Sid Hartman Met Prince Once And It's Actually Kind Of A Charming Story

Sid Hartman is an old sports columnist in Minneapolis. Really old. Like, 96 years old. He still writes three columns a week, and he has been working for Minneapolis newspapers continuously for 84 years. This is to say he is a Minneapolis icon to whatever extent a newspaperman can be.

Prince is an eccentric and one of the greatest musicians of all time.

Nine years ago in Miami, Hartman was covering the Super Bowl, and Prince was the halftime performer. Hartman asked Vikings PR director Bob Hagan to arrange a meeting with Prince, and it’s at this point in the story that it’s helpful to know that old newspaper reporters are pathologically incapable of understanding why anyone wouldn’t talk to them for a few minutes, because that’s how things actually used to be. 

What happened next is narrated by Kevin Seifert of ESPN, who was then the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Vikings beat writer.

"  Hagan’s NFL credential got them backstage, and they talked their way past a second wave of security. A third security officer was less willing. Finally, Hagan said: “I know you probably don’t know this man, but other than Prince, he’s the most famous guy in our state.” The officer relented, and now Sid and Hagan were walking down a hallway toward the “green room,” where Prince was preparing for what would be a 12-minute performance in front of reporters. Then they saw him. The superstar — Prince, not Sid — was walking the other way and surrounded by his bodyguards. And Sid did what he always does. He chased down the guy he wanted to talk to. “Hey Prince! Prince! Hey, Prince!” is the way Hagan remembers Sid flagging him down. At that moment, everything stopped. The bodyguards looked over and saw an 87-year-old sportswriter trying to get a little personal time with one of the quirkiest celebrities of our times. “The seas just parted,” Hagan said. “And Prince turned around, really slow, to see who this was.” Prince looked at Sid. Sid looked at Prince. “Hello, Mr. Hartman,” Prince said. “How are you?”"

Usually, when you hear a story like that, it’s from 1975. May we all be Sid Hartman and/or Prince.