Recent content from Sid Hartman
Hartman: Elflein makes his mark at center, guard for Vikings
Former Ohio State assistant Ed Warinner, now with the Gophers, praises Vikings versatility of Vikings rookie Pat Elflein.
Hartman: Kepler moves about Twins' lineup and outfield, stays productive
No matter where he hits in the Twins order or plays in the outfield, Max Kepler has been productive lately.
Hartman: Vikings' Newman learns to adapt in an ever-changing NFL
Terence Newman said he relishes the chance to keep playing and being productive. He is a two-time Pro Bowl player and is also second on the active list for career interceptions with 41.
Hartman: Twins happy to still have Ervin Santana on their roster
He's struggled in his past two home starts, but the team has no regrets about not trading him.
Hartman: Vikings' new Eagan practice facility is first-class
Vikings officials call the new Eagan complex an "iconic venue" and hopes it heralds on-field success.
Hartman: Robison keeps belief in Vikings going into 11th season
Defensive lineman Brian Robison will be the longest-tenured Viking when the 2017 season starts.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • The Twins have the No. 1 choice in the draft this year for the first time since Joe Mauer in 2001, and…
Hartman: Gophers have great expectations for Athletes Village
Scott Ellison, Gophers associate athletic director in charge of the Athletes Village facilities project, is enthusiastically reporting the project is progressing as scheduled.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • Timberwolves General Manager Scott Layden knows the team will have a very good first-round pick. He was asked how the team scouts…
Hartman: Jones says Vikings defense suits him better than Green Bay's
Datone Jones jumped the border to sign with the Vikings after the defensive lineman bonded with Minnesota coaches.
Hartman: Vikings DE Griffen always on lookout for ways to improve
Everson Griffen, an eight-year veteran, knows that in the NFL you get better or you get out.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford said this past week that he is looking forward to having a full offseason with his teammates. “Just…
Hartman: Fruechte in line for more playing time with Vikings
The former Gophers wideout has learned much on the practice squad and feels ready to help Vikings.
Hartman: Zimmer assesses what Vikings could do in draft, free agency
Even though the Vikings don't have a first-round pick Thursday night, coach Mike Zimmer expects talent to still be available.
Hartman: Vikings GM Spielman lays out plan without first-round pick
The last time the Vikings didn't make a first-round selection was in 2010, before Rick Spielman assumed his role in 2012
Hartman: Wild's daunting task vs. Blues can still be achieved
Lou Nanne says beating the Blues won't be easy after being down 3-0, but Game 4 provided hope.
Twins' Buxton on slow start: 'I just need to relax'
Byron Buxton, leading the league in strikeouts with 23 and hitting just .085 with four hits in 47 at-bats over 14 games to start this season for the Twins, has turned things around before.
Hartman: Spring focus of Gophers football is learning a new culture
Coach P.J. Fleck also said that the coaches have started to get clearer indications of who could help them when the season starts.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • Vikings owner Mark Wilf got a great honor from the Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA) when he was recognized as a Visionary Leader. Wilf…
Hartman: Taylor echoes Thibodeau's call for veteran help for Wolves
"[Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau] needs some players that will come off the bench and keep us going and not give up the lead," owner Glen Taylor said.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • The Gophers rank No. 14 overall and No. 8 in the Class of 2018 football recruiting rankings, according to 247sports.com. The Gophers, who have…
Hartman: Molitor has 'high expectations'; thrilled with sweep
Manager Paul Molitor knows it's a long season, but the Twins' hot start is a vast improvement over last year's 0-9 mark.
Hartman: Sano's offseason adjustments are paying off for Twins
Work on fielding, hitting and weight have helped the Twins third baseman get off to a sizzling start.
Hartman: St. Peter tells fans to stay patient with Twins
Ask St. Peter what he sees out of this year's squad and he believes there's much more positive on the horizon at Target Field than negative.
Hartman: Memories of Lakers days come to life again
Sid Hartman writes: "In my days members of the sports staff also worked on publicity for the sports teams in town, and that's how I got permission from the editors to work with the Lakers."
