. It doesn't matter what the stadium deal is, they're all outstanding for the community, will end crime and maybe even cure a couple diseases.

[slappy4428]

That would be Dan Barreiro, who is the polar opposite of Sid "Fan Man" Hartman.

speaking of barreiro, he weighs in on his blog, on his talk radio station's web site

http://rubechat.kfan.com/blogs/danbarreiro/default.aspx

That's not the funny part. That's the sad part. No, the funny part _ the side-splittingly hilarious part _  is Sid's more general suggestion of mad-as-hell-outrage that any legislator would lower himself to pandering for votes.

Is there any need to fill in the punch-line here?

Any need to play the irony card? This is a guy who has built his entire career on pandering. It is the very essence of who he is and what he does. If there were a Mount Rushmore of panderers, Sid's face would be chiseled on it. To steal a line from a distant presidential campaign, he is a regular Pander Bear.

Pander to owners, to general managers, and to players by giving them whatever they want in print or on the air.

They need a shameless plug? They got it. They need a phony boost? They got it. They need a re-write of an episode in sports history to make themselves look better than they deserve? Sweetheart, get me rewrite. They need somebody to run interference for their new stadium, their new ball park, their new arena, their new summer camp, their new acquisition, they have their lap dog. It doesn't matter what the stadium deal is, they're all outstanding for the community, will end crime and maybe even cure a couple diseases.

hee hee... he called Mr. Microphone a "consumate house bobo"

[Moderator1]

How did he get wealthy?


Slap, what he did was wrong but why did you guys let it happen? How come no one shouted FUCK into his microphone or railroaded his act?

[PopeDirkBenedict]

The next person I hear say a good thing about Sid will be the first.