Haslam says Jazz in no financial danger

"Whatever income is enjoyed in the Delta Center," Haslam said, "would also be offset against whatever specific losses there might be in the Jazz operations."

Late last year, Forbes magazine — based on a complicated formula that measures sport, arena, market and brand management, and factors revenues through the 2004-05 season — valued the Jazz at $274 million, up from $257 million one year earlier.

Miller — who sees the team as a gift to the community, and repeatedly has made it known he has no plans to sell — has said he recently received two offers to buy the franchise for more than $386 million.

Either way, the club's value is a substantial return on his mid-1980s investment of $22 million — and indicative of an organization that, financially, is indeed alive and well.

But wait.

There's more.

Miller's vast empire of business ventures — more than three dozen car dealerships, movie theaters, sports-merchandise stores, a minor-league baseball team, et al — are trickle-down beneficiaries of Miller's ownership of the Jazz.

"We certainly believe that's part of our overall marketing philosophy," Haslam said. "We believe Jazz fans translate into car buyers. Absolutely, we believe that. We also believe they like to go to our movie theaters. They know who they're doing business with."

Bottom line:

Miller probably wouldn't be plunking more than $50 million into building his brand-new Tooele County road-course race track, Miller Motorsports Park, if the Jazz really were saddled with unexpected and actual losses totaling $25 million over the past couple years.

"I'm in-the-know," Haslam said. "I don't know what others may feel or suspect, but we have a very, very financially solid organization, across all of Larry's business interests. And if we experience some losses in the Utah Jazz because we're trying to build a foundation for the future, that's one of those decisions that is made.

"We're not making a decision about today. We're making decisions looking to the future."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com