Some Super Bowl seats not completed (1 Viewer)

[Somebody]

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=6096112

Some Super Bowl seats not completed

By Tim MacMahon

ARLINGTON, Texas -- After a limited number of sections in temporary seating areas at Cowboys Stadium were not completed in time, 400 fans were not able to attend Super Bowl XLV on Sunday.

Two hours before the game, workers were frantically trying to fix the sections or get the fans "relocated to similar or better seats," valued at $800. The NFL found alternate seating for 850 of the 1,250 fans affected. The 400 who were not able to be seated were given a refund of triple face value -- $2,400.

"Incomplete installation of temporary seats in a limited number of sections made the seats unusable," the NFL said in a statement. "The safety of fans attending the Super Bowl was paramount in making the decision and the NFL, Dallas Cowboys and City of Arlington officials are in agreement with the resolution. We regret the situation and inconvenience that it may have caused. We will conduct a full review of this matter."

The NFL tried to placate those 400 fans, taking them inside the stadium to watch the game on monitors in the North Field Club behind the Pittsburgh bench. They also had the option of viewing the game from standing-room platforms in each corner of the stadium. Those fans will still get the triple refund.

After saying all week that he expected Sunday's game to set an all-time Super Bowl attendance record with 105,000 fans seated inside the stadium, Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones come up short as the announced attendance of 103,219 was just shy of the 103,985 mark set in Super Bowl XIV between the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers at the Rose Bowl.

Based on the 850 seats that were forfeited by the NFL and Cowboys to make room for those who were relocated, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed that the seating debacle was the reason the attendance record was not set.

"Yes," McCarthy said when asked if those seats would've been otherwise occupied had the displaced fans not been moved there. "But we've been focused on the safety and experience of our fans."

Instead, Jones will have to settle for the second-largest Super Bowl crowd.

At about 4 p.m. in a concourse, a Steelers fan in a Troy Polamalu jersey was yelling obscenities into his cell phone at a stadium employee. He couldn't be seated because his seats were in an area near the seats that didn't meet code.

"We spent $3,000 on tickets," his friend said. "After parking and $10 beers, it's $3,000. I just want to sit."

Said Jennifer Dunfee, a friend in their party who flew in from Colorado for the game: "We've spent over an hour trying to figure out how to get up there."

The NFL closed four of the 10 entrance points into the stadium Sunday because of lingering ice on the roof of the stadium. On Friday, six people were injured by ice falling onto the sidewalk outside of the structure. The NFL was working with the Arlington Fire Department to direct fans safely into the stadium. Safe corridors were established around any potential fall zones.

In addition, the Arlington Police Department requested additional officers to the East Plaza ticket offices after the crowd started to become unruly after ticket scanners weren't functioning. There were chants of "Jerry Sucks!" and "NFL Sucks!"

Steve and Dawn Novak traveled from Rochester, N.Y., to find that their $800 seats could be exchanged for three times face value, or else for a $350 standing-room-only ticket. They said the NFL would not reimburse the difference in value. They decided to take a loss on the ticket but attend the game after coming all that way. She is a Packers fan and he is a Steelers fan, and they were both angry about the experience.

"We said one of us was going to be happy at the end of the day and we were wrong," Steve Novak said.

Dallas resident Brian Shake said it generally takes 15 minutes to wait at the gate. He said he waited in line for an hour and 20 minutes on Sunday.

"It was just so long," Shake said. "Problem was, you didn't know if you were in the right line or not. Everywhere you looked, there were just fences and screens and you couldn't get in anywhere."

His wife Kathy Shake called it "frustrating."

"It was very confusing on how to get in as you snaked your way through security."

Paul Bryant, from Milwaukee, said he and his party waited at least 90 minutes in line to get into the stadium.

"Nobody knew where to go. ... They had 14 detectives, and there's got to be 20,000 people going through here. If you do the math, that isn't enough," Bryant said.

Stadium workers were covering the top corner sections of the upper deck behind one end zone two hours prior to kickoff. The fans affected were directed to the Party Plaza area, which is located outside the stadium for the Super Bowl.

The temporary-seating sections were erected in what is usually an open area. Fans can purchase $29 "Party Passes" to stand in the open areas during Cowboys games.

Tim MacMahon covers the Cowboys for ESPNDallas.com. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com, Jane McManus of ESPNNewYork.com, ESPN.com reporters Kevin Seifert and Liz Merrill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

[Sudoku_in_the_Bathtub]

No. And they'd end up paying me much more than triple face if I traveled a great distance to attend.

