400 fans who bought tickets to Super Bowl XLV were left without a seat last Sunday. The temporary seats weren’t completed and had structural issues so NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones scrambled for a solution.
The displaced fans were given tickets to watch the game outside the stadium in a screening area and received triple the face value of their tickets. That means they were refunded $2,400, which seems fair enough, but they were also given free merchandise, food and beverages, and were allowed to go on the field after the game. They will also be “guests of the NFL” and get free tickets to Super Bowl XLVI next year in Indianapolis. Goodell took full responsibility and apologized to the fans, but all of that doesn’t seem to be enough.
A lawsuit was filed Tuesday accusing the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys and Jones of deceiving the hundreds of fans. It alleges breach of contract, fraud and deceptive sales practices. Also involved in the suit were Cowboys season ticket-holders who said they were moved and ended up on folding chairs with obstructed views.
So what does this all mean amidst the NFL lockout rumors? The league and the Players Union are trying to persuade the fans to their side. Granted, the argument is all about money, but whichever side gets the fans can use them as leverage.
Goodell is calling for an 18-game schedule. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King did an informal Twitter survey and found that only 18% of 1,200 football fans want this. 82% want to kept it at the normal 16-game schedule.
If I were an ardent Packers or Steelers fan, I would agree that all those freebies do not make up for my lost seat. If I paid good money and made the trip to Texas to watch my team, I would be extremely pissed to watch them outside the stadium and wouldn’t feel justified with a ticket for next year’s Super Bowl. Although, triple the ticket price is a nice bonus. If the NFL continues to slip up like this and doesn’t handle the lawsuit accordingly, the fans will lean toward the Players Union.
UPDATE: Roger Goodell has announced another option for displaced Super Bowl XLV fans. Instead of the above mentioned, they could get one free ticket to a future Super Bowl game of their choice, including next year’s game if they desire. They would also round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations covered by the NFL. The ticket will be non-transferable.