Here's a partial list of visitors: Country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, soccer star David Beckham, actor Tom Cruise, actress Katie Holmes, actor Johnny Depp, rockers Alice Cooper, Bonnie Raitt and Dave Matthews, songwriter/composer Randy Newman, real-estate mogul Donald Trump, Jazz great John Stockton, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, actor Sean Astin ("The Lord of the Rings"), actor Henry Thomas ("E.T."), golfers Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam, TV journalist Andrea Mitchell, her husband economist Alan Greenspan, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Republican strategist Karl Rove and President George W. Bush.
None of these folks, as far as I can tell, visited Utah for its culture or scenery. Instead they came for political spin-making (the Bushies) or paying gigs (almost everyone else). I don't know what this all means, but it made for a lively month. Now can things get back to normal around here?
He throws, he scores! I know the NBA season is two months away, but I'm predicting big things this year from Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko. According to a posting on his Web site, AK-47 skipped playing for the Russian National Team this summer to work with a coach on his shooting.
At least I think that's what he said - with Kirilenko's delightfully fractured English, you never know for sure.
"The reason of my decision is the opportunity to have an individual practice to improve my throws," he wrote. (My throws? ) "I'm planning to have a practice in the U.S. from the middle of July till the end of September with on [sic] of the best specialist. If everything goes the way I plan, it'll help both me and Utah and Russia."
Let's hope so. Oh, that Andrei - ya gotta love him.
griggs@sltrib.com
