NHL Commissioner GARY BETTMAN, Rangers GM & President NEIL
SMITH and Rangers captain MARK MESSIER led the contingent at a
Rose Garden ceremony during which PRESIDENT CLINTON was presented
with a miniature Stanley Cup and a Rangers jersey. Clinton:
"We've been trying to arrange this visit for some time, but
what's a few months to 54 years" (THE DAILY)....Blazers owner and
Microsoft co-founder PAUL ALLEN will become the "majority outside
investor" in DreamWorks, the new entertainment company being
formed by Steven Speilberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Allen will reportedly invest about $500M, giving him a stake
"equal to or just under 20%" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/20)....
Royals VP GEORGE BRETT is negotiating to buy the Duluth Dukes of
the Northern League, with RUSH LIMBAUGH as one of his partners
(Peter Gammons, BOSTON GLOBE, 3/19)....The NHL has hired KEN
ROSEN away from NBA Entertainment. He will now be in charge of
NHL Productions, a new division in charge of various video
productions (Kevin Paul Dupont, BOSTON GLOBE, 3/19).... Sources
say JIM CORNO, VP/GM of SportsChannel Chicago, has expressed an
interest in becoming President of MSG Network (Bob Raissman, N.Y.
DAILY NEWS, 3/19)....BONNIE BLAIR was interviewed on ABC's "Good
Morning America" on her retirement from skating. Blair:
"Hopefully I have brought the sport to a newer level, a higher
level, and given some others something to chase, something to go
for. But I am going out on top. I am happy" (ABC, 3/20).