Former Madison Square Garden President Bob Gutkowski
unveiled his plans for a new sports marketing and entertainment
company yesterday in New York. Gutkowski will head the company
known as The Marquee Group, which will specialize in "full-
service marketing, management, sales and television production,"
according to Bob Raissman in this morning's N.Y. DAILY NEWS. The
Marquee Group will have two established companies as wholly owned
subsidiaries: Athletes and Artists and Sports Marketing &
Television International (SMTI). Athletes and Artists represents
sports broadcasters and athletes, including Al Michaels, Dan
Dierdorf, Brian Leetch and Adam Oates. SMTI's client list
includes the Breeders' Cup, CFA College Football and the Isuzu
Celebrity Golf Championship. Raissman reports "the moneyman"
behind the new company is Robert Sillerman, an investor in "a
variety of media" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/21). This morning's WALL
STREET JOURNAL reports Marquee "hopes to compete directly with
other big sports marketing agencies," with IMG mentioned (WALL
STREET JOURNAL, 12/21). Marquee has already secured an agreement
to produce preseason TV games for the Giants and Patriots
(Richard Sandomir, N.Y. TIMES, 12/21). POSSIBILITIES:
Gutkowski told the N.Y. DAILY NEWS' Raissman that "the
possibility of team ownership is not out of the question."
Gutkowski: "I would love to be able to put together a group to
buy a professional team. I'm a Long Islander, and if they were
ever for sale, I would be interested in putting together a group
to buy the Islanders" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/21).
