Checketts, Miller feud still boils

(by Brad Rock desnews.com 7-13-06)

In this corner . . . wearing white trunks, legendary auto tycoon and owner of the Utah Jazz, the reigning heavyweight champion of Utah sports: LARRY "LAND CRUISER" MILLER!

And in this corner . . . wearing black trunks, direct from Madison Square Garden, the former president of the Jazz and current owner of Real Salt Lake and the St. Louis Blues: DAVID "BIG APPLE" CHECKETTS!

All right! Rich people feuding!

Where's Joan Collins and Linda Evans?

The twisting journey of Real Salt Lake took a dramatic turn this week when the Salt Lake County Council rejected a plan to build a soccer stadium in Sandy. That left the Major League Soccer team two options: find another way to build in Utah or move. It also opened wounds that have been festering since the late 1980s.

Face it, how close could two multimillionaires competing for entertainment dollars be?

Odds are good this won't be the last story of bad blood between Checketts and Miller. Which isn't necessarily bad news. This is more entertaining than their teams, anyway.

The latest twist began Wednesday, a day after the council's "no" vote on the stadium issue. Checketts criticized councilman David Wilde for voting against the proposal but saved plenty of ammo for his former boss, telling KSL radio ". . . the No. 1 guy working against the soccer stadium has been Larry Miller."

He went on to say opposing the stadium "has felt personal for (Miller) and that's been unfortunate."

In a surprisingly subdued response, Miller said, "I've never by stealth of night or by secret meetings gone around and tried to torpedo it." He added, "I don't know where he conjured that up."

Thursday Miller told KSL radio's Doug Wright, "I was really surprised when he said it feels personal, and I don't know why he said that. It's nothing personal." He continued, "I'm still thinking, where's he coming from?"

Miller claims to have even shared information with various civic leaders on how he financed the Delta Center so they could gauge the viability of a soccer stadium. But in a Thursday telephone conference, Checketts didn't back down.

"I don't regret the comments," said Checketts. "What I find fascinating is that he could deny this. I have it on perfect authority that he lobbied legislators against the passage of (a stadium support bill) on the hill during the session. I know he lobbied a couple of important local mayors and leaders, always with the same thing in mind. He did not want me to get a better deal than he did at the Delta Center."

Checketts added that he made calls to Miller but "I could not get a return call from him."

Asked if he was labeling Miller a liar, Checketts said, "I've just been crystal clear on what reality is, and I stand by it."

Checketts said he agrees with one civic leader who noted, "(Miller) wants to own every car dealership, he wants to own every theater and he wants to own every sports franchise in Utah — but he's not going to own this one."

Considering Miller has made national news for his emotional outbursts, it seemed odd to find someone else doing the accusing.

Conflict between Checketts and Miller has been around for nearly two decades. Checketts told the Deseret Morning News last summer that when he left the Jazz in 1989, "There were no pleasantries exchanged."

He went on to say, "When it ended as badly as it did, and I was literally given the severance of a secretary, I was bitter, I was really bitter. I don't mind saying that. I was angry."

He added that he offered Miller a chance to be involved with RSL, but Miller "wouldn't call me back."

Pressed about unresolved issues with Miller, Checketts said, "I don't think we've ever settled that."

At least there's something they can agree upon.

When he was president of Madison Square Garden, Checketts hired away Jazz personnel boss Scott Layden to work for the Knicks, then hired ex-Jazz coach Frank Layden as a consultant. Miller's terse response: "Dave Checketts called me and asked how I felt about it. I said, 'Hey, do what you want. It's Frank's decision. He's a big boy.' "

Miller says when he bought the Salt Lake Bees nearly two years ago, unbeknownst to him, Checketts was also a suitor.

So here they are, two decades after they started out on the same team. Checketts thinks Miller sabotaged his stadium. Miller thinks Checketts is getting signals from space. Who to believe? It's hard to say. But at least one thing seems clear: There's plenty more prime-time soap material where that came from.