BYU president is alumnus of red; Utah's graduated blue

Let's let President Samuelson go first.

"BYU," says the onetime longtime Ute without hesitation. "I've always been intensely loyal wherever I have been."

And President Young?

"Well, there are two ways of looking at it," he says, a lawyer's twinkle in his eye. "You can root for Brigham Young University or for Brigham Young's university. I choose the latter."

Brigham Young, as the history books attest, was the person responsible for establishing the University of Utah, long before there was a BYU. The Mormon prophet and colonizer ordered a university to be started barely two and a half years after the first Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. It was first called University of Deseret, and later the name was changed to University of Utah.

"I still love BYU, but I bleed as red as anybody can bleed red," adds Young, throwing in another of those double entendres that make you glad you're not debating him in court.

"I root for the Y. every game but one," he continues, a sentiment echoed by his Y. counterpart.

"I do root for the Utes when they are not playing BYU," Samuelsen says. "Just as I pulled for the Cougars when not playing the Utes in days of yore."

Neither future president, it seems, grew up throwing hexes on the rival school.

"The rivalry has always been mainly pleasurable (to me) because somehow I can remember it is just a football game without any longterm consequences I know of for world peace and the global economy," Samuelson says.

"I love the rivalry, as long as you keep it in perspective," Young says. "It's a fun thing, but I don't like it when they call it a holy war. It's just a great rivalry."

Given their star-crossed histories, among other factors, the presidents say they have declined to participate in a friendly wager on this year's clash.

"I always predict a Cougar win," Samuelson says, but quickly adds that "No," he hasn't placed any money on his Cougs.

"Bets? No, that would be illegal," deadpans Young, who adds of Samuelson's church-school ties, "I think of all people, he's least able to admit to a side bet."

Probably as close to smack talk as we're going to get.

Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.