"I think they jumped the gun," Councilwoman Jenny Wilson told the Deseret Morning News in August, referring to the groundbreaking. "I don't know if it was just the emotion of having Real Madrid here and the desire of having David Beckham involved, or it was just a negotiating tactic."

Or all of the above. Has RSL missed a trick since it got here?

Anyway, the financial records are out, and here's what they reveal: The club has lost money since it opened its doors in 2004, but projections show the club will begin to make money in 2010, two years after the stadium is built.

Which sounds pretty good until you read the part that says the PROJECTIONS DEPEND ON HIGH ATTENDANCE AND SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS FROM PARTNERS.

That's like saying Wal-Mart will make a lot of money if millions of people shop there every week.

Real's projections assume game attendance will increase by 21 percent in 2007, 29 percent in 2008 and continue to increase until it levels out in 2013.

Those are some pretty big "ifs."

County officials say they will not invest public money in the project until they see the records and determine if it's a solid investment, but who are they kidding? They're determined to make this work, even if it doesn't and even if 59 percent of respondents in a poll opposed the use of public money for the stadium.

There are still a lot of things to be resolved, the county is telling us. That means we can look forward to more more end-arounds and back-room wheeling and dealing by the Chowderheads and Bush Leaguers in the coming few years.

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Doug Robinson's column runs on Tuesdays. Please e-mail drob@desnews.com.