Naturally, Checketts has his detractors. As a former chief executive officer of Madison Square Garden, he's used to it. Mostly, he lets criticism bounce off. That's not to say he backs down. The Bountiful native publicly accused the late Larry H. Miller, who owned the Jazz, of conspiring to keep him from building a soccer stadium.

Good rule of thumb: Never tick off the guy who owns the biggest car lot(s) in town.

Checketts survived, anyway.

He was the subject of criticism when he rehired broadcaster Marv Albert in New York, following a sex scandal that ended with Albert pleading guilty to assault and battery.

You have to give Checketts credit, though; he has always been up front about his aspirations. Being a 28-year-old NBA executive with the Jazz clearly wasn't where he wanted his story to end. Nor was buying the Blues. There's no denying that acquiring an NFL team would be his tour de force.

Still, he said, it's not a career path he'd recommend for everyone. You can't just take a correspondence course on becoming a sports baron.

"I have a standard letter that I respond with, to kids who are in college and want a career in sports," said Checketts. "I say, 'Lay down until that feeling passes.' That's my advice."

As if he ever did that himself.

E-MAIL: rock@desnews.com