Lawyer Michael Avenatti is offering a solution to those fans scorned by the NFL’s cancellation of the Hall of Fame game.
Avenatti filed a class action lawsuit against the league hoping to compensate fans who paid to see the Hall of Fame Game, which was canceled after the field conditions were deemed unplayable. The NFL offered a ticket refund program, but there were further complaints about that not being enough.
Avenatti is trying to meet the league in the middle. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Avenatti is trying to resolve the dispute, sending a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell asking that $450 be paid to each person who paid to watch the game. The settlement is a reasonable offer for the league, as Avenatti isn’t taking fees from the settlement, nor is he asking for an exorbitant amount. Ticket prices for the game were a $700 on average.
“As shown by the above offer,” Avenatti writes in the letter, a copy of which Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has obtained, “the fans are not seeking ‘jackpot justice’ or a lottery ticket as a result of what happened. They merely want to get a significant amount of their hard-earned money back.”
The league has until 12:01 p.m. Friday, August 19 to accept the offer. If Goodell doesn’t accept, I imagine the ask from Avenatti going to be significantly more. It’s a nice play by Avenatti. As Florio mentions, the NFL may not accept the deal on the precedent it sets, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how the case proceeds.
