From Deseret News archives:
Will a new driver for the Miller empire result in changed direction?
The only thing missing was the tears.
As these things normally go, Jazz owner Larry H. Miller would make a few remarks or a lot and invariably get choked up.
The man never could take the emotion out of the equation.
Which I found myself missing on Friday.
An absent Larry means no great quotes and anecdotes, which means I have to write my own column, rather than having him do it for me.
A new era in Jazz leadership is under way. As Miller remains hospitalized for symptoms related to diabetes, his son Greg has become the CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. From car dealerships to restaurants to finance companies to movie theaters to sports entities, the face of LHM is now GM, and we're not talking about General Motors. We're talking about Greg Miller, a reserved, serious young man who isn't about to try duplicating his father's flamboyance.
In auto terms, he is an understated Lexus sedan, while his father is a souped-up '64 Mustang convertible.
You can forget about Greg strangling obnoxious Denver fans who are heckling him during the playoffs. Don't expect him to sit courtside and bicker with opposing players, either.
Greg Miller probably won't have his own locker room cubicle, and he won't warm up with the team, the way his father did years ago.
Just wondering: What does Greg Miller think about "Brokeback Mountain"?
I talked briefly with the latest Miller CEO this week and found him polite and pleasant, if a bit guarded. He seemed to weigh every question before answering, while his father sometimes answered questions before they were asked.
Larry spoke from the heart, while Greg appears to speak from the head. I told Greg he reminded me more of his mother, Gail, who has quietly and gracefully avoided media coverage, deferring to her extroverted husband ...
"I don't know that I would characterize myself as being more like my mom, but I am one who is perfectly content being in the shadows," said the younger Miller. "I'm not a limelight person. I think the most important thing for me is to assume whatever role is necessary for the well-being for the franchise. If that means being more visible, then I'm prepared to do that."
Recent comments
Hey Gang. As long as there is a Miller at the head of the...
Dick of the NW | July 20, 2008 at 10:58 p.m.
Please check you facts -- the first mustangs are offically 1965....
64 Mustang | July 20, 2008 at 10:53 p.m.
Hey, Marc -- Why do you need a visible owner to have a successful...
Don't need a visible owner | July 20, 2008 at 5:39 p.m.
- Northeast scallopers decry cuts 11:29 a.m.
- $ needed to ease U.N. climate deal 11:17 a.m.
- Sen.: Troop hike must help forces 11:12 a.m.
- 'New Moon' keeps top box office spot 11:05 a.m.
- 4 police officers shot dead in Wash. 11:00 a.m.
- Filipino clan claims innocence 10:51 a.m.
- 'Saddam Channel' hits Iraq TV 10:36 a.m.
- Russia sends pact draft to leaders 10:30 a.m.
- Nat'l parks seek share of profits 10:24 a.m.
- UNLV refutes comeback 10:23 a.m.
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
- BYU is champion of the state
- Cave to be sealed with body inside
- Credit Coug defense for win
- Cougar defense rose to occasion
- Field goals, penalties doomed Utes
- Jones' joy for life remembered
- Banged up Jazz get best of Blazers
- Man dies in dirt bike crash
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
424 - Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
314 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
115 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
115 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
89 - Hall's legacy measured today
76 - Y. focused on 10-win season
73 - Letters: C02 causes warming
72
Did I throw beer on you? Did I spit on you? Am I classless? It must be...
Dick - the receivers were wide open on almost every long pass with one to two...
How could Utah have won 5 of the last 7 when BYU has won 3 of the last 4?...
Whether you're a Ute fan or a BYU fan (and I am a Cougar fan), Hall's...
NO...those open receivers where missed because of the footsteps wynn heard..
Take a lesson Max from your teammate Jan Jorgensen who chased Bryan Johnson...
Alli and Mason are both talented actors and great kids. I can't wait to see...
The defenses were stellar for both teams, but BYU's defense outperformed...
No doubt Max Hall's comments after the game were inapropriate. I am ashamed...
Both teams and unsportmslike calls and they could have called more on BYU...

