Second got a historic day today out in Sandy in America. First Field unfortunately not downtown here in Salt Lake City, where there's a parking lot where a soccer stadium should be. Our next guest broke the news last night for The Athletic. He was able to actually get at the price point that the Miller family has purchased the controlling steak or Real sal Lake and the Utah Royals for a six
hundred million dollar price tag. In Christopher Camaradi from the Athletic is good enough to grace us with his presence and studio on a chili day.
We got you out of the house. I'm impressed.
So we're dressed like we're matching. Well, I mean we are matching basically.
Yeah, basically black hoodies. Are you protesting the cold weather with that? I decided to address it all black because I'm pro testing thirty eight degree weather in April.
I don't know what it is man, the older I get, I just feel like black is my color. I don't know what it is.
No for no reason, no reason.
Well, Porter will tell you this is how I'm dressed every day in the winter. Yeah, when the when the spring actually springs, and the summer is actually warm. I'll mix it up a little bit, but give me my black sweat sweatsheit.
All day like a titleist polo.
Maybe you know my relationship with the breatheable golf polos. I have several. Oh, by the way, I'm giving some away. Do you have any interest? Do you want to go through them?
I only accept Rome gear.
So okay, fair enough? Do you want to go through my golf shirts? I'm giving away a grip of them.
Tell Chris to back off the roa gear.
By the way, well, I'll split it equally with equally with all of you. Well, Chris, it is great to see you, and we do have some breaking news about a striker that reportedly is on his way to our cell. But before we get there, take us through what you wrote and your thoughts on this transaction. As ourssel has now been sold to the Miller family.
Well, as we've heard today, they had their official formal announcement and press conference out at America First Field. All the major parties were there involved, the governor was there. I think there were some church officials there as well, So all the heavy hitters were out in attendance. In Sandy my colleague and I Paultonorio, who is our lead
men's American soccer writer at the Athletic. We spent the last day basically trying to nail down the overall valuation price point for what the sale was going to end up as and we've had you know, multiple league sources across the landscape of MLSN, NWSL break it down for us. We confirmed that RSL sold for four hundred and forty million dollars. The Royals went for one to ten, and then you know, various escalators basically got it up to
six hundred million. And if you look at what David Blitzer and Ryan Smith bought it for basically a little over the three years ago, now I think that was about four hundred million, But that was before the Royals were back. Remember, A great piece of business done by Blitzer and Ryan at the time was being able to lock in a two million dollar expansion rights price point fee to bring the Royals back after they had left.
So when this first started percolating, I want to say a couple months ago, I mean David Blitzer told me last night that he reached out to the Millers around the holiday seasoned engauge whether or not they wanted to be the local anchor majority owner that he was searching for.
This was percolating for a few months now they finally get it across the finish line, but it was clear that Blitzer wanted and it makes sense he wanted to have somebody low who was going to be the day to day majority owner to usher in yet another new era for RSL and the Royals.
So I was digging into some of these specifics here. Ryan Smith Ashley Smith seg Entertainment Group out entirely.
Yeah, Paul, and I reported that I think at the end of March.
Okay, ye, So the synergy between Dave Blitzer his group and the Miller family and their group, do you have any inside there? So the Millers are the controlling owners now, so they will have say in whatever they want. Dave Blitzer, I think it's eight clubs across the landscape of Europe the Blitzer umbrella. So that's a relationship that you want to maintain. So is the line of delineation as clear as the Millers have the business and Blitzer has the soccer or is it a little more complicated.
No, it's not. And David kind of said that today and his presser he said, like he wants to be more involved now on the soccer operation side. He is a soccer junkie, like he grew up playing it. Obviously, he own majority or entire stakes in several clubs overseas, and I think, honestly, this is probably the most useful
area that that David can help rsl out in. I mean, he's a guy who is worth a lot of money and he has a lot of irons in the fire at all times, you know, as you know, he's involved with the Sixers, the Devils, the Commanders, the list goes on and on. The Millers now are going to basically be the be the point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward center using all the old basketball cleasues and the sixth man and the sixth man.
Wow.
