Indeed, a skeptical chorus wonders about Becker's tunnel vision for a Broadway-style theater on Main Streetand a massive sports complex along the Jordan River, especially when the multimillion-dollar ventures seem like luxuries during a recession.

"He's had some surprises and some controversies, but, frankly, nobody in that position would not have that happen," says Matthew Burbank, a political scientist at the University of Utah. "They don't become debating matches. They don't drag on for a long time. They don't become very public squabbles. That's a good sign."

Indeed, a skeptical chorus wonders about Becker's tunnel vision for a Broadway-style theater on Main Streetand a massive sports complex along the Jordan River, especially when the multimillion-dollar ventures seem like luxuries during a recession.

"He's had some surprises and some controversies, but, frankly, nobody in that position would not have that happen," says Matthew Burbank, a political scientist at the University of Utah. "They don't become debating matches. They don't drag on for a long time. They don't become very public squabbles. That's a good sign."