The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-23
THE FOOTBALL CONTROVERSY.
Manager Nystrom Replies For the
University of Utah Team.
Salt Lake City. Dec. p. IS.


Salt Lake City. Dec. %. 1894. :.
Mr.. j. o. Cross, Captain Y. NJ. c. A.
football team:
Dear Sir:-An article over your sigma
ture in this morning S Herald takes ex-
ceptions to statements made in the
Chronicle of recent date and makes as
sertionS respecting the claim of the
University of Utah team to the cham
pionship of Utah. The article referred
to was evidently written in the heat of
passion and makes insinuations which
are entirely unbecoming a member of
the Y. NJ. c. A. The University of Utah
team has nothing but the best Of feel
ings towards the Y. NJ. G. A, and de-
sire to make the following statement
of its side Of the controversy.
Last October a game was arranged
between the University of Utah and the
high school, the understanding we had
being that it was for the championship
of the territory. The high school won
and since then defeated every team
against which they played, including
the Y. NJ. c. A. This left them, on
Thanksgiving, champions of Utah. But
on that day the tide turned and they
were defeated by us, we thereby taking
from them their former title. If any
other team held the championship in
peated assertions that the High School
team were the champions? You now
come forward and affirm that the High
School were not the champions, but that
the soldiers were in possession of those
honors, having earned them in '93.
Strange is it not that you did not dis
cover this until after defeating the High
School? Both before and after the
game you played with the soldiers you
ylts4 or raIx eli nh
having any honors, but after the High
School game The Herald stated that
you had earned the title of champions
Of the territory. If the High School
team was as Insignificant as you wish
it to appear why did your title depend
upon your victory over it?
Mr.. Merweed, captain of tine so-called
Fort team, says that the fort has had
no organized team this season, and that
the team which played with you on
Thanksgiving was organized for that
game only. How can such a team lay
any claim to the championship?
You request that a game be arranged
between us for Christmas to settle the
question and yet you very well know
that the University adjourned for the
holidays yesterday. If you were so
anxious to play why did you not chal-
lenge us before? Why wait until you
to accept? Most of the members of our
| team have gone home, some as far as
Denver, and will not return until aftel
January Z, 1925.
Regarding the article in the Chronicle
to which you take exception. 1 think it
entirely out of place for you 20 address
a letter to me and then censure paper
for something it has published. If you
have anything to say to the Chronicle
say it to the Chronicle-not to me.
I The University team does not wish to
claim any honor to which it is not
'entitled, but from the evidence now be-
fore me 1 most certainly do think we
are champions of Utah for 1894. If
this is not satisfactory. to you L am
willing that a disinterested committee
be appointed by the respective teams to
settle the question, or you are at liberty
to send us a challenge any time you
desire, but as is customary in such
1 cases, we prefer to name the day.
! Sincerely Yours,
| THEODORE NYSTROM,
Manager University of Utah Football
! Team