 

[Not Sure]

Considering airfare and hotel costs combined with not being able to see the game from the seats they paid for, I don't think triple the face value comes close to being fair compensation. I would be really pissed if I was one of them.

 

[Sarnoff]

No. They should have both teams come back out and re-enact the game for these 400 fans after everyone else has left.

 

[biggamer3]

yeah 3X ticks is not gonna do it for me. No one really pays face, most pay a lot more from brokers and Ebay. I sense more then 3x coming to these guys

 

[Mr. Retukes]

"Super Bowl misses attendance mark"

A total of 103,219 crammed into Cowboys Stadium to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, missing the record by 766.

The construction of some temporary seating was not completed in time for the game, resulting in the relocation of 850 fans and refunds for 400 who could not be reseated in the stadium.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the seats lost just hours before the game were the reason the record wasn't set.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but it sounds like only 400 people were denied entry. So even if those people managed to get into the stadium, they still would have been 366 short of the record......right? What am I missing, Mr. McCarthy?

 

[carverlee]

"Super Bowl misses attendance mark"

A total of 103,219 crammed into Cowboys Stadium to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, missing the record by 766.

The construction of some temporary seating was not completed in time for the game, resulting in the relocation of 850 fans and refunds for 400 who could not be reseated in the stadium.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the seats lost just hours before the game were the reason the record wasn't set.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but it sounds like only 400 people were denied entry. So even if those people managed to get into the stadium, they still would have been 366 short of the record......right? What am I missing, Mr. McCarthy?

It's because 200 ticketholders were murdered or arrested as a result of the fiasco, 200 more were sucked into Jerry Jones ego's gravitational pull and 100 more died from falling ice.

oh and 1 person was killed by Christina Aguilera's singing.

 

[Truman]

If I were attending it would easily cost me 10 x face value.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Jerry Jones sucks.

 

[Black Box]

And the Cowboys come up just short again.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

"Super Bowl misses attendance mark"

A total of 103,219 crammed into Cowboys Stadium to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, missing the record by 766.

The construction of some temporary seating was not completed in time for the game, resulting in the relocation of 850 fans and refunds for 400 who could not be reseated in the stadium.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the seats lost just hours before the game were the reason the record wasn't set.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but it sounds like only 400 people were denied entry. So even if those people managed to get into the stadium, they still would have been 366 short of the record......right? What am I missing, Mr. McCarthy?

This part:

Based on the 850 seats that were forfeited by the NFL and Cowboys to make room for those who were relocated, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed that the seating debacle was the reason the attendance record was not set.

"Yes," McCarthy said when asked if those seats would've been otherwise occupied had the displaced fans not been moved there. "But we've been focused on the safety and experience of our fans."

 

[comfortably numb]

Jerry, buy em season tickets for 2011 to the team of their choice.

 

[CrossEyed]

Latest offer:

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) – The NFL is dealing with a public relations nightmare after 1,250 fans were either displaced or forced to give up their tickets to Super Bowl XLV on Sunday.Of the 1,250 fans affected, 400 had to watch the game on monitors or use standing room platforms. The problem arose because some temporary seating sections were not completed in time.The league initially said Sunday it would give $2,400, three times the face value of the ticket, to the 400 fans.On Monday, those fans were offered free tickets to next year’s Super Bowl, in addition to the cash.On Tuesday, the NFL upped the ante again with a second option.The other option for fans is to get tickets to any future Super Bowl, round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations to the game. Fans who choose this option will not get the $2,400.The NFL is also allowing them to wait until after the conference championship games to see if their favorite team advances to the Super Bowl.These options are only available to the 400 people who were not given a seat at Sunday’s game. It does not apply to the other 850 people who were moved into other seats.If fans choose to receive the tickets to next year’s Super Bowl and the $2,400, the tickets are transferable.However, if they choose the second option, the ticket will not be transferable.

 

[CrossEyed]

BTW, I think the NFL is still botching this thing from a PR standpoint. The right thing to do would be to reimburse these folks for all of their expenses this year. We're talking about 400 people. That is peanuts for the NFL.

Talk about greedy and selfish. You screwed up, take ownership of it and pay these people back.

 

[Clarence the barber]

And the Cowboys come up just short again.

To be fair, they usually come up WAY short.

 

[Da Guru]

Considering airfare and hotel costs combined with not being able to see the game from the seats they paid for, I don't think triple the face value comes close to being fair compensation. I would be really pissed if I was one of them.

Triple comp plus expenses. Submit your travel and hotel costs and get them covered as well. These people would never have made the trip otherwise.

 

[Philo]

"Super Bowl misses attendance mark"

A total of 103,219 crammed into Cowboys Stadium to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, missing the record by 766.

