Daniel B. Anderson, 60, of Hibbing, died unexpectedly in his home shortly after Christmas.
He was born July 12, 1948, in Cook, the son of Bob and Kathryn Anderson, former residents of Lake Vermilion. Dan graduated from Duluth Central High School and went on to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in history. He worked as an editor for various newspapers including the Hibbing Tribune, where he worked as a sports editor for many years.
Dan loved northern Minnesota and was an avid outdoorsman and wildlife photographer. He loved fishing with family and friends. He enjoyed coaching youth hockey in Hibbing and working as a softball umpire.
He was a beloved and loving brother, son and uncle.
He is survived by his mother Kathryn Anderson; siblings: Earl (Hazel) Anderson, Stan (Janet) Anderson, John Anderson, Jim (Ronica) Anderson, and Marilyn (Sam) Anderson ; along with several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Rebecca Anderson, and his father, Robert G. Anderson 67, 1990.
HIBBING — Dan Anderson was a former sports editor, writer and photographer with the Hibbing Daily Tribune. And for many years, he wrote a column in the HDT entitled “Dan Dan The Sports Man.” Oddly, the name stuck and many people addressed him by saying his first name twice.
But to label Dan Anderson as just a sports guy is like saying George Will only knows how to write about baseball. Dan was more than just some sports-desk jockey with his nose only in the C section. He was just as comfortable discussing the front page as the sports page. In fact, I always got the feeling he would have rather sat and talked with Charlie Rose than Pete Rose.
He was the kind of guy just as likely to have Steinbeck tucked under his arm as he was the morning box scores. He was a very well-read man, who knew a ton about history. He could easily discuss Wendell Anderson the Minnesota governor in the 1970s and the same Wendell Anderson, hockey defenseman at the U of M in the 1950s.
As I remember, he was involved in Hibbing Youth Hockey and coached the Bantam Bs for a time when I was in junior high.
I worked alongside Dan for a few years back in the early 1990s as a reporter for the HDT. But my association with Dan goes back further yet. Most kids playing sports at the high school level in Hibbing in the 1970s and through the 1980s knew who Dan was.
He was the guy at the Hibbing Memorial Arena on a step ladder with his camera on a Saturday night shooting over the glass to make sure Pat Micheletti’s perfectly-fed goal from one of the Hooper twins was on the front of the sports page the next day. The regular photographer had the night off, so Dan pulled double duty.
He was the guy covering Donny Varichak’s 1982 football Bluejackets at the old Cheever Field with one pencil tucked behind his ear and the other frantically working the reporter’s notebook. I asked him once why carry two pencils and not just a pen? “I’m old school,” he’d say with a wry smile or that cackle-like laugh of his.
He was the guy at Al Nyberg field many times on a Sunday to cover the final day of the Hibbing American Legion Baseball Tournament even though it was his day off and he’d probably rather have been fishing. Nobody kept a more meticulous baseball scorebook than Dan Anderson. And he did it all the while handling the PA announcing duties. “Batting leadoff, playing centerfield and wearing number 12, Dennis Annnnngellotti.” Former Twins announcer Bob Casey couldn’t have said it better.
Job descriptions didn’t matter much to Dan. He’d write, edit, shoot the photos, develop the pictures, lay out the sports page and make sure it all was perfect before it went to press. And if it wasn’t perfect, you’d hear about it.
His run-ins with the leader in the “back shop” or production portion of the paper, Dean Kniffin, were legendary. Both men were strong willed and talented at what they did. Let’s just say that led to a few disagreements. There are stories of thrown typewriters and holes in the wall from well-placed fists. Back then, deadlines and the thought of union overtime often times made people edgy. It was all in the name of producing a worthy product.
I never really asked him, but he left the paper in the mid-90s, probably in part because he tired of the lousy hours, even lousier pay and the parents who always called complaining why their Timmy or Tommy wasn’t mentioned in his story….a story he didn’t finish until 11 p.m. the previous night.
I always respected his philosophy on covering sports. When people would call and say a various team deserved more coverage from the newspaper, Dan would most times say politely, “Teams really don’t deserve anything. If the event warrants coverage and the readers are interested, we’ll try to cover it.” Pretty fair I thought.
I hadn’t seen Dan in some time. A few years back I’d run into him in Palmer’s Tavern and he’d usually have his nose in some book. We’d kick around some worn-out sports story and laugh.
Kids involved in Hibbing High School sports today probably have never heard of Dan Anderson. But if you ask Pat Micheletti, Donny Varichak, Dennis Angellotti or even me, we’ll each tell you…”Yeah….I remember Dan Dan. He covered my games.”
Henry Djerlev
Daniel B. Anderson, 60, of Hibbing, died unexpectedly in his home shortly after Christmas.
