Sid Hartman, the longtime columnist for the Star Tribune of Minneapolis and a noted booster for sports in the region, died Sunday. Hartman played a big role in drawing professional sport teams to Minnesota, going back to 1947, when he paid $15,000 to the owner of the Detroit Gems of the NBA to bring the team to town. While still a newspaperman, he also served as the de facto general manager of the renamed Minneapolis Lakers, who, led by the 6-foot-10 George Mikan, won the NBA title in 1949 and five in total before the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1960.