The construction of some temporary seating was not completed in time for the game, resulting in the relocation of 850 fans and refunds for 400 who could not be reseated in the stadium.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed the seats lost just hours before the game were the reason the record wasn't set.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but it sounds like only 400 people were denied entry. So even if those people managed to get into the stadium, they still would have been 366 short of the record......right? What am I missing, Mr. McCarthy?

There were 1250 people affected by the incomplete seating. 850 were seated elsewhere, but, those seats didn't come from out of nowhere, Jerry Jones had to ask 850 Cowboys personnel and guests to give up their seats for the 850 fans. Then they were still left with 400 fans without seats. That's why they were short of the record, the 400 people who didn't get to go, and the 850 Cowboys people who were moved out to make room for the others. If they had seated everyone... the 400 fans and the 850 Cowboys people, there would have been enough to break the record.

 

[gandalas]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

 

[CrossEyed]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

 

[jonessed]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Uh... no. They went to the Superbowl to see their team not two random teams. I really don't think this is good enough to compensate these people for their time and cost.I would be surprised if the NFL doesn't make a better offer. I'm already quite surprised they have botched the PR on this so badly. This was a great opportunity to show that they take care of their fans. When you are front page news it's generally a bad time to incrementally try and pinch pennies.

 

[RUSF18]

Just heard that there was a lawsuit filed, which seems to be a pretty quick reaction. Even if the plaintiffs win, the amount they'd be awarded (or the settlement received) after the lawyers get their cut will likely not be as much as the tickets plus airfare plus hotel they would be given for any Super Bowl they want.

 

[gandalas]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

Because the tickets for next year's game are also transferable, so you can sell the tickets and recoup even more of your money.If $1,600 (extra cash from this year's tickets) + the payout from the tickets next season doesn't cover your entire costs on the travel (plane ticket plus hotel Room) then you are spending way too much on travel.

 

[CrossEyed]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

Because the tickets for next year's game are also transferable, so you can sell the tickets and recoup even more of your money.If $1,600 (extra cash from this year's tickets) + the payout from the tickets next season doesn't cover your entire costs on the travel (plane ticket plus hotel Room) then you are spending way too much on travel.

You are assuming they got this year's tickets at face. Not necessarily the case.

 

[belljr]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Uh... no. They went to the Superbowl to see their team not two random teams. I really don't think this is good enough to compensate these people for their time and cost.I would be surprised if the NFL doesn't make a better offer. I'm already quite surprised they have botched the PR on this so badly. This was a great opportunity to show that they take care of their fans. When you are front page news it's generally a bad time to incrementally try and pinch pennies.

They did. The 2 options are now A) 2400, plus transferrable tickets to next years SB oroption b) Tickets to any future superbowl, that includes, travel and lodging - not transferrable

 

[Philo]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

Because the tickets for next year's game are also transferable, so you can sell the tickets and recoup even more of your money.If $1,600 (extra cash from this year's tickets) + the payout from the tickets next season doesn't cover your entire costs on the travel (plane ticket plus hotel Room) then you are spending way too much on travel.

You are assuming they got this year's tickets at face. Not necessarily the case.

But they can also sell them at higher than face next year.Say it's a Steelers fan, he can take the $2400 cash and a ticket, then, if the Steelers don't go to the Super Bowl next year, he can sell the ticket on the open market to a fan of a team that does go. Hopefully, that ends up a wash with what he paid this year, so he ends up with $2400 to cover his travel expenses from this year.

 

[CrossEyed]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Uh... no. They went to the Superbowl to see their team not two random teams. I really don't think this is good enough to compensate these people for their time and cost.I would be surprised if the NFL doesn't make a better offer. I'm already quite surprised they have botched the PR on this so badly. This was a great opportunity to show that they take care of their fans. When you are front page news it's generally a bad time to incrementally try and pinch pennies.

They did. The 2 options are now A) 2400, plus transferrable tickets to next years SB oroption b) Tickets to any future superbowl, that includes, travel and lodging - not transferrable

There should be a 3rd option, imo. Turn in your receipts for travel and lodging expenses and get reimbursed by the league.

 

[belljr]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Uh... no. They went to the Superbowl to see their team not two random teams. I really don't think this is good enough to compensate these people for their time and cost.I would be surprised if the NFL doesn't make a better offer. I'm already quite surprised they have botched the PR on this so badly. This was a great opportunity to show that they take care of their fans. When you are front page news it's generally a bad time to incrementally try and pinch pennies.

