[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 25, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    LEGENDARY TWIN CITIES SPORTSWRITER SID HARTMAN CELEBRATES 60TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to legendary 
sportswriter Sid Hartman on his 60th anniversary with the Star Tribune, 
Minnesota's largest newspaper.
  For six decades Sid Hartman has been writing his celebrated column, 
and his WCCO radio show and daily sports reports are heard by hundreds 
of thousands of loyal listeners throughout the Upper Midwest.
  Mr. Speaker, Sid Hartman personifies the American dream. Born and 
raised on the north side of Minneapolis, Sid started peddling 
newspapers as a fifth-grader in downtown Minneapolis and doing chores 
for the sports editor of the Star Tribune when he was in high school. 
In all, Sid Hartman has worked for the Star Tribune for 70 years, and 
to this day nobody, nobody, works harder or gets more scoops than Sid. 
As he puts it, ``I get out every day and make the rounds,'' and that is 
exactly what Sid does.
  The Golden Gophers, Vikings, Timberwolves, Twins, Wild, Lynx, area 
colleges and high schools, Sid is there every day, as he puts it, 
``talking to people in person every day, all the time.''
  Mr. Speaker, Sid Hartman is a true Minnesota institution. He is the 
pivotal player and chief architect in making Minnesota major league in 
the world of big-time sports.
  But Sid will tell you he is the lucky one to have lived such a 
remarkable life and career. Now in his eighties, Sid Hartman has not 
slowed down one bit. He is the consummate ``homer'' and Minnesota's 
biggest booster of our beloved sports teams.
  Minnesotans can always count on turning to page 3 of the sports 
section of the Star Tribune and reading Sid's latest jottings on 
``sports heroes,'' ``stiffs'' and ``geniuses,'' as only Sid can label 
them.
  And, Mr. Speaker, nobody has more close personal friends than Sid 
Hartman. From Bud Grant and Lou Holtz to Bobby Knight and George 
Steinbrenner, Sid knows them all in the world of sports. I dare say 
there is not one major sports figure in the United States who is not a 
close, personal friend of Sid Hartman.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House of Representatives, it is a 
privilege to recognize and congratulate Sid Hartman on his 60th 
anniversary. The people of Minnesota, well, at least most of us, hope 
Sid continues his legendary sports writing for many years to come.

                          ____________________