So yeah, I mean the priority for David Blitzer was to have a majority local owner who can run day to day operations. And you can make an argument he was lucky that the Millers were waiting there now, Paul and I did report that, you know, he offered Ryan Smith right a first refusal last fall with everything that Ryan had going on bringing in the hockey team and the Jazz and the Delta Center revamp and all the
downtown stuff. You know that Smith declined and David was lucky enough to have a long tenured local sports franchise Steward in the Millers be waiting for waiting in the wings. But it had to be, you know, as they always say, had to be the right fit. And it was the right fit.
Sure, sure, And I worked for the Millers for seven years and I can speak to the type of company they run and the type of people that they are. And I know, I know Steve Starks and Steve Miller and Greg and Gail had a chance to sit with them and some other media members yesterday as they walked
us through kind of their mindset and their mentality. So I'll ask you, Cek, somebody who once upon a time was hanging out with David Beckham at a record store downtown when real Madrid was here a rip Virgin, a right T Virgin Records and was a real Madrid ral Sawlake as a patron and has kind of seeing all of the iterations of RSL either as somebody who would
attend games then in the media covering them. And now we transfer over to this day, what do you what sort of benefits do you think this could bring ral saw Lake. What's what's the buzz the feel around the ownership transition?
Yet again, Yeah, it's it's a franchise that finds itself in a very unique position. We don't see many major professional sports franchises change ownership three times basically in four years. But this is where RSL finds itself in the Royals as well. I'm going to continue to just be this guy on your show. Ninety percent of fans just want and infuse of allocated resources to make their team fun to watch and make them be good bottom line, end of story. It's a lit'll. It's easier in soccer as
opposed to the NBA. You have if you're willing to splash the cash, so to speak, if you're willing to shell out the resources to maintain a competitive roster, both on the professional men's and women's side. You know, from a Royals point of view, like when they came in man heaviest hitters like World Cup stars Becky Sowerbroun, Kelly O'Hara, Kristin Press came here. This iteration of the Royals still trying to figure out who they are. The league is
a little different. A lot of our American women's soccer players aren't necessarily chomping at the bit to play here there a lot of them are playing in Europe. And on the men's side, we've been talking about it for months.
It's like, can the Millers or are the Millers willing to invest the amount of money necessary to get this team to be a contender in a very difficult conference, in a league that now demands so much more money in order to just have you know, your name and the hat at the end of the season as opposed to what it was, you know, five six years ago.
The Royals piece of this is pretty interesting, right, So one hundred and ten mil for the Royals and valuations across the landscape of the NWSL have skyrocket, Y's correct, yep, So what sort of and they you know they Ali Senader is one of the bright young stars in America as far as female soccer players go, and she's been really good for them. So before we get back to the RSL side, we'll talk about the breaking news of
the striker. What a information, if any at all, do you have about how motivated the Millers were to do this because of the Royals portion of the deal.
Well, I mean it's a package deal. It was always going to be a package deal, as it should be. The Royals are unique in that they are, like I said, they're trying to figure out who they are as a club. Still, they're trying to accumulate talent. You know, Alie sent no Or is one of the bright young American talents we have in our game. But beyond that, I mean they're they're you know, the goalkeepers very good as well. She's been had some national team senior team call ups recently.
But it's it's at the risk of sounding shallow, star power matters anywhere, and if you can have star power here, I think that that is a huge reason why I think the first iteration of the Royals exploded the way it did was because, like you had three people who were basically rotational, rotational or starters for the US women's national team who were you know, winning World Cups. Now it's they're trying to figure it out, man, Like it's
it's hard. And you mentioned the valuations of NWSL skyrocketing. They are skyrocketing because Denver, I think is had to pace something similar to what the Royals sold for just as one yeah, and the San Diego Waves sold for one to twenty last year. So this league was kind of on shaky ground as recently as four or five years ago, and now, thankfully, like you're just seeing the other side of the coin and it's pretty healthy.
So when the Royals left us the first time, the final year here, they averaged ten thousand fans per match, which was second to the Portland franchise at the time. I don't have up to date numbers, but I can tell you it's not close.
To ten thousand.
No, it's not.
So what sort of yeah, and you referenced the star power, like, I don't think we fully realized like exactly how powerful that group was. What sort of steps need to be taken to get that number back up? Because if the fans came, then they'll come again if they have a reason to.
