Nearly 4,000 Club Seats Still Available At Giants' New Stadium

Nearly 4,000 Of The 9,300 Club Seats At Meadowlands Stadium Still Available

Nearly 4,000 of the "best and most expensive" seats at the NFL Giants' new Meadowlands stadium are still available 15 months before the venue opens, according to Gary Myers of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. The nearly 4,000 tickets that remain are "part of the 9,300 club seats." The Giants "have gone through their entire 140,000-member waiting list," which has "increased by 120,000 in the seasons since 2003." With all seats carrying a PSL fee, an "unthinkable" situation has developed -- "anybody who wants a Giants season ticket can still buy one" if they have the economic means. Meanwhile, because the Giants sold out all of their non-club seats by the end of March, the NFL confirmed that Giants home games in the new stadium "will not be blacked out." Blackout rules "pertain to just the non-premium seats." Also, "more than half of the 200-plus suites have been sold" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/31). SI.com's Peter King wrote there is "time, obviously, with 15 months before opening day at the new Giants stadium" to sell the remaining tickets. But it is "worrisome that the team with an eternally tough ticket has almost 4,000 of its choiciest seats available." It "puts quite some pressure on the 2009 Giants to be contenders, to build up the demand for the new stadium" (SI.com, 6/1). 

Goodell Joins Johnson (2nd from l) And Mara (r) At New Meadowlands Stadium Event

ECONOMY TAKING ITS TOLL: In N.Y., Brian