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Arm Twisting MLS Style

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Well it looks like Checketts will get what he wants from the taxpayers of Utah, thanks to the intervention of the Governor. The only real question is if Checketts still wants to own the team. He was evidenly in St. Louis yesterday meeting with Jeff Cooper's group, who placed a formal bid for RSL with a Friday deadline. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch seems to think Checketts will be satisfied with the package the state legislature has cobbled together in Utah. The proposal does indeed seem to be close to the terms of the original deal nixed by SLC mayor Peter Corroon.

It effect it looks like Utah blinked and Checketts won.

Although, the real winners will be the RSL fans. (Who never seem to be quoted in Salt Lake Trib stories, although they are very active in the comment section here.)
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Anonymous said…
I'll accept this post as your admission of defeat (to our non-wager).

BTW, your assessment of the negotiations ("Utah blinked") is simplistic and off-base. But you being dead wrong again on this story is really no surprise.

I guess I just chalk it up to your combination of wishful thinking, arrogance, and provincialism.

-FM
February 9, 2007 at 1:55 PM
Rich Horton said…
Bottom line, did Checketts get what he wanted? Yeah he did. Are the taxpayers on the hook for any less then they were before? No. Were the book juggled mightily? Sure were. Would any of this have happened, or happened this quickly, if Checketts hadn't threatened to sell the team? Of course not.

How any of this cannot be seen as the state capitulating to the demands of Checketts is beyond me. (Why should Checketts care HOW the hotel taxes are diverted to his project? He just wants the money.)

BTW you should look at the older posts to see the status of the wager.
February 9, 2007 at 2:06 PM
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