Yeah, And again, it's all right, it's the almighty dollars, right and checks. The man with the gold makes the rules, that's you. That's your gold rule. And it makes sense always again, if you are willing to invest, fans will come, fans will pay, fans will watch from home. If they're not paying, like, this is a market that is willing to fall in love with a team that is good at what it does, that has players that are good, that play an attractive style of whatever sport they're playing.
We've seen that with the Jazz, We've seen it with RSEL over the years. When the Royals were here the first time they had a tremendous amount of talent, you just got a pony up man. And for a long time, especially under the Deloy Hanson era, RSL was lagging behind. And I know the Blitzer group with Ryan Smith kind of changed that. You know, they spent six million dollars
for Chichio Orongo. But as we've talked about on the show last couple of months, like now that gets you a that gets you a rotational squad player, that gets you a solid fifth to six player if you're going to compete. And that's just the way it is now.
New World, New World, which brings us to and look, it's I'm smarting a little bit because every RSL guest I've had on over the past i don't know, two or three months since and you and I talked about this, since the rumors surfaced that there was this ownership transition taking place. Whether it was Kurt or Jason or Tony
or Pablo or John, whoever it was. Whenever we talk about are you guys making additions, Yes, we're working on it, I would say, well, is the potential ownership transition getting in the way, And they all said no, Well the ownership transition is done. And an hour later we find out that Robert Bozanik Bosanique, Robert Bosanique a Slovakian striker and the Slovakian national team.
You know, they're like a top fifty national team year in and year out.
They strike me as a team that John Paul would use to beat me in FIFA one nil and you don't really make me up. Said, but this striker has had several caps with the Slovakian national team. He's twenty five years old. Robert hit me again. Bosanique Bosanique. Robert Bosanique, according to reports, has been signed and is on his way to play for RSL.
So what's your reaction to the breaking.
News coincidence on the day that ownership group.
Of course, not right, it can't be. There's no way it's coincidence. They just all lied to me. And now I've got a bone to pick with all of them.
If you're track, if you're looking at the player profile of what RSSEL likes to go after at the moment, it makes sense a guy who has success with his senior national team, who is in and out of a decent club in Portugal from a starting eleven rot point of view, but he's twenty five six'. TWO rsl guys have told you on your show ad nauseum that they are sign and develop. Club now this is a potentially different deal, because LIKE i don't know what The portuguese
LEAGUE i, mean top. Heavy if you're talking about Like Sporting lisbon And, porto it BLOWS mls out of the. Water but as a you, know if you're measuring the bottom of the barrel over there versus what we have, HERE i would imagine it kind of evens out a little. Bit BUT i. Can't i'm trying to. Think last TIME i, SAW i think he had like thirteen goals in the last two years, there so not a tremendously high goal scoring. Rate but it's a guy who gets run with his
national team In europe and it's a decent national. Team it's a you, know a guy who used to play here for a while was on that national team In Albert, rusnak and he was a really good, signing you, know one of the best international signings at RSL's ever. HAD i wonder if If robert talked To albert, about you, know living here and making that move. Beforehand but it's
a move that had to be. Done it is kind of very ironic that this news gets broken a few hours after the ownership group is officially.
Announced, well it has to be the thing we were waiting. For AND i don't even, Like i'm not saying there's anything wrong with, That like obviously if you're if You're David, BLITZER i WOULD i Guess i'll Include. RYAN i don't know The ryan was ever all that committed to any of this. Stuff but if you're on the ownership side and you're the one that's BEING asketerrt to, check because the reports are this is a designated, player so this is not a cheap.
Player we'll see what the final number looks.
Like you would want to wait for the thumbs up from your new, bosses who The millers are now they have the controlling, Stakes so, YES i would imagine this was something that was in the pipeline for a few, weeks as our Guy Tom boger talked, about and they had to wait for the green light from the new ownership group to get it. DONE i, mean it's probably as simple as, That chris anything it.
Is But tom REPORTED i think late last week maybe or earlier this, week that talks have had stalled With bozonique and Boa vista and THAT rsl was looking at potentially other. Options so the fact that that got, public, generally when that gets, public it means things soured and they have to move on to another. Target the fact that a very well sourced report like the PREMIER mls reporter reported that and it's eventually got over the line is.
FASCINATING i wonder what potential you, know contractual or number dispute was at the forefront of. That but now that it's over the, line it's it just had to, happen, Man and now you got to get him here as soon as humanly.
