Loco Lawsuits: Fan wants NY Jets and NY Giants renamed — and $6 billion
Lawsuit objects to teams playing home games in New Jersey
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Each year brings bizarre lawsuits. And 2022 kicked off early.
On January 4, Abdiell Suero sued the NFL, the New York Giants, and the New York Jets on behalf of himself and the teams’ fans in the State of New York. Why? Both teams play their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (also a defendant).
The class-action lawsuit, filed in New York City, seeks damages for transportation costs, emotional distress, false advertising, deceptive trade practices, racketeering, and unjust enrichment. It aims to brand itself as seeking justness. The “Introduction” to the 19-page, 143-paragraph complaint says, “If the Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Liberty, Rangers, and other New York franchises must play in New York and pay premium real estate costs and taxes to be branded a ‘New York’ (‘NY’) sports franchise, it is only fair that the NFL Giants and Jets do the same or change their name to accurately reflect the location of their stadium[.]”
Suero and his lawyer contend that the massive growth in value of the two teams over the last 20 years is “largely due to their designation as New York (‘NY’) NFL teams.” However, the complaint alleges, first-time attendees at the home games are unaware the teams play in New Jersey. Moreover, many fans wouldn’t attend the home games if they were “warned in advance” they are in New Jersey. Besides, people who watch the games on television “are given the false impression” the teams are from New York.
The lawsuit says the “ripple effects” of the teams being designated “New York” teams cost him, all Giants and Jets fans in the State of New York, and the state and city “billions of dollars in transportation costs, time, taxes and jobs.”
Adiell claims that he and millions of other fans have been subjected to “expensive and time-consuming transportation” to East Rutherford.
Additionally, despite saving money by playing in New Jersey, the Jets and Giants won only 35 percent and 40 percent of their games over the past decade, respectively. When the complaint was filed, they were a combined 8–24 in the current season. Because the teams…
