Hartman Line Also Has a Kernel of Truth: Was Asked to Do One Himself

as a sports copy editor. One day, on t- shirts, always worth a laugh at when a snowstorm stopped Cullum bars and ballgames, but his favorite Sid from writing his column, Hartman line also has a kernel of truth: was asked to do one himself. Later, Hartman knows more people in Hartman Charlie Johnson hired him at the amateur and professional sports in Tribune. "You had to really work for the United States than perhaps any a by-line in those days," he says other sportswriter. His creed is the now, "you had to earn it. And you relentless pursuit of information and the ability to make, keep and "Look, you don't have to kid me. learned on the job. Today I'm cultivate a trust. His longtime friend- I'm not a radio artist. I'm a reporter. probably the only writer at the paper ships with top sports figures irritate And at the newspaper, I'm not a great or the only air person at this station some of his younger competitors, writer either. I'm a reporter." who hasn't attended college or doesn't have a college degree." who aren't accorded equal access, and who claim he is too cozy with WLOL You can spot him on a downtown In 1953, doing sports for at his sources. But he seems to gain he met sidewalk, tape recorder, mike and Gopher football games, most of his information with sweat, Manager notebook under his arm, darting WCCO Radio General not favors. The irony is that the man Larry Haeg, Sr., during a halftime at around a corner, sport jacket flapping, who for 20 years has been the host fierce brown eyes set in some sort Memorial Stadium. It led to a with predictable questions for in its 29th year of private determination. He looks, broadcast career now "Today's Sports Hero" on WCCO except for the silver -gray hair, like with WCCO that has helped make Radio really doesn't have any sports figure in the some cub reporter chasing his first him perhaps the sports heroes. He prefers to think of them story. His figure still lean, gait still Northwest. "I am a close personal as friends -close and personal. purposeful, pursuing stories like wild friend of Sid Hartman" is emblazoned game animals. The veteran columnist for the Minneapolis Tribune, the Sid Hartman and Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Les Steckel. late Dick Cullum, said it several years ago and it is still true: "Sid Hartman has the best legs of any reporter who ever lived." You can out -write him, but you will never, or almost never, beat him on a story. He will not let you because that is how he was raised. He was the oldest of four children who lived in a house at 525 Humboldt Avenue in a lower middle class area of North Minneapolis in the Depression. His father, a European immigrant, had little formal education, made 512 -15 a week driving a furniture delivery truck. He left the family, and Hartman's mother supported the children with a dress shop on Olson Highway. At age nine, he came under the care of Tribune circulation man Art Harlow, delivered papers on the pre -dawn run in North Minneapolis, acquired the nickname "Blackie" among the news vendors, toughs and gamblers of "newspaper alley," 4th Street between the Journal and Tribune buildings. He worked five years in circulation, was graduated from North High and Dick Cullum hired him on the Times sports staff, where he earned $23 every two weeks

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