They did. The 2 options are now A) 2400, plus transferrable tickets to next years SB oroption b) Tickets to any future superbowl, that includes, travel and lodging - not transferrable

There should be a 3rd option, imo. Turn in your receipts for travel and lodging expenses and get reimbursed by the league.

I agree but at least they added something. You can wait till after the Championship games supposedly to decide. I'm guessing though you have to determine what you want to do "now" though.

 

[CrossEyed]

Fans left out of Super Bowl file class action lawsuit

By Brian Bowling

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Last updated: 12:59 pm

Fans from Pennsylvania and Texas filed a federal class-action lawsuit yesterday on behalf of disappointed Super Bowl ticket holders who were turned away last weekend because of problems with temporary seats installed at Cowboys Stadium.

Named as defendants in the civil lawsuit are the Dallas Cowboys, their owner Jerry Jones, the National Football League and four companies connected to the team or its stadium in Arlington. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Dallas.

Steve Sims of Lycoming County is one of about 400 people who bought tickets and traveled to North Texas only to be told the stadium didn’t have a seat for him, the lawsuit states.

Mike Dolabi of Tarrant County, Texas, is a member of the “Founders of Cowboys Stadium,” a group with members who paid $100,000 each to help build the stadium in return for a guarantee of seats with the “best sightlines in the stadium,” the lawsuit states.

Dolabi and other group members, instead, were assigned Super Bowl seating on metal folding chairs in an area with an obstructed view, the lawsuit states.

The Cowboys offered Sims and other displaced ticket holders a refund of triple the face value of their tickets, or about $2,400 for the $800 tickets, and tickets to next year’s Super Bowl.

That amount doesn’t cover what many of them even paid for the tickets, much less their travel costs, the lawsuit claims. The team has not offered the Founders members any compensation, the lawsuit states.

The consumer lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for the ticket holders’ financial losses and asks that damages be tripled because Jones, the NFL and the team violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit also seeks punitive damages.

The plaintiffs are represented by the Newport Beach, Calif., law firm of Eagan Avenatti LLP.

Read more: Fans left out of Super Bowl file class action lawsuit - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...l#ixzz1DULNLwB5

 

[gandalas]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

Because the tickets for next year's game are also transferable, so you can sell the tickets and recoup even more of your money.If $1,600 (extra cash from this year's tickets) + the payout from the tickets next season doesn't cover your entire costs on the travel (plane ticket plus hotel Room) then you are spending way too much on travel.

You are assuming they got this year's tickets at face. Not necessarily the case.

But they can also sell them at higher than face next year.Say it's a Steelers fan, he can take the $2400 cash and a ticket, then, if the Steelers don't go to the Super Bowl next year, he can sell the ticket on the open market to a fan of a team that does go. Hopefully, that ends up a wash with what he paid this year, so he ends up with $2400 to cover his travel expenses from this year.

Besides, why is it the league's (or Dallas') problem that you bought the tickets from a place that they were not officially being sold at? The face value is there for a reason: That is the amount that the NFL/Teams get from the ticket sales, correct? If people want to pay triple the listed cost for an item, then that is on them. Go after the scalpers / resellers if you are that upset. I assume Stubhub has a ticket guarantee, if they got them through that route? They may be able to recoup their expense if they got it through a reputable reselling site like that, depending on the legal language associated with the purchase.

 

[jonessed]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Uh... no. They went to the Superbowl to see their team not two random teams. I really don't think this is good enough to compensate these people for their time and cost.I would be surprised if the NFL doesn't make a better offer. I'm already quite surprised they have botched the PR on this so badly. This was a great opportunity to show that they take care of their fans. When you are front page news it's generally a bad time to incrementally try and pinch pennies.

They did. The 2 options are now A) 2400, plus transferrable tickets to next years SB oroption b) Tickets to any future superbowl, that includes, travel and lodging - not transferrable

Neither of those options are good enough.The lawsuit is going to cost significantly more than a million dollars. I don't see what the NFL has to gain by trying to whitewash this on the cheap. The owners don't need the bad PR on the cusp of a lockout. This is beyond stupid for them.At some point Goodell is going to step in and make this right. He's too smart not to.

 

[Bossman]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

Because the tickets for next year's game are also transferable, so you can sell the tickets and recoup even more of your money.If $1,600 (extra cash from this year's tickets) + the payout from the tickets next season doesn't cover your entire costs on the travel (plane ticket plus hotel Room) then you are spending way too much on travel.

How the heck could you possibly spend $1600 traveling to and staying in Dallas?

$600 round trip air, $300 2 night hotel stay (surely you're splitting this expense with at least one person if not 3), $300 food, $200 rental car, $100 misc. = $1,500

and if you took your significant other, you're talking $3,200 profit!