Possible and that's the issue because it's not just getting him, here it's getting them acclimated with the coaching staff and the. Players and the primary transfer window closes next, Wednesday, yeah Next, Wednesday so how long then we'll move on to some other. Stuff how long is it reasonable to expect before he is on the, ground acclimated in the eleven and actually doing some, Things.
So it'll depend on when it's officially. Announced there's a thing called AN, itc which is an international transfer CERTIFICATE i believe it stands. For and that is the huge kind of that's just got to go through relatively quick BECAUSE i think If i'm going back to my beat right days and my brain serves me, correctly that is also usually contingent on helping a player get a visa as. Well and the faster you can get all that stuff ironed, out the faster they can be on a plane here
and be, comfortably you, know starting to. Acclimate but if we're talking about what is today the, eighteenth the day is the. Eighteenth if we're guess IF i was to guess what his first start would, Be i'd probably say a month from. Now and that's being, generous all.
Right last thing.
Here Non, garber commissioner Of Major League, soccer was there for the, announcement as Was Dave, blitzer And don made a. Comment he looked around and, said people ask him all the, time will soccer make it In, america and he, said looking around at this, event it's clear that soccer has made it In. America the other thing that continues to be talked, about AND i Promise i'm not. Chuckling it's just ironic that The World, cup it's going to be played in our, region and then The Women's World cup
that's coming as, well will serve as this. Boom then once again soccer will ride to the stratosphere of whatever that. Means it's exactly the same thing that was said in two thousand and four to two thousand and, two the very same. Thing AND i do feel soccer as a footprint here in a way that most people maybe never thought it would. Be but is it realistic to expect
this thing to? Grow and do you think The World cup and the footprint that it will leave here will have this tangible effect that everybody keeps talking.
About that's a great, question. Man LIKE i mean going back to you can make an argument that your dad doesn't want to bring a soccer club here if not for the success OF o. Two like everything is part of a, timeline so to. Speak but if we're talking about domestic professional, SOCCER i don't know how much further we can go in the current setup of WHAT mls
is in the single entity. STRUCTURE i think for the professional soccer in this country to break free of, that it needs to do that exactly and be a free. Market whoever can spend the most cash spends the most cash into the victor goes the. Spoils AND i know that sounds kind of, depressing but you can make an argument THAT mls is nearing that. POINT i, MEAN i, think, shoot, man With San, diego we're like at the thirty thirty one teams or something. Like there are so many teams
in this league. NOW i do think fans will get you, know excited once again next. Summer but for a lot of, folks it's kind of like The. Olympics it's like they get super stoked every four, years and after that they're, like, Man i'll go back to watching The steelers lose or praying The jazz Get cooper, flag you.
Know WHAT i.
Mean, yeah, YEAH i just don't know what that next step is outside of you, know a semi final for the men's national. Team the women's team has handled. IT i, mean obviously you want to, see you, know the Pro the pro model here will grow on that. Side but other than, that IT'S i just don't know what the next step is BECAUSE i feel LIKE mls is pretty healthy compared to you know where it was you mentioned two thousand and two way. BACK i mean it was
it was on shaky ground back. Then, man it was all.
Right last thing, here then we'll catch a quick break in the stratosphere of The miller family and what they have in their stable now and what they're trying to do With Major League. Baseball the power district is right out, here just kind of let's, see it would be northwest of where we're. At AS i always reference the irony of me working in the studio IS i can literally look south and see the parking lot where the stadium
was supposed to. Be do you have any insight as to whether or not the long term goal for The millers AND rsl is to build a soccer specific stadium out this way next to Their Major League baseball facility out in Sau, lake or is the plan to improve the bones and the infrastructure and whatever they need to do to kind of touch up the stadium out south a little. Bit do you have any insight as to where their long term plan is.
Not, personally our friends at The Trebany larsen And Kevin reynolds talk to the mayor Of sandy today and, apparently you, know The millers are wanting to beef up the sports and entertainment area In sandy around aff.
And it is right across the street from their main corporate ox.
Erect but if we're talking about this pie in the sky theoretical scenario that you, know The Tampa Bay rays finally say peace To florida and they move, here they have an area, earmarked it would potentially make a lot of sense way far down the line for them to. Consolidate but in the, Meantime i've been told that their
priority is improving specs Around America First. Field and it's kind of crazy to think, about, man, like we're sneaking up on this thing getting to be twenty years old in the next couple of, years and these facilities age quickly and there are upgrades. Necessary but that is What i've been told is the. Priority in terms of you, know a competing fellow downtown sports mecha that would be competing with The jazz and The Utah Hockey. CLUB i think that's very much far down the.
