Sid Hartman’s in a bit of hot water over at the Strib, and we’re not talking jaccuzzi time. Sid is evidently of the opinion that certain silly ethics rules don’t apply to him–and it will be interesting to see how (or even whether) his editors manage to slap the old duffer’s wrists. Kate Parry is certainly taking her whacks, and you can bet Sid’s not going to take any lip from the upstart publisher’s reader’s company spoksperson flack representative, or whatever her title is and whoever it is she actually serves. (The Strib’s twelve summer interns, we guess.)
There is some truth to Sid’s contention that he’s been the anchor man on the team tug-o-war rope for longer than anyone can even remember, and that different rules should apply to him. It’s just that Sid is not Sid’s best apologist. Allowances have been made. This has long been the spirit if not the letter of the law, which is why Sid can continue to be such a loveable jerk in the press box of every major sporting event that ever takes place in our fair city, and why he has for five decades drawn a paycheck from both the city’s newspaper and its “hometown” AM radio station. Half the edit staff at the Strib weren’t even born before most of Sid’s grand-kids were bouncing on his knee, and Anders Gyllenhaal wasn’t even in knee-pants when Sid was general manager of the Minneapolis Lakers. (While a reporter for the paper. How’s THAT for a conflict of interest, you snotty kids?!)
See the problem here is that Sid has never been the most diplomatic fella, and this may be a case where, no matter how many stripes he figures he’s earned over the years, that ain’t going to carry a lot of water with the troops. (If Sid can juggle three or four careers, we figure we can mix our metaphors.)
Does age demand respect and deference? Sure, to a point. But when you grow cavalier and thankless in your grizzled old age, it pays to remember the little folks who will bury you. Sid, it’s never been your strong point, but a little modesty would help your cause. And lose the martyr complex, it’s not very becoming; we know and appreciate your many fine contributions to the Newspaper of the Twin Cities, but have you bought the Strib’s fact-checking department a beer recently? (They may see things a little differently.) Other than that, knock yourself out lending your celebrity to noble causes hither and tither. Just don’t forget the little people–that is, your editors.
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