Maybe you had 4 tickets and took your family ... $6400.... CHA-CHING

... and tickets to next years game.

Not sure what more they will be suing for.

 

[CrossEyed]

How the heck could you possibly spend $1600 traveling to and staying in Dallas?

$600 round trip air, $300 2 night hotel stay (surely you're splitting this expense with at least one person if not 3), $300 food, $200 rental car, $100 misc. = $1,500

and if you took your significant other, you're talking $3,200 profit!

Maybe you had 4 tickets and took your family ... $6400.... CHA-CHING

... and tickets to next years game.

Not sure what more they will be suing for.

Or not.

Fans in Pittsburgh with $1,500 to spare a few weeks ago could have theoretically flown to Paris, spent a week in a three-star hotel and still had enough left over for a nice dinner. Or they could have bought one plane ticket to Dallas to see the Steelers battle the Packers in the Super Bowl.

In the week leading up to the NFL conference championship games, the cheapest roundtrip flights between Pittsburgh and Dallas on any airline from this Friday to Monday cost $1,014, according to FareCompare, a website that tracks airfares. That figure soared to $1,435—a 41.5% increase—mere hours after the AFC Championship Game concluded.

In the week leading up to the NFL conference championship games, the cheapest roundtrip flights between Pittsburgh and Dallas cost $1,014.

From Milwaukee, the closest airport to Green Bay, Wis., that offers nonstop flights to Dallas, the fares increased 68.1%, to $950 from $565.

Conversely, roundtrip fares to Dallas dropped $50 from the New York area and $80 from the Chicago area after the New York Jets and Chicago Bears lost their respective conference title games on Jan. 23.

Interestingly, the prices seemed to have fallen slightly during the week leading up to the Super Bowl as some airlines add flights. (One major carrier has created a special nonstop itinerary from Pittsburgh to Dallas priced at $1,300).

On Monday, nonstop flights from Milwaukee to Dallas did drop slightly from $950 to $919, but Tuesday they climbed back up slightly to $1,355.

If you do make it to Dallas with your wallet intact, good luck actually getting into Cowboys Stadium to watch the game. According to some estimates, an average ticket to the Super Bowl is currently going for more than $5,000.

 

[Drunken Cowboy]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

Because the tickets for next year's game are also transferable, so you can sell the tickets and recoup even more of your money.If $1,600 (extra cash from this year's tickets) + the payout from the tickets next season doesn't cover your entire costs on the travel (plane ticket plus hotel Room) then you are spending way too much on travel.

How the heck could you possibly spend $1600 traveling to and staying in Dallas?

$600 round trip air, $300 2 night hotel stay (surely you're splitting this expense with at least one person if not 3), $300 food, $200 rental car, $100 misc. = $1,500

and if you took your significant other, you're talking $3,200 profit!

Maybe you had 4 tickets and took your family ... $6400.... CHA-CHING

... and tickets to next years game.

Not sure what more they will be suing for.

You are not getting a room at the Superbowl for anywhere near $300. Most hotels were requiring 4 nights booked and were around $300 a night. Many of the people who got screwed probably paid around $2400 just for their ticket.

 

[Bossman]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

Because the tickets for next year's game are also transferable, so you can sell the tickets and recoup even more of your money.If $1,600 (extra cash from this year's tickets) + the payout from the tickets next season doesn't cover your entire costs on the travel (plane ticket plus hotel Room) then you are spending way too much on travel.

How the heck could you possibly spend $1600 traveling to and staying in Dallas?

$600 round trip air, $300 2 night hotel stay (surely you're splitting this expense with at least one person if not 3), $300 food, $200 rental car, $100 misc. = $1,500

and if you took your significant other, you're talking $3,200 profit!

Maybe you had 4 tickets and took your family ... $6400.... CHA-CHING

... and tickets to next years game.

Not sure what more they will be suing for.

You are not getting a room at the Superbowl for anywhere near $300. Most hotels were requiring 4 nights booked and were around $300 a night. Many of the people who got screwed probably paid around $2400 just for their ticket.

Wow .... Did everyone get there own room? I usually stay with other people.

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

Because the tickets for next year's game are also transferable, so you can sell the tickets and recoup even more of your money.If $1,600 (extra cash from this year's tickets) + the payout from the tickets next season doesn't cover your entire costs on the travel (plane ticket plus hotel Room) then you are spending way too much on travel.

