"We're in this with all our heart." - Real Salt Lake CEO Dean Howes, Dec. 12, 2006.

It's a miserly, disingenuous heart.

Before Sandy's Major League Soccer team will produce the $7.5 million in cash it pledged in exchange for $50 million in taxpayer subsidies, owner Dave Checketts expects more: He wants to sell naming rights for a publicly funded Salt Lake City youth soccer complex and pocket the cash. He hopes to collect hotdog money from the kids who will play there and charge their parents parking fees. And he has suggested the city give the team land from a city golf course for an RSL soccer academy.

Emboldened by the promise of $35 million in Salt Lake County hotel taxes in his bank account and a $15.3 million bond Salt Lake City homeowners will be financing for years, he started playing games. The money he offered a year ago to generate good will has become an "investment," not a "donation." Forget hundreds of young Freddy Adu fans kicking balls across new sod. Self-interest has won out over corporate citizenship. "We'll really do whatever is responsive and responsible." - Dave Checketts, rushing out of the County Council chambers March 21, 2006, after being grilled about the team's future in Utah.

All along, County Mayor Peter Corroon wanted to see Real's books - to make sure taxpayers weren't being snookered. A county review committee concluded Real's attendance estimates were inflated, the team's concert schedule was overly optimistic and RSL probably would be $9 million in the red by 2013.

That's all moot now, of course, because Utah lawmakers and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. figured they knew better than Corroon and skeptical taxpayers. "This has come at a great, great cost, but what a blessed event this is." - Dave Checketts, at the scarf-fluttering Capitol Hill news conference Feb. 9.

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, who draped himself in a scarf that day, now feels burned. So do City Council members and the taxpayers actually footing soccer's bills.

"We're painting this wonderful picture of what greed really looks like," said City Councilwoman Nancy Saxton.

Rather than humbly accepting the taxpayers' gift and holding up his end of the bargain, Checketts has started grandstanding. Some wonder if perhaps Checketts doesn't have the money and is looking for a way out. Turns out his demands could send the house of cards tumbling, since federal law blocks the kinds of profits Checketts is grasping at. Whatever the reason, Checketts has embarrassed his benefactors - House Speaker Greg Curtis and the governor. Curtis is lying low, trying to get as far from Checketts' bad behavior as possible. Huntsman and his staff are working behind the scenes - again - to try to save soccer. If the whole deal falls apart because of Checketts' chutzpah, that would be cosmic justice.

walsh@sltrib.com