Gutkowski Sues Steinbrenner Over Formation Of YES Network
Bob Gutkowski, the former president of Madison Square Garden and the MSG Network has sued New York Yankees principal owner over the creation of the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network.
In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court Friday, Gutkowski, according to a report from Reuters, said Steinbrenner "knowingly lied" when he promised him a chance to build and have a major role in running what would become YES, the regional sports network that presents Bronx Bombers baseball games.
Gutkowski, who is seeking $38 million, $18 million in compensatory damages and another $20 million in punitive damages, stated that he first came up with the idea for the network in 1996, six years before its debut, according to the suit. MSG had held local broadcast and cable rights to Yankees games from 1989 to 2000.
Steinbrenner had no comment.
The case is Gutkowski v. Steinbrenner, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 09-7535.
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