No offense, but it's not your place to say how much is " way too much" for them to spend on travel. The Super Bowl is a once in a lifetime event for many people, and seeing their team in the big game is something many fans would get to experience once, if at all. They didn't do anything wrong. The league screwed it up.And making them whole does not mean simply reimbursing what the league thinks is "fair." That doesn't cover the disappointment and the frustration of not seeing the game. Remember, these folks weren't notified in advance that their tickets were no good. That would have been bad enough. They went to Dallas, scheduled this trip around their lives, braved the elements to get to the stadium, and got into the place with all the other fans to find out it was being snatched away at the very last moment. This, after the days or weeks of planning and anticipating the trip and the game.

It's easy to sit at a computer and determine what's fair compensation. But an objective person who didn't go through that and isn't putting themselves in the place of those excited fans isn't getting what it really "cost" them.

The league, like always, is being cheap. I have no problem with a lawsuit that keeps this in the news and creates a black eye for the league. They deserve it. They charge $3 million for 30 seconds of advertising. It's the biggest single sporting event on the planet. Tickets are hard to get, they're expensive and there are plenty of fakes and scams.

A fan who navigates through all of that shouldn't have to worry that the league can't even provide the seat they sold. If the NFL is having financial trouble and can't keep their promises, they should manage their business better. if that's not the case, they need to get it right or make it right.

 

[David Yudkin]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

Because the tickets for next year's game are also transferable, so you can sell the tickets and recoup even more of your money.If $1,600 (extra cash from this year's tickets) + the payout from the tickets next season doesn't cover your entire costs on the travel (plane ticket plus hotel Room) then you are spending way too much on travel.

How the heck could you possibly spend $1600 traveling to and staying in Dallas?

$600 round trip air, $300 2 night hotel stay (surely you're splitting this expense with at least one person if not 3), $300 food, $200 rental car, $100 misc. = $1,500

and if you took your significant other, you're talking $3,200 profit!

Maybe you had 4 tickets and took your family ... $6400.... CHA-CHING

... and tickets to next years game.

Not sure what more they will be suing for.

I think your cost structure might be appropriate in normal circumstances, but I suspect that they would be far too low during a Super Bowl visit. Who knows how long some of these people were there for. You also left off parking, food/drinks at the game, baggage costs, souvenirs, ticket mark ups and handling fees, etc. Heck, it wouldn't shock me if you bought your tickets from someone on-line that just the ticket surchage would be $75-100 a ticket plus $50 in Fedex shipping costs. Once you say the words SUPER BOWL, you can just about knock off any chance of things being cheap or no frills.

 

[nbajam]

Besides, why is it the league's (or Dallas') problem that you bought the tickets from a place that they were not officially being sold at? The face value is there for a reason: That is the amount that the NFL/Teams get from the ticket sales, correct? If people want to pay triple the listed cost for an item, then that is on them. Go after the scalpers / resellers if you are that upset. I assume Stubhub has a ticket guarantee, if they got them through that route? They may be able to recoup their expense if they got it through a reputable reselling site like that, depending on the legal language associated with the purchase.

Don't forget the NFL's "official" scalping service through Ticketmaster. What if they were purchased through that? The league essentially advertises that.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

As long as Jerry Jones and friends were not discommoded in their luxury suite who cares about the great unwashed who bought cheap seats? I'm sure these whiners got the same treatment they would have given Bush, A Rod. of Goodell had there seats and boxes not been ready.

 

[Mr. Retukes]

Besides, why is it the league's (or Dallas') problem that you bought the tickets from a place that they were not officially being sold at? The face value is there for a reason: That is the amount that the NFL/Teams get from the ticket sales, correct? If people want to pay triple the listed cost for an item, then that is on them. Go after the scalpers / resellers if you are that upset. I assume Stubhub has a ticket guarantee, if they got them through that route? They may be able to recoup their expense if they got it through a reputable reselling site like that, depending on the legal language associated with the purchase.

Don't forget the NFL's "official" scalping service through Ticketmaster. What if they were purchased through that? The league essentially advertises that.

That would be a sweet little scam. Sell the $800 tickets through your official broker service for $3000 each, then offer "refunds" at $2400 ticket.

 

[Ping Pong]

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/02/09/super-...te-controversy/

It sounds like the NFL was lying, or at least exaggerating, in its claims about a lot of what happened during the game (given better or equal value seats, free food, free merch, etc.). To top it off, the temporary seats that were "completed" were falling apart! The more I hear about this whole situation, the worse it looks for the NFL, and the more I start to hope that the lawsuit actually is successful.

The compensation offered so far is a joke. First off, the monetary compensation of 3x "face value" of a ticket is ludicrous. $1600 isn't even close to what someone would spend on a Super Bowl trip. The "future" super bowl compensation is terrible too, since who knows when the Steelers or Packers will make it back. Or maybe Hines Ward was your favorite player, and he retires before you can go again. Too bad!

