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John Daley ReportingDave Checketts, ReAL Salt Lake Owner: "The number one guy working against the soccer stadium has been Larry Miller."
Larry Miller, Utah Jazz Owner: "There's nothing to apologize for because I don't think I've done what he suggested I did."
A war of words erupts between the owners of Utah's pro soccer team and pro basketball squad. ReAL Salt Lake suffered a major setback yesterday in its quest to secure public funding for a stadium. Today, owner Dave Checketts lobbed some sharp criticism, most pointedly at Larry Miller.
You'll recall Checketts and Miller go way back to when they worked together at the Jazz, and there were reportedly some hurt feelings after Checketts left. Today, tensions between the two bubbled over.
Every game in pro sports, you'll see players fight, struggle and show emotion. Owners, on the other hand, often don't give much away. But that wasn't the case today as a war of words erupted between Dave Checketts and Larry Miller.
Checketts, on KSL Radio's Doug Wright, by phone, vented his frustration at the public officials who he says told him they back soccer, but then failed to approve 30 million dollars in hotel taxes for a new ReAL stadium in Sandy.
But the conversation took an unexpected turn when Checketts singled out Larry Miller
Dave Checketts: "There have been some people working against it and behind the scenes. And the number one guy working against the soccer stadium has been Larry Miller."
Question: "Why is that, Dave?"
Dave Checketts: "I don't know."
Question: "Have you moved into his turf?"
Dave Checketts: "Probably, there's some of that."
Checketts says he expected something different for the years they worked together with the Jazz.
Dave Checketts: "Trying to build something that, obviously, has been great for him, that it wouldn't be a personal thing. But it has felt personal from him and that's unfortunate."
Checketts offered no specifics other than to say Miller didn't want the competition for concerts.
Miller says he planned to bite his tongue until someone replayed the interview for him.
Larry Miller, Utah Jazz Owner: "I was surprised, really surprised even knowing it was coming. The thing I noticed first was how down he sounded. He just sounded like he wrung because Dave is usually an upbeat person, and so on."
Miller says he never criticized the team publicly and only offered his views privately to public officials when asked.
Larry Miller: "From what I've seen and heard from him and in the media, from others, that I believe he made committments before he had the wherewithal or the political wherewithal. And you put yourself in an awkward position when you do that."
This may not have been a verbal headbutt that Dave Checketts delivered to Larry Miller, but it was like a kick in the shins and Miller responded in kind.
Clearly, they've got a strong difference in opinion about what's happened here.
