When local and state officials were debating funding for a new MLS stadium in Sandy, a big argument for involved the economic impact of a facility.

So when local officials tracked spending at the MLS All-Star Game held at Rio Tinto Stadium, they probably weren't too surprised to see over $3 million spent by the 5,200 tourists who came in for the game -- money that would not have been spent in Utah if it were not for the stadium.

Overall, the game attracted over 20,000 fans, with the total economic activity pegged at over $9 million. Of course, anti-stadium folks will correctly argue almost $6 million of that came from locals who would have spent the money somewhere anyway. Still, if you're a Sandy business owner who saw an uptick in business during All-Star time, you really don't care -- all you know is that your bottom line improved.