He was born July 12, 1948, in Cook, the son of Bob and Kathryn Anderson, former residents of Lake Vermilion. Dan graduated from Duluth Central High School and went on to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in history. He worked as an editor for various newspapers including the Hibbing Tribune, where he worked as a sports editor for many years.
Dan loved northern Minnesota and was an avid outdoorsman and wildlife photographer. He loved fishing with family and friends. He enjoyed coaching youth hockey in Hibbing and working as a softball umpire.
He was a beloved and loving brother, son and uncle.
He is survived by his mother Kathryn Anderson; siblings: Earl (Hazel) Anderson, Stan (Janet) Anderson, John Anderson, Jim (Ronica) Anderson, and Marilyn (Sam) Anderson ; along with several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Rebecca Anderson, and his father, Robert G. Anderson 67, 1990.
Henry Djerlev
A Former Athlete Remembers Dan Dan -
January 11, 2009 Hibbing Tribune
HIBBING — Dan Anderson was a former sports editor, writer and photographer with the Hibbing Daily Tribune. And for many years, he wrote a column in the HDT entitled “Dan Dan The Sports Man.” Oddly, the name stuck and many people addressed him by saying his first name twice.
But to label Dan Anderson as just a sports guy is like saying George Will only knows how to write about baseball. Dan was more than just some sports-desk jockey with his nose only in the C section. He was just as comfortable discussing the front page as the sports page. In fact, I always got the feeling he would have rather sat and talked with Charlie Rose than Pete Rose.
He was the kind of guy just as likely to have Steinbeck tucked under his arm as he was the morning box scores. He was a very well-read man, who knew a ton about history. He could easily discuss Wendell Anderson the Minnesota governor in the 1970s and the same Wendell Anderson, hockey defenseman at the U of M in the 1950s.
As I remember, he was involved in Hibbing Youth Hockey and coached the Bantam Bs for a time when I was in junior high.
I worked alongside Dan for a few years back in the early 1990s as a reporter for the HDT. But my association with Dan goes back further yet. Most kids playing sports at the high school level in Hibbing in the 1970s and through the 1980s knew who Dan was.
He was the guy at the Hibbing Memorial Arena on a step ladder with his camera on a Saturday night shooting over the glass to make sure Pat Micheletti’s perfectly-fed goal from one of the Hooper twins was on the front of the sports page the next day. The regular photographer had the night off, so Dan pulled double duty.
He was the guy covering Donny Varichak’s 1982 football Bluejackets at the old Cheever Field with one pencil tucked behind his ear and the other frantically working the reporter’s notebook. I asked him once why carry two pencils and not just a pen? “I’m old school,” he’d say with a wry smile or that cackle-like laugh of his.
He was the guy at Al Nyberg field many times on a Sunday to cover the final day of the Hibbing American Legion Baseball Tournament even though it was his day off and he’d probably rather have been fishing. Nobody kept a more meticulous baseball scorebook than Dan Anderson. And he did it all the while handling the PA announcing duties. “Batting leadoff, playing centerfield and wearing number 12, Dennis Annnnngellotti.” Former Twins announcer Bob Casey couldn’t have said it better.
Job descriptions didn’t matter much to Dan. He’d write, edit, shoot the photos, develop the pictures, lay out the sports page and make sure it all was perfect before it went to press. And if it wasn’t perfect, you’d hear about it.
His run-ins with the leader in the “back shop” or production portion of the paper, Dean Kniffin, were legendary. Both men were strong willed and talented at what they did. Let’s just say that led to a few disagreements. There are stories of thrown typewriters and holes in the wall from well-placed fists. Back then, deadlines and the thought of union overtime often times made people edgy. It was all in the name of producing a worthy product.
I never really asked him, but he left the paper in the mid-90s, probably in part because he tired of the lousy hours, even lousier pay and the parents who always called complaining why their Timmy or Tommy wasn’t mentioned in his story….a story he didn’t finish until 11 p.m. the previous night.
I always respected his philosophy on covering sports. When people would call and say a various team deserved more coverage from the newspaper, Dan would most times say politely, “Teams really don’t deserve anything. If the event warrants coverage and the readers are interested, we’ll try to cover it.” Pretty fair I thought.
I hadn’t seen Dan in some time. A few years back I’d run into him in Palmer’s Tavern and he’d usually have his nose in some book. We’d kick around some worn-out sports story and laugh.
Kids involved in Hibbing High School sports today probably have never heard of Dan Anderson. But if you ask Pat Micheletti, Donny Varichak, Dennis Angellotti or even me, we’ll each tell you…”Yeah….I remember Dan Dan. He covered my games.”
John A. Saccoman
Coleraine, MN