Up close or far away: Readers react to our Sid Hartman stories

Tributes to Sid Hartman have poured in from throughout sports: Coaches, players, team executives and others have shared their memories. Here's where Star Tribune readers said about the 100-year-old Minnesota sports icon who died on Sunday. Their words are taken from the hundreds of comments that appeared with Patrick Reusse's story about Hartman's life. You can read all of our coverage at startribune.com/hartman. (Some of the comments have been edited for length and clarity.)

• Sid. One name like Kirby, Harmon, Bud or Fran. Or TK or Hrbek ... Or Halsey & Herb ... He brought us so many teams and great times. Who knew he wrote over 21,000 columns? Whoever hired him at the Strib deserves a raise! He made Minnesota and the world a better place. Thank you, sir! — 2muchwhining

• With a story as big as this you would half expect that Sid would have gotten the scoop on it. That would have been about the only thing that would be more amazing than the story of his career. I'm really going to miss him. — Wally62

• Truly a Minnesota icon and the end of an epic career in sports journalism. The fact the teams disappointed has little to do with the his legacy. We'd have 20 championships by now had our teams played with the same dedication, devotion and enthusiasm as this man. — DW7719

• Reading Sid in the digital age was like a comfortable return to my childhood. You will be missed Sid! — davidcade

• Grew up in the 1960s and basically learned to read by devouring Sid's columns each day spread out on the living room floor. Recently, so many sports figure from our growing up years have passed away, sort of tearing out a piece of ourselves with them. What an enviable life he led. — kivirl

• Your column being published on the day you pass at 100 more than meets the criteria for dying with your boots on. Well done, well lived. — ryannolan

• My Sid story. I grew up in Iowa but would buy the newspaper in northern Iowa to read Sid. Several of us in college drove up to a Twins game in the summer of 1982 (the first year in the Metrodome). Pulled into a parking garage and a car pulled in and parked right next to us in a regular old parking spot. Out gets George Steinbrenner and Sid. We couldn't believe it. Steinbrenner was very accommodating as he took pictures with us and visited with us. ... Sid had just picked up Steinbrenner with his own car from the airport. Boy have times changed. — tommyb01

• As a young man attending the U of M, I worked as a doorman at the Hyatt Hotel downtown. All the visiting sports teams stayed there at that time, so I became a close personal friend of Sid's. All the big names would ask for Sid. "Where's Sid?" they'd ask, knowing Sid was going to be close by, somewhere in the hotel, waiting to get his scoop. Sid would drive up in his new Caddy, park right in front of the hotel, never tipping anyone of the staff. But you know what? We didn't care! We all knew Sid was our ambassador and it was a cost of doing business! — jackpinenomo

• Very sad news indeed. One thing I'll never forget about Mr. Hartman is, a number of years ago, his Sunday column was in my humble opinion terrible, making excuses for the terrible play of the Gophers football team the day before. I contacted him via the Strib and left a message telling him how I felt about his column. Couldn't believe it when he contacted me in return and offered to meet for lunch and discuss the game. One of the best lunchtimes I've ever enjoyed. A class individual. My condolences to his family and all of his close personal friends around the world. — meegwitch

• I walked into a Jerry Kill football practice with Sid about 6 years ago. I thought he would walk like a typical 90+ year old. I was surprised to find out I could hardly keep up with him. — Gopherbilly

• I met Sid at the State Fair, when he appeared at the WCCO stand, and it was nearly empty, and he visited with me about an upcoming event where the U.S. women's volleyball team was going to play the Gophers women. He didn't appear very interested, but he put a paragraph in his column the following Sunday. I was shocked. I don't believe the Tribune sent anyone to cover it, but it had the best attendance of any women's event ever in Williams Arena. Anything that would benefit Gophers sports — he would do it. How many U of M athletic directors have come and gone in Sid's career? All owe him many thanks. — Glenlivet

• What an icon. Another reminder of how time waits for no one. I always respected Sid for his work ethic and his persistence. I never cared that some people called him a "homer." Every big sports town needs a reporter that is positive and roots for the home team. Minneapolis, and all of Minnesota, has lost a great one. — prisondoc

• I owe Sid. First, he got me to school on time growing up in small-town western Minnesota. My family did not subscribe to the Tribune back then, but they had it in the local high school library. No better way to start the day than getting the latest on the Millers and Gophers from Sid. And no telling how many hours of detention I avoided by being in the building when classes started. Then, he covered my cigarette budget. I had a Tribune delivery route a couple of years later and was able to increase readership substantially by convincing customers that Sid had the inside scoop on pro football and baseball coming to Minnesota. (He did.) The customers got their morning sports fix from Sid while their delivery boy enjoyed a quick smoke before class. — pastrysnob

• My father was in hospice this spring, and a few weeks before his death, he sat up in his chair to report that he had heard my brother on Sid Hartman's show. It didn't happen; it came from somewhere in Dad's mind. He didn't mention other friends or relatives in those last weeks, but he mentioned Sid. May his memory be a blessing. — annemthom

• I invited him fishing a few times and he finally said, "Hey, I went on a fly-in trip with Bud Grant one time and THAT was enough fishing for me." — sjfellegy

• Sid's death is not the end of an era. It is the end of three eras. — openroad