Line fair, enough all, Right Christopher, Camaradie Liven. Studio we'll catch a quick. Break we'll do. More coming up on the other. SIDE cek stops spot today courtesy of our friends AT Ifa Country. Stores any drive to the basket begins with the first step on the. Court that's the ultimate power. MOVE i have phased step one Crabgrass preventor and Long food is the first choice to give your
yard the, healthy thick green look you. Desire the neighbors will be green WITH nv shop if unlined AT ifa dot Co op or stop by one of their Eighteen utah locations.
Today Mar. Ck coming up on the other, side right here ON espn seven, HUNDRED i will get to the five o'clock hour.
Of the program coming up in just a little. Bit the sun is trying, really really. Hard sun is trying really hard to come. Out woke up this morning to thirty eight degrees in. Snow it's Springing. Utah Christopher camaraie live in studio for one more big. Segment big news the day today that The miller family has purchased the controlling stake OF rayl Saw. Lake Dave blitzer stays on and his group will maintain their. Presence do you have any, Idea,
chris before we move? On Scott crace has Been Dave blitzer's ownership rep out here and he's essentially been the voice that everyone has to answer. To john on the business, Side kurt on the soccer. Side does he maintain his? Presence you, KNOW.
I have not been told that concretely one way or the, other but it wouldn't surprise me If scott stays involved on the day to day soccer operation side of.
This, okay fair, enough so we'll learn more about how this is going to. Unfold and the news came down about an hour after the ownership announcement was.
Complete That, robert you can do. It bosanique nailed.
It give me some, time, Okay Robert bosanique is not his ways A slovakian striker to play FOR. Rsl do you think there's any other? Additions do you think this is the only one we only got five days before?
Close IF i were to, GUESS i would say maybe in, league like a trade of some. SORT i don't. KNOW i don't know if The millers are like here you, Go, kurt Go. Cook you, know, like we're going to follow through on what we said we're going to do. Asap my guess would be if there's another, edition it would come through the domestic.
Ranks, well you, know a lot of the conversation about whether or not The millers would spend money seems to have been directed towards, well they never went into the luxury tax when they ran The. Jazz the luxury tax bill in THE nba is like one hundred and eighty five million. DOLLARS i find that a faults like equivalency IN. Mls you don't have to spend one hundred and eighty five million, dollars but you, know spend twenty or.
Thirty AND i think The millers will do.
That were they ever in a position where they really needed, to Because i'm trying to think they sold The jazz In october twenty, twenty Like donovan was still in his rookie, contract.
Then like, YEAH i mean there's been maybe the.
Go or the D Will boozer.
Years maybe there's been some loose criticism over the years that they had a you, know teams that were really close to winning championships and they just decided not to spend the. MONEY i don't know that that's founded in a lot of, evidence you. Know but the point is, like they don't need to SPEND nba money ON, Mla, no not even.
Close if you, can if you can carve out an allocated budget for THE rsl front office and The royals front office to be able to go out and spend money and bring in good, players it is a drop in the bucket compared to what you would have to pay for AN nba contender in the luxury tax in the second, apron, eight third, apron fourth. Apron you, know so.
What but last, thing then let's move.
ON i, mean based off of what you've seen from them so, far it has not been a great. Start it hasn't been a catastrophic, start but it hasn't been a great. Start toronto comes in. Tomorrow they have not won a game yet this. Year now that we know a nine's on the, way let's give them the benefit of the. Doubt let's say one more attacking piece is. Added what do you think we see FROM rsl this.
