As he's gotten older, he said the sports ventures interest him more than pure business, but with all that and his 12 grandchildren, Elmore doesn't see himself slowing down. "No, my wife asked me that, but I really enjoy what I'm doing," he said. Elmore loves "the challenge" of business, and his sports holdings give him great joy because he feels like the communities benefit. He'll just go sit in the stands and watch people have fun sometimes, he said.

"Recently I was over in Sun Valley," Elmore said, "and I said something about Idaho Falls, and this girl said, 'You know, I used to go to the games with my dad. My dad and I never spent much time together because he was always so busy. The only time we were together was when we'd go to those games.'

"And I thought, 'Oh my gosh, that's exactly (why I do this).'

"I have story after story, people telling me how that's the relationship they remember with their parent, or maybe they didn't get along very well and that kind of provided a bridge for them to get to know the father or the child. They're great stories," Elmore said.

"I feel very fortunate that I've had the opportunity to do the things I have."

---

E-mail: lham@desnews.com