Hartman: Wolves' Ricky Rubio playing his best after trade deadline
It's amazing to think that just over a month ago, there were serious questions about whether Rubio would finish the season with the Wolves.
Hartman: Zimmer expecting a boost from Vikings' new faces
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is aware of how difficult replacing 12 players on a 53-man roster can be but won't get caught up in who's gone.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • Byron Buxton hit leadoff for most of his time in the minors, but Twins manager Paul Molitor said Friday he didn’t…
Hartman: Fleck starts the task of Gophers team-building
Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck sees progress and reason for optimism at the start of spring practice.
Hartman: Towns, Wolves keep improving together
The Timberwolves' long playoff drought probably won't end this year, but soon. Karl-Anthony Towns' continued growth should set the stage for a great second year under coach Tom Thibodeau next season
Hartman: Spielman treads carefully to open NFL free agency
Vikings GM Rick Spielman said NFL free agency is a balancing act and the team still feels it's in a good position.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • ByungHo Park is hitting .357 with three home runs in 28 spring at-bats after the Twins took him off the 40-man roster…
Hartman: Gophers' loss shouldn't detract from accomplishments
The Gophers, who led the Big Ten in offensive rebounding during conference play, gave up 11 offensive boards to MTSU and grabbed only four themselves.
Hartman: Rick Pitino knew his son had a good team in the Gophers
The Louisville coach liked what he saw of his son's team going into the year.
Hartman: New bosses don't alter Paul Molitor's goal for Twins
The biggest improvement for the Twins, along with their starting pitching, is going to have to come from their everyday position players.
Hartman: Dozier stays put; now Twins must rebound from worst season
Brian Dozier, after a career year, endured trade rumors. He's happy to be back to help the Twins rebound after a 103-loss season.
Hartman: Vikings mull over patching roster through draft, free agency
Coach Mike Zimmer has holes to fill, but the club has cap money available to tempt free agents.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck was asked about the progress he is seeing on the $160 million facilities project, a lot of…
Hartman: Former Gophers great Darrell Thompson, family know recruiting
A son of U great Darrell Thompson is receiving the sort of attention from colleges his father once did.
Sid on 'Today'
Sid on ‘Today’ Star Tribune sports columnist Sid Hartman will be featured on the Sunday “Today” show, which airs 8-9 a.m. Sunday on Ch. 11.…
Hartman: Thrills build as Gophers basketball team continues to win
Success has brought back the crowds and noise to Williams Arena, which is a boon to recruiting.
Hartman: Twins counting on Mauer to be part of their resurgence
Twins manager Paul Molitor said recently that regardless of what has happened in the past few years, he still sees the 2009 American League MVP as a player critical to his team's success.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • New Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck was asked what he expects his “Row the Boat” slogan can do for the program. “What these…
Hartman: Three changes fuel Gophers basketball's turnaround
Transfers and freshmen made an immediate impact, and top returning players greatly improved to help the Gophers into one of this season's biggest stories.
Hartman: MVPs Peterson, Mauer have gone from cornerstones to question marks
The Vikings and Twins must ponder the worth of Adrian Peterson and Joe Mauer as their mighty contracts come due.
Hartman: Fleck aims to maintain close ties to state coaches
The Gophers held an open house for any high school coach last weekend, and coach P.J. Fleck talked about their importance and his familiarity with them.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • The Timberwolves are 22-35 at the All-Star break. With 28 games remaining, they are 3½ games behind Denver for the eighth and final…
Hartman: Gophers hockey faces test in rising Penn State
Coach Don Lucia knows the high-scoring Gophers can't rely on barrage of goals vs. the Nittany Lions.
Hartman: Vikings' role model for next season should be 1973 team
With a stout defense and Fran Tarkenton in his second year back, the team went to Super Bowl.
Tom Thibodeau wants Wolves to focus on daily improvement first
There's no question that the Timberwolves front office, coaching staff and players all expected to have a better record than 20-34 at this point, but the team's play last week showed just how maddening it can be when it comes to consistency.
