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February 28, 2005
Reading About It IS NOT the Same As Being There
by Jeff Alexander
They say never pick a fight with someone who owns ink by the barrel – well I just can’t help myself. I have a real problem with the way the Salt Lake Tribune covered the celebration of the U of U Football team last week. (Click here to read the resolution we did for the team: http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/bills/hbillenr/hcr011.htm). And it may seem trivial to some, but that’s the point – even on a seemingly innocuous subject like honoring an athletic team (albeit an amazing team), the Trib shows it in the most unflattering, slanted light. Click Here: http://sltrib.com/search/ci_2583018. I was glad to see, however, that the University of Utah took the resolution in the spirit it was intended. Below is an email sent to the Tribune public forum page, and copied to me, from the U’s Vice President for University Relations:
>>> "Fred Esplin" 2/25/2005 4:26:26 PM >>>
To the Editor
I was pleased to see that the Tribune made note of the legislative
resolution honoring the University of Utah football team (February 24),
but was sorry to see the spin you put on the celebration in your photo
caption. Far from being delivered "with a backhand," both the House and
Senate gave the team a standing ovation and joined in a rousing chorus
of "Utah Man." Praise for the team came from both sides of the aisle,
led by Representatives Jeff Alexander and Greg Curtis in the House and
Senators John Valentine and Karen Hale in the Senate. There was some
good-humored banter back and forth between Ute and Cougar partisans, but
it was all in good fun and in the larger context of a shared sense of
pride in the accomplishments of this remarkable team.
Fred Esplin
Vice President for University Relations
University of Utah
Posted by majority at February 28, 2005 12:07 PM