Finally, none of these monetary issues addresses the huge disappointment that comes with planning and booking a special trip to the big game, getting to Dallas and getting pumped for the game, and then getting turned down at the gates. I've never been to a Super Bowl, and with tickets at $800 face-value, I probably won't go to more than one or two in my lifetime, so to me, it'd be a huge deal. If that experience is stolen from me literally minutes before kickoff, I would be pissed beyond belief. The article I linked even mentioned a couple that went to the Super Bowl for their 10th anniversary instead of going to Hawaii. Huge letdown all because of Jerry Jones and the NFL's greed and desire to "break the attendance record." This is not the type of PR the owners want going into CBA negotiations...

 

[rick6668]

Why didn't they hold off on selling those tickets until the seats had been completed and approved?

Did they really think that if they announced they had an extra 1250 tickets for sale for the Superbowl at face value days before the event that they wouldn't sell?

Selling tickets for seats that didn't exist yet was the biggest problem.

 

[Amused to Death]

Why didn't they hold off on selling those tickets until the seats had been completed and approved?

Did they really think that if they announced they had an extra 1250 tickets for sale for the Superbowl at face value days before the event that they wouldn't sell?

Selling tickets for seats that didn't exist yet was the biggest problem.

All so Jerry could pump up his ego by boasting the record Super Bowl crowd in his palace. And to think what the NFL's offering for compensation isn't even one commercial break worth of revenue.

 

[Eric Stratton]

The main reason this is so pathetic is that it could have been EASILY avoided.

 

[Sarnoff]

Cost/Benefit analysis for the fans:

Gameday Theory

Fans who lost their seats at this year's Super Bowl have three compensation opportunities. Which one should they accept?

By Jeremy Stahl Posted Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, at 1:49 PM ET

On Sunday, 1,260 Super Bowl ticket holders got screwed. The unlucky group lost their seats when Arlington, Texas, fire officials declared that a section of temporary bleachers was unsafe for posteriors. While the NFL moved 860 or so of the displaced fans to the nosebleeds, around 400 were forced to watch the game from the standing-room only section or on monitors inside and outside Cowboys Stadium. These people were not happy.

As news of the displacements came out, the NFL worked furiously to turn those frowns upside down. The league offered the 400 displaced fans $2,400 (three times the face value of a ticket) and a seat at next year's game, which they could use themselves or sell on the secondary market. (The 860 who were moved to the stadium's upper reaches were offered nothing at the time.) On Tuesday, the NFL added a second option: Disgruntled fans could accept a nontransferable ticket to any future Super Bowl, plus accommodations and airfare, but not including the $2,400. Fans can wait until after each year's conference championships to make a decision about which option they want, allowing them the possibility to see their preferred team in an upcoming Super Bowl. By Wednesday, a third option had been reported in the press: Fans could join a class-action lawsuit, filed in a Dallas district court, against the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. (Late on Wednesday, a second lawsuit was filed on behalf of two Packers fans.)

On Thursday, the NFL issued its strongest mea culpa yet, acknowledging that it had also wronged the 860 displaced nosebleed fans, in addition to 1,140 previously unidentified fans who had been seated in their rightful places, but were delayed in entering the game because of the construction snafu. All of these fans were offered their choice of a face-value ticket refund or a ticket to any upcoming Super Bowl.

So what should these three categories of fans—completely screwed over, rightfully aggrieved, and slightly inconvenienced—do? Is it best to join one of the lawsuits or take one of the NFL's offers?

The first lawsuit alleges that the NFL's offerings are not sufficient to cover the losses of those who paid for airfare and accommodations and bought pricy tickets on the secondary market. That claim seems legitimate. Rooms at a Super 8 Motel near the stadium on Super Bowl Sunday were going for $700. Round-trip tickets from Milwaukee to Dallas were selling for $845, while roundtrips from Pittsburgh to Dallas went for $821. Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing the aggrieved fans, also pointed me to a press release from Ticketmaster issued on the Wednesday before the game. The release reported that the cheapest seats on NFL Exchange, "the official ticket resale marketplace of the NFL," were being sold for $2,907, while the average ticket resale cost was $4,118.87.

We can conservatively estimate, then, that a displaced Steelers fan paid at minimum—one-night hotel stay, cheapest ticket—around $4,000 not to see his team lose on Sunday. That's $800 more than the cost of an $800 ticket to next year's game plus $2,400 in compensation. "When the NFL made the offer of $2,400, they knew it wouldn't compensate most of these ticketholders, from its own data," Avenatti says. In the case of the second option, we don't yet know what type of tickets, what type of airfare, and what type of accommodations the NFL is offering, so it's impossible to game out the value. (I left a message with the office of NFL public relations representative Greg Aiello, but it was not returned.) Finally, the suit alleges that the stadium officials knew that the seats might not be ready in time but decided not to inform fans until they got to the stadium, a claim that is supported by this news account and one that is crucial in tort law.

