Even though the boycott cut American travel to the Moscow Games by about 80 percent, Elmore's companies were the official U.S. travel agents for the 1,500 or so who went, a relationship that continued for Olympics outside the U.S. until they were finally outbid in 2004.

While not official now, Elmore's companies have still booked 2,000-2,500 packages to the Beijing Olympics.

In 1981, Elmore was spending his time in Hawaii and bought the struggling Hawaii Islanders PCL Triple-A baseball team, the first dabbling into pro sports for a man whose boyhood dream was to own a Major League Baseball club. He'd been a high school athlete but says he wasn't good enough to have planned on a college or pro sports career.

The difficulties of playing in Aloha Stadium, a distant football venue in which the team was allowed no signage and got no cut of the parking revenue, eventually forced him to move. Elmore did get to host baseball's winter meetings and hobnob with baseball executives while the Islanders were in Hawaii, paving future relations in sports.

He considered moving the Islanders to Salt Lake City, but the Pioneer League Salt Lake Trappers wouldn't budge, so he settled in Colorado Springs instead.

Elmore now owns six minor-league teams — the hockey Grizzlies and five baseball clubs — the Sky Sox, San Bernardino Inland Empire 66ers, San Antonio Missions, Eugene Emeralds and the Idaho Falls Chukars.

As for the Grizzlies, which he downsized to the AA-level ECHL three years ago, Elmore said he is pleased with the team's progress. It is targeting more corporate sales, and Elmore has said several times he expects the Grizzlies will be financially in good shape within the next two years.

The Elmore Sports Group, which includes his sons and his wife, Donna Tuttle, has also owned other hockey teams in San Antonio, Florida and Virginia, plus an Arena Football League 2 team and an indoor soccer team in Florida.

Also among the Elmore empire are Centennial Management and Diamond Creations, partnership with West Valley City in the E Center; the ballpark in Colorado Springs, Sports Mark Management Group, Pro Sports Network marketing firm, a couple of hotels in Hawaii, USA Hosts Destination Services and two Manhattan Beach, Calif., groups heavily involved in Olympic travel, Cartan Tours-Travel Agency and Global Sports Partners, which help 32 countries obtain travel for athletes' families to the Olympics.

Those entities are consulting and helping plan some big international sporting events, involved in 2009 World Cup baseball and 2010 World Cup soccer in South Africa.

"I'm really looking forward to the Vancouver Games, and I'm looking forward to South Africa for World Cup. You meet new people, and it's an interesting perspective," said Elmore.