Hartman: Pitino's young Gophers showing signs of a turnaround
One thing that is easy to forget about these Gophers, because they have played so competitively, is their youth.
Hartman: Mark Wilf says Vikings aiming to host 'best' Super Bowl
Planning goes on for the 2018 game in Minnesota, and Vikings owner Mark Wilf expects quite a show.
Hartman: Little things magnified in Super Bowl spotlight
Former Vikings coach Bud Grant recalls how the small moments in the Super Bowl decide everything.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • I wonder where Bill Belichick would be if he had accepted the job as defensive coordinator with the Vikings in 1984,…
Hartman: Vikings great Page has mixed Super Bowl memories
Alan Page said the Vikings' two closest losses hurt worst, but players have no reason to hang heads.
Hartman: Fleck was up to challenge of short recruiting time
With only 26 days left after his hiring, the new Gophers coach brought in a solid class of talent.
Hartman: Vikings must find a way to fix awful running game
With the hiring of Clancy Barone and Kennedy Polamalu, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is clearly trying to improve the run game, which struggled mightily in 2016
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • It’s interesting that the Gophers men’s basketball team offered six local players in the 2017 class and none of them chose to play…
Hartman: Wild GM Fletcher says team 'definitely' a Cup contender
Along with a new coach, Chuck Fletcher says team has returned to former 100-point season form.
Hartman: Twins' St. Peter says, 'We have a lot of work to do'
The Twins are falling behind last year's season ticket numbers, but president Dave St. Peter and the team's front office personnel understand fans taking a wait-and-see approach.
Hartman: Spielman begins offseason process of solving Vikings' issues
NFL free agency begins March 9, and the Vikings have to make decisions on a number of players.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • The Vikings need a draft like 2015 instead of 2016 if they’re going to add to their depth in 2017. In 2015 they…
Hartman: Pro Bowl bid overdue for Vikings' Joseph
The first honor for the Vikings defensive tackle comes after he took his game to another level.
Hartman: Greenway ponders future with Vikings
Chad Greenway, the 11th-year linebacker, after anticipating 2016 would be his final season, is weighing his options.
Hartman: Gophers athletic department hasn't shared stability of more successful rivals
The overall picture of the men's athletics department and specifically Gophers football simply hasn't been able to maintain steady employment at key positions.
Jottings
JOTTINGS•Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards has been named coach of the West team in this year's East-West Shrine Game, to be held Saturday in…
Hartman: Pitino readying his Gophers for Big Ten marathon
If there's one positive to the Gophers' three losses this season, they have all come against quality opponents: Against Michigan State and No. 9 Florida State.
Hartman: Gophers AD Mark Coyle got the coach he wanted in P.J. Fleck
The Gophers AD had to convince Eric Kaler that retaining Tracy Claeys would hurt ticket sales.
Columnist Sid Hartman is injured in fall
Star Tribune columnist Sid Hartman suffered a broken right hip in a fall Friday night.
Hartman: Munnerlyn buoyed by Vikings' win over Jaguars
Munnerlyn said that the team's win over Jacksonville last Sunday was not only necessary for its playoff chances but got the team in the right frame of mind.
Hartman: Wolves owner Taylor understands fans' impatience
Glen Taylor craves more victories, too, but understands growth takes young teams time.
Hartman: U football suspensions could have a lasting effect
Some of the program's followers find it hard to understand why the action was taken, but colleges have a process of investigating sexual assaults that differs from legal investigations.
Hartman: His right eye on the mend, Zimmer turns focus to Vikings' mistakes
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said his recovery has been going well and has been in constant communication with his doctors. He's more concerned with his team than his eye.
Sid's jottings
JOTTINGS • Trevon Diggs, the brother of Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs, has had a great freshman season at No. 1 Alabama. The 6-2, 195-pound…
Hartman: Rudolph aware Vikings must curb mistakes
When it comes to the difference in losing six of the past seven games after the Vikings' 5-0 start, tight end Kyle Rudolph said the team's problems have been self-inflicted.
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