Rock on

Makeover

Dave Checketts, the Bountiful native and former Madison Square Garden boss, is trying to forge a plan to buy the St. Louis Rams.

This isn't his first foray into sports ownership. He (and his group, SPC Worldwide) already owns the St. Louis Blues, Real Salt Lake, and tried to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also owns the Scottrade Center and Keil Opera House, which is under major renovation.

Rock On has just learned Checketts is negotiating to buy the LDS Conference Center, too. He plans to upgrade the facility by adding luxury suites, plasma TVs, food court and two Starbucks.

Reserve your suite for October Conference now.

Liftoff

RSL announced an unprecedented pairing, last week, when it was revealed JetBlue Airways will adorn one of its planes with the team's logo.

The artwork has a stylized image of a soccer player wearing a Real uniform.

Yes, there is a tie-in: RSL owner Checketts is on JetBlue's board of directors.

After announcing the pairing, RSL went out and won its first game in seven weeks on Saturday.

Which was good news for the team but great news for JetBlue.

Nothing worse for an airline than hooking up with an operation that can't get off the ground.

Bearific

Jazz mascot Bear was inducted into the Utah Summer Games Hall of Honor, last week.

A news release said the award was presented to those who "give service to the games or have demonstrated the greatest athletic ability produced from the state."

Here's hoping it's the former.

Bear makes me laugh as much as the next guy, but I'd hate to think breaking wind at the refs or gunning a Harley qualifies as "the greatest athletic ability produced from the state."

Man's man

Gavin McFarland is a Rocky Mountain Junior High (West Haven) 14-year-old who was told last month to change out of a kilt he wore to school because someone might think he was cross-dressing.

McFarland had to explain it was a manly-man kilt, not a skirt.

Which is sort of what Carlos Boozer was trying to tell Jerry Sloan about his defense.

Too much info

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Raul Ibanez is outraged at a blog posting that suggested he uses steroids. He told the Philadelphia Inquirer he'll stake his bank account on his innocence.

"You can have my urine, my hair, my blood, my stool — anything you can test. I'll give you back every dime I've ever made," he said.

Um, thanks for the offer, but for most of us, an autograph will do.

E-MAIL: rock@desnews.com