So, the smart money is in joining the lawsuit and rebuffing all of the NFL's offers, right?

Not so fast.

"The best money is on the NFL's deal probably," says SCOTUSblog's Tom Goldstein, who has argued and won a class-action case before the Supreme Court. "The NFL is already offering them more than they're going to get in a court case." The NFL is compensating these individuals the cost of the ticket, Goldstein says, and going the extra mile in offering them one to any Super Bowl of their choosing. The only way to win a class-action suit, Goldstein believes, is to prove that the NFL knew about the seating problems beforehand and that the league could have contacted ticketholders before they arrived at the stadium, a case that seems very hard to make.

Regardless, Goldstein believes the case won't go to trial and will ultimately result in a settlement for not much more than what the NFL is already offering. A fast settlement appears to be the plaintiffs' best hope. Late Thursday night, Avenatti's office e-mailed me a press statement reiterating his clients' legal case and responding to the NFL's latest offer: "I invite the NFL and Jerry Jones to contact me as soon as possible so that we may quickly resolve this dispute on terms fair to the fans." Goldstein also predicts the league, in an effort to avoid any further PR damage, will offer whatever settlement results from the class action to anyone who accepts one of the initial deals.

So, what should the Furious 400, the displaced nosebleed fans, and the mildly inconvenienced latecomers do? After careful consideration, I believe the answer depends on whether they fall into one of four sub-categories.

Group 1: Nosebleed fans and Cowboys haters: If you're one of the 860 people who got shipped to the upper deck after being promised "the best sightlines in the stadium," then you should probably join a lawsuit. Same goes for anyone who paid a small fortune for prime tickets on the secondary market only to get the worst seats in the house. If you sue, there is some chance you could get a settlement for more than a face-value refund or a ticket to a future Super Bowl. Plus, Avenatti told me that he wasn't accepting fees from his clients and would not take fees out of the settlement, so joining that suit is pretty much a free ride. In addition to the nosebleed fans, people who detest Jerry Jones—Redskins lovers, rival oil men—might also want to consider joining the lawsuits. You won't get immediate dividends, but you will have the pleasure of sticking it to the man.

Group 2: Gold-diggers and poorer superfans: If you value money over once-in-a-lifetime Super Bowl memories, than you should accept the $2,400 and the ticket to next year's game, pocket the cash, and sell the Super Bowl seat. In the case of the mildly inconvenienced fans, accept the refund unless the future ticket is transferable, in which case take the future ticket and sell it on the secondary market. This fairly obvious logic was confirmed to me in an e-mail from W. Bentley MacLeod , a Columbia Law School professor of economics: "This is pretty simple. Option one is pure money."

Group 3: Wealthier superfans and die-hard Packers and Steelers followers: If you are a Green Bay or Pittsburgh fan, then this game was more important to you than money. If your lifelong dream is to see your favorite team in the Super Bowl, then you should clearly take the second option: a ticket to the Super Bowl of your choice. This strategy also applies to superfans of any other team, except for the Browns.

Group 4: Unaffiliated NFL superfans and Cleveland Browns fans: This category includes compulsive gamblers, fans who bought tickets as status symbols, and general-interest football fans who have no allegiance to any one team. Browns fans are also in this group because no Cleveland team has ever made the Super Bowl, and the big game does not appear to be a possibility for the Browns in the near future. (The Lions have also never been to a Super Bowl, but I wouldn't put them in this group for at least two reasons.)

In this case, the best option is to wait for whichever Super Bowl looks like it's going to be the most exciting game. The only difference between this group and Group 3 is that the latter could potentially wait for years to see their beloved team. Group 4 can go to the game on an impulse whenever the matchup is enticing, or the next time the Super Bowl is in New Orleans or Miami.

 

[Carolina Hustler]

$2,400 plus tickets to the next Superbowl? I would be all over that...

Just the cash payout for all 400 people is almost 1 million dollars, not to mention the lost revenue for the tickets next year.

Really? $2400 probably doesn't cover your costs to travel to this year's game, and you had to watch it on TV instead of in person.Next year's SB might be the Ravens or Patriots. Why would a Steeler fan want to spend money on travel, hotel, and food to watch a team they don't even like play in the SB?

only steeler and packer fans went to the SB?