Sid!: The Sports Legends, the Inside Scoops, and the Close Personal Friends - Softcover

Sid Hartman has been at the center of Minnesota sports for more than 60 years, getting the inside scoop from players, coaches, owners, and his many "close personal friends." This fascinating tell-all reveals Sid's life and career, from his days as a newspaper boy in Minneapolis and his first scoops as a cub reporter with the Minneapolis Tribune, to his place as a true Minnesota legend. From his controversial role as de facto general manager of the Minneapolis Lakers to his fight to save the Twins, Sid has been in the thick of the local sports scene at all levels. In these pages, sports fans will be privy to Sid's insight into hundreds of events and legendary figures, from Bud Grant and Bob Knight to Kirby Puckett and Kevin Garnett. As one of the most widely read and listened-to sports journalists in the Midwest for over half a century, Sid's impact has been felt by fans from all walks of life, including renowned figures such as Tom Brokaw and Walter Mondale, who called Sid "one of America's hardest-working, most widely read sportswriters."

Join Sid and his cast of thousands, and enjoy their outrageous stories---and learn some Minnesota sports history in the process. This updated paperback edition includes Sid's reminiscences on the past decade of Minnesota sports, including the resurgent Twins, the rocky Vikings, and his always-beloved Gophers.

Sid Hartman has been at the center of Minnesota sports for more than sixty years. From his relationship with notorious local gangster Kid Cann Blumenfeld to his controversial role as de facto general manager of the Minneapolis Lakers to the battles for a new Twins stadium, Sid gives the inside scoop on hundreds of events and legendary figures in this fascinating exposé.

Originally published in 1997, this updated edition of Sid Hartman’s personal memoir includes a new epilogue with his reflections on the past ten years in Minnesota sports, including the good (the resurgent Twins and championships for Gopher hockey), the bad (Kirby Puckett’s death), and the ugly (the Vikings’ loss in the 1998 NFC conference finals and the Gopher basketball scandal). Join Sid as he reveals behind-the-scenes insight into such legendary characters as Bud Grant and Bob Knight, George Mikan and Kirby Puckett, Billy Martin and Randy Moss, and many, many more. You’ll enjoy the outrageous stories, and learn some Minnesota sports history in the process.

Sid Hartman, the dean of Twin Cities sports journalists, is one of the most visible, most listened-to, and most read characters in the Upper Midwest. His first column appeared in the Minneapolis Daily Times in September 1945, and he has been a sports announcer at WCCO Radio since 1955. In that time, he has covered virtually every significant sports event and personality in Minnesota. He is the author of Sid Hartman’s Great Minnesota Sports Moments.

Patrick Reusse first began working with Sid forty years ago as Sid’s copy boy at the Minneapolis Tribune. After a twenty-year stint as Sid’s competitor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, he rejoined the Star Tribune sports department in 1988 as Sid’s colleague. He can be heard regularly on KSTP Radio, am1500.