Year it's hard to. Say they look so lost in the final third so. Often they're only good attacking player this year has Been Diego LUNA i, mean the guy that started The Champions league games four Stor iago is now playing for The, monarchs which is kind of WHAT i mentioned at the, time like he was a very big band aid at the. Moment gonzalez had a decent run Against, nashville but nowhere near productive enough to you, know be what you're paying him to, be and their
defense has been pretty shoddy at. TIMES i, Mean cabral has been a great. ADDITION i kind of shudder at the idea of what this first eight games could look
like if not for him And. Goal but it depends on how Quickly bosanique gets, acclimated if he can stay, healthy and if he can fit into the system That pablo wants to, play because you, Know pablo plays a very specific style that he wants his players to adapt, to And chico was good enough and versatile enough that he was kind of given free reign to kind of drop, deeper kind of played like a false, nine you know sometimes or even, soccer or like a secondary type ten
When Anderson julio was up. TOP i don't Think Boza nique is that type of player. PROFILE i think he's a target guy that you're gonna want the likes Of gonsalves And Diego luna And Mark zuke to. Find but for, me it it sounds really. Dumb it's always going to come down to like how good can you be in front of? Goal AND rsl just. Hasn't they haven't been good.
Enough any part of you surprise that The millers decided to get back involved in team, sports you, know because they had such a great thirty five forty year run with The. Jazz you, know it's. Interesting Steve miller yesterday talked about How jazz games were, stressful you, know and oftentimes when you're in the operating space or the ownership space for a, team it's really hard to enjoy what you're doing because everything is life or. Death AND i,
think up till do this. BEFORE i have very much enjoyed this kind of phase of my life with sports consumption BECAUSE i do not have a family tie to any, team because every game is life or, death and you, know family, dinner the mood is predicated on whether or Not John starks made threes.
Right, yeah sometimes he, did sometimes he didn't.
Exactly and sometimes dinner was great and sometimes we're throwing plates against the. Wall it's a really weird thing when you experience cheering for a team when your family's livelihood is literally at, Stake and part of me wondered if The millers would just enjoy their real estate ventures and buying daybreak and they sold the, dealerships and the family has done such a great job of setting up this business in a way that generations will be taken care.
Of And gail And greg And steve all talked about how they've formulated this business now under the umbrella to make sure that now it's A miller family two point
zero is how they're calling. It and then the third, Generation greg gots twenty one, grandkids and you, KNOW i wondered if they would have enjoyed the being untethered from the pressure of running a sports team day in and day, out because it's a different type of Ask and it's, funny Man, like people from the outside looking, in you running sports teams and working for sports teams is tremendously. Glamorous it's not breaking. News it's like the exact.
Opposite, yeah if you want to work like ninety hour weeks and be stressed out all the time.
And never get paid until you're at the. Top as an owner or top level. Executive, LIKE i get people all the time, like, hey, MAN i badly want to work in.
Sports what do you. Think i'm, like. Don't, yeah WHAT i think, is don't do.
It you, know go get your real estate, License, yes.
Start a startup, business passive income side. Hustles i'm speaking AT alfa con later this, year so if you want to tune, in you can do. That are you surprised that The millers decided they wanted to take this back on?
WELL i Asked steve last night if it was a foregone conclusion that they would always get back into professional sports, here and he said it. Wasn't, like, AGAIN i do think a lot of things needed to align for them to get back in. It And steve And Steve starks mentioned several times going back to what we were talking about last, segment just the growth of the sport and
how popular it is. HERE i Think steve mentioned, like we have like over one hundred thousand kids who play youth soccer In, utah which is among the highest in the. Country AND i don't, know, Man Like i'm not speaking for, them but, like if you've tasted, that it's kind of hard to relinquish it and it's a new, challenge like you. CAN i would assume that they're pretty. Recharged it's been five. YEARS i know they just got the B stadium, done
but that's minor league. Baseball this is a little. Different like you're going to be owning a professional soccer franchise a year before The World cup comes to your. Country, yeah and granted we won't have games, here but the stakes are, high the interest will be, high AND i think you have so much more leeway to be creative and make it your own IN mls AND nwsl then you do THE, nba just because it's such a different
type of sport and it's still. Growing and like you, mentioned like you cut a big enough check, man you can get butts in the seats and they'll stay there.
Well and the other interesting, thing AND i honestly don't know how this is going to work, out but if you talk to, people and there's a juxtaposition, here Because Larry miller was a front, facing, energetic big. Personality he would go into the locker rooms after. Games there are stories of he And Frank laden butting heads because of personnel, decisions And larry at one point thought maybe he could coach, too, right and so you Know larry Would he got in
a fight with A Denver nugget. Fan Like, Larry larry was a front, facing involved owner And larry passed sixteen years. Ago gail took over as the main steward and really was not as front facing and present.
