Jim Ramstad: “I rise to pay tribute to legendary sportswriter Sid Hartman on his 60th anniversary with the Star Tribune, Minnesota's…”

“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.”