THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — A former president of Madison Square Garden has sued New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, saying he reneged on a promise to make him a major part of a Yankees-operated television network.
Robert Gutkowski seeks at least US$43 million in damages in a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Manhattan.
Gutkowski says in the lawsuit he urged Steinbrenner in 1996 to create a Yankees television network and his work helped lead to the creation of the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network in March 2002.
A spokesman for Steinbrenner says the allegations related to the YES network are false and frivolous.
Gutkowski was president of Madison Square Garden Corp. from 1991 through 1994. He was president of the MSG Network from 1985 through 1991.
