<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Jazz reached break-even last month on the basketball season's final day, according to the NBA standings. Financially, however, they're not even close. The Jazz's red ink exceeded $10 million last season, owner Larry Miller told The Salt Lake Tribune - and approaches $25 million over the past two seasons. "We're losing a lot of money. Huge numbers," Miller said of the team he has owned for 21 seasons. "Blow-your-mind numbers." "The past couple of years have hurt us, big time," Miller admitted. "It's painful." But it's self-inflicted pain, said the Jazz owner, who estimates that only "eight or nine" of the 30 NBA teams lost money last season. And he believes it's only a short-term problem. Miller authorized a quarter-billion dollars in long-term contracts to Jazz players during the summer of 2004, including $86 million to Andrei Kirilenko, $68 million to Carlos Boozer, and $50 million to Mehmet Okur. By doing so, Miller hoped eventually to return the team to championship contention - but he also nearly doubled his payroll within two seasons. And it's not a decision he regrets. "Being competitive on the floor is important to us, and we believe we are headed in the right direction," Miller said. "You have to be smart about it, and I think we have been. This [loss], it's an eight-digit number. . . . But it's something we were prepared for." </div> <div align="center">Source</div>
Well the main problem I see is Utah not making enough money from TV revenue. They were on national TV, one or two times this past season? It hurts the money you can make from corporate sponsors if they aren't going to get the media exposure that other teams get from being on national TV more often. Maybe the Jazz can get some games televised in New Zealand next year, eh Stockton? I still don't believe any owner who claims they aren't making money from owning an NBA team. There's a lot of ways to manipulate the actual earnings, the information is private and not even the NBAPA knows exactly how much the owners are making.
Utah should have been undefeated on National TV this year, but Kobe's flop saved the Lakers Utah plays good all the time when they are on National TV. I don't know what it brings out in them but they always are there to play.
Jazz attendance wasn't as high as it's been in the past this season. The Jazz had a 41-41 overall record and a 22-19 home record, more wins should result in better ticket sales.