As larry was in this.
Way, yeah she hired executives and coaches and then completely let them do their, jobs and she was. Involved, Like gail is not a shrinking, Violet she's not a. Wallflower she's very, smart very. Involved but a lot of stories like When kevin O'Connor decided that they needed to move.
On From darren after The Darren jerry.
Thing gail tells the story of Calling kevin in her office and, SAID i need you to explain to me while we're trading our best player in our point. Guard And kevin walked her through eye and she, said, Okay i'm gonna trust. You and you know that for an executive or a, coach that is a dream that is a dream, owner an absolute dream ownership. SITUATION i don't know how Involved gail is going to be with the soccer, club BUT i wonder if you've been able to get
a feel for the type Of STEWART'S lb FOR. Rsl is it going to be kind of the same way where it's, like all, Right, kurt all, Right Tony, jason you do the, thing probably do the, thing and we're here to support you.
Well and you left Out John, kimball which is probably the most important name because he worked at oursel The jazz then went back to our cel during the most tumultuous time.
And here was that The jazz when The millers were the. Owner, correct we work closely With steve's.
CORRECT i would this would be my. ASSUMPTION i don't know this that this deal and The miller strike me as A we're going to entrust you to try to do the job as best you. Can we're going to be in the box with our, friends with our. Kids let's we're going to give you all the tools necessary to build two rosters IN mls AND nwsl and let's
see how it. Goes but, AGAIN i think fans will hold their feet to the, fire like you can't come in and spend six hundred million dollars on two teams in your own, backyard a place that you know, WELL i Mean Steve, stark's The, millers they Know, utahn's they Know utah sports. Fans it's not hard to win them. Over you just got to go out and do. It AND i Know i've said that a lot so, far but you have to follow through on what you're gonna.
SAY i just don't. THINK i don't See Steve, miller you, know bursting down the tunnel at aff you, know mad at the VAR i don't see you, Know Gail matt about a yellow. Card that just doesn't really strike me as going down that. Way BUT i definitely think they'll be. INVOLVED i, mean it helps that they're right across the street from their, offices for.
SURE i wonder if you think the because The miller's track record with The jazz speaks for. Itself, okay, yeah never a band or never a, championship but so many, years LIKE i don't, know, man it's three straight springs where this building downtown is quiet during THE nba, playoffs AND i hate it because it's one of my favorite things About spring In Utah's jazz playoff. Basketball you, know twenty Seventeen JAZZ Okc Young, donovan that building was popping. AWAY i don't think they was popping.
Since the late.
Nineties so The millers have tremendous data and examples that they're disposal of their time of the, jazz but how they're going to do it WITH? Rsl do you think the awkward early tenure of The Smith Entertainment group ownership over the jazz where they're losing at a historic level and they've had missteps here there Neon. Jerseys we could talk about a bunch of different things that we wanted to.
Do you think it's changed the way that jazz fans view The millers as the owners OF, rsl with the way that as the owners of the, jazz with the way the jazz have been are being run right, NOW i don't think.
SO i, MEAN i just think the roster was set, up the coaching staff was set up for, success and as all those guys have, said it just didn't work out for a multitude of, reasons and that happens in, sports like sometimes things don't go your way and a lot of times they. Don't this is why we don't have a banner here at The Delta. Center BUT i don't think that this is a indictment on The smith ownership group on where they are. Now they they made a move THAT i you, know as an, outsider as
a sports, JOURNALIST i think they made the right. MOVE i know that you're looking at Potentially Quinn snyder coaching Against Donovan mitchell in the first round of The Eastern conference. PLAYOFFS i, mean isn't you can correct me If i'm, Wrong but isn't there a chance That donovan's in the mix FOR mvp this. YEAR i don't think he's gonna win,
it but he'll probably be third or. Fourth, Yeah jokich OR, sga you know T wolves are you, know they're all, Right they'll PROBABLY i would assume they're going to lose to The lakers in the first. Round but the Point i'm getting at is that THE nba is so, different. Man you have to build it down to the, studs or you have to break it down to the studs to build it back up and have it be worth the Damn and it, sucks but it's the.
Reality, well and as AS i keep talking, about it's one of the only businesses in the world has an incentive structure if you, suck it really does there's an incentive structure in place to the victor goes the.
Spoils the teams that.
Win, championships that compete at the highest levels and win games will always.
Be rewarded at the highest.
Level but if you're not one of those, teams and if we're, Honest, chris every year in THE, Nba i'll tell you WHO i think is gonna win. It and if you give me three or four, Guesses i'm gonna tell you who's gonna win the.
Championship it's gonna win the. Championship some years it's.
Easier for like six, years it was, like all, right it's Either Golden state or Whoever lebron's playing. For, yeah, Right and so if you're not one of those, teams there's an incentive structure in place to reward you for being.
Bad it is beyond wild if you think about, it like there's no sales staff where the sales bro rolls in right and does the whole red zone thing where we're all pumped to sell and, says, okay the group over, here if you're our top, salesman give me one hundred thousand dollars bonus if you hit your.
Numbers now the good news.
Is the group over, here if you're our worst, Salesman we're still gonna give you fifty grand like the world.
Does didn't work like, that but it works like that in pro.
Basketball so, YES i understand why The jazz have been going about their business the way that they. HAVE i think they should have done it three years. Ago BUT i just wonder whether or not there's this feel in the community that, maybe you, know The miller's got a bad rap for the way that they ran things based off of all of this losing this fan base has had to deal, WITH i would assume.
Not and, frankly if there was a quote unquote bad rap out, there it's from people who don't know the historical significance of what The millers mean to The. Jazz, like Without, larry The jazz are where They spence are they In?
Minnesota?
Minnesota this is the danger prior To spence, SEQUELS yep making the deal With, larry And larry deserves a lot of creditor because he completely leveraged himself multiple, times.
Multiple team on the, line.
Multiple, times doubled yeah multiple times to make sure that The jazz stay. Here But minnesota was primed for a franchise, situation and instead of giving them you know an expansion. Team the talk in the league office in the early to mid eighties is let's move The jazz From Salt lake To. Minnesota that, HAPPENED i think in nineteen eighty. Eight,
OFFICIALLY i believe The timberwolves landed In. Minnesota but, no If larryan's In Spence ecles didn't step up to the plate and make this financing, reality The jazz are At. Minnesota there's no doubt about.
That fans will always find something to be pissed. About you can get your boots stuck in the muck And meyer for as long as you. Want but the reality is, is Maybe i'll go back to my tried and true, Cliche utah sports fans are beyond spoiled on a multitude of, levels and the professional and on the collegiate. Level so if you're A jazz, FAN i guess the scariest thing imaginable is that the lottery rules have changed and now
there's not like a a scale tipped in your. FAVORS i guess it's three teams that have an equal fourteen percent chance of Landing cooper. Flag, yikes if it, doesn't if the ball doesn't bounce their, way, man we're gonna have to Get Tony jones in here to tell me who they're gonna draft at number two or.
Three stay tuned five o'clock. Hour there we.
Go ck BEFORE i set you, loose what are the most exciting elements for?
You you?
Know pondering on what we're gonna see tomorrow For utah spring football forever twenty two, game baby, Coming i'll see you up?
There are you?
Going we'll be on the. Sidelines of, COURSE i wouldn't miss hear no pad.
Out, now you were on The utah football beat for, years was there ever anything that you saw in a spring game where you're, like, yes There it.
Is, never, never not? Once, RIGHT i will, SAY i don't know what the setup. Is but out of all the, years out of all Of kyle's, years going back to like this is probably like the first time in almost When kyle's been in twenty one, years maybe since like six, seven that there are, actual like really, legit tangible questions that need to be answered everywhere and at players are going to see a bunch of people that they've never seen play before and at the most crucial of. Positions
SO i Think tomorrow's gonna be. Nice so put your sunscreen on and go Watch Devin Dan pierre your Your heisman.
Trophy Dark horse nailed. It SO i will see you at the spring. Game Then i'll see you out at our sel.
Themorn it sounds.
Good good to see, it, Man Christopher camaradie from The Athletic Stop. Spoturday courtesy of our friends AT Ifa Country. Stores any drive to the basket is the. Uh it begins with the first step on the. Court that's the ultimate power. MOVE Ifa step one Crabgrass preventer plus their lawn food is the first choice to give your yard the, healthy thick green look you.
Desire the neighbors will be green with.
Envy SHOP ifa online AT ifa dot Co, op or stop by one of their Eighteen utah locations today