The lawsuit, filed by California attorney Michael Avenatti, alleges fans suffered significant damages as a result of wrongful mismanagement and misconduct by the NFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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The damaged field at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium is inspected after the preseason NFL football game was cancelled due to unsafe field conditions caused by the painted logo at midfield, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016, in Canton, Ohio.
The plaintiffs are requesting a jury trial.
Avenatti has been a legal thorn in the league’s side since he filed a lawsuit over a ticketing blunder during Super Bowl XLV. Other fans purchased tickets but were left without seats entirely due to an incomplete installation of seating before the game.
The lawsuit also says that the field decking was put on the field for a concert held last Friday and for the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies the next day and was supposed to be removed by 8 a.m. on game day but wasn’t taken out until 2:45 p.m.
The plaintiffs claim the defendants “continued to maintain a facade of normality for fans and the general public” by keeping a countdown clock on the scoreboard running. The poor field conditions, caused by bungled operations by the field crew, was the reason the game between the Packers and Colts was called off.
Michael Avenatti, who sued the National Football League on behalf of about 150 plaintiffs who were left without seats for Super Bowl XLV at AT&T Stadium in Dallas five years ago, said that he could possibly file a tort claim this week based on the alleged negligence that forced the game to be canceled Sunday, wrote NBC Sports.
“We have been approached by no fewer than 20 individuals who traveled to the game to participate and be ready to enjoy the game”, Avenatti told The Associated Press.
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“They could have offered what these fans paid for the tickets and to reimburse them for any expenses incurred” that could be proven, he said. “Yeah, but you signed the papers” doesn’t sound like a viable defense for the league in this case and they don’t have a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the fans that they can fall back on. Most of the plaintiffs did collect some damages and were offered replacement tickets for a future Super Bowl.
