DALLAS — A jury has sided with the plaintiffs suing the NFL and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over a seating fiasco at the 2011 Super Bowl in Arlington.
On Thursday the jury awarded between $5,770 to $22,000 to the plaintiffs, saying the NFL breached its contract with them. However, the jury did not rule in favor of two of the plaintiffs, saying the NFL did not commit fraud in their cases. They will not be awarded money.
But who "won," per se? It depends on who you ask. Both attorneys said they were pleased with the verdict.
"We are pleased that it affirmed the NFL did not defraud any of its fans," said the NFL's attorney, Thad Behrens.
"Any effort by the NFL spin machine to now claim victory in this case is nothing short of putting lipstick on a pig," said the plaintiffs' attorney, Michael Avenatti, after saying he was "ecstatic" about the outcome of the trial.
The plaintiffs were seeking compensation for what they spent on their trips. In one case, the fan spent $35,000 on tickets, a charter flight, hotel and hospitality.
She wanted all of it reimbursed. The jury gave her $22,000. The NFL will pay a total of roughly $76,000 for all seven.
"It is truly remarkable that our clients, these seven individuals were able to lodge this case and bring it to a federal court and bring the NFL to its knees," Avenatti said.
But the NFL says it conceded all along there were mistakes and settled with hundreds of other fans for about $5,000 apiece.
"The NFL has always accepted responsibility for the problems that were experienced by some of its fans at Super Bowl 45 and has attempted from the beginning to compensate them," Behrens said.
After the verdict Thursday, the plaintiffs' attorney asked Judge Barbara Lynn to issue a subpoena for the stadium's seating contractor, meaning the verdict may not be final.
Hundreds of fans were left without a seat, or one with a bad view of the field, during the Super Bowl at AT&T Stadium, then called Cowboys Stadium.
Jones and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell have been accused of trying to break an attendance record instead of making sure the seats were ready before the big game.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones testified earlier this week and was grilled about what he knew about temporary seating prior to Super Bowl XLV. Last week Goodell said the NFL took full responsibility for the fiasco.
