The suit seeks compensatory damages of over $5 Million and alleges that there was a breach of contract, fraud and deceptive sales practices against the ticket holders.
The complaint also alleges that Cowboys season ticket holders, known as the “Founders”, were deceived into paying $1,200 a seat for Super Bowl tickets that turned out to be temporary.
While the NFL apologized to the roughly 400 fans who had to give up their seats at the Super Bowl and is offering concessions, it apparently isn’t enough for some. Wronged fans have filed a class-action lawsuit against owner Jerry Jones, the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys.
The suit, which seeks compensatory damages of over $5 Million, alleges that there was a breach of contract, fraud and deceptive sales practices against the ticket holders.
The complaint also alleges that Cowboys season ticket holders, known as the “Founders”, were deceived into paying $1,200 a seat for Super Bowl tickets that turned out to be temporary.
In addition, some of those ticketholders were moved to other seats that attorney Michael Avenatti says had obstructed views. “Those obstructed views included not being able to see the video board, that of course Jerry [Jones] and the Cowboys have touted for months and years on end.”
According to Avenatti the suit, filed in Dallas Federal Court on Wednesday, also alleges that the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys organization were only interested in breaking the Super Bowl attendance record.
A total of about 15,000 temporary seats were added to $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium, and Sunday’s attendance was announced at 103,219, just short of the Super Bowl-record 103,985 who were at the Rose Bowl for the 1980 NFL championship game.
The league initially said Sunday it would give $2,400, three times the face value of the ticket, to the fans who were forced to watch the game on monitors or use standing-room platforms after some temporary seating sections were not completed in time.
On Monday, Commissioner Roger Goodell said those fans would also receive tickets to next year’s Super Bowl.
Odette Karam, who was refused a seat, flew to North Texas from California to see the game. She told KRLD NewsRadio 1080 that she’s heard about the offer. “We can either take a ticket for next year’s Super Bowl, plus $2400 or you can take a ticket for any Super Bowl that you choose, plus airfare and hotel paid for,” said Karam, who says she’s only heard about the NFL compensation offer and is still waiting for the league to contact her and make it official.
Attorney Avenatti said, “You don’t have to own the Cowboys or run the NFL to know that you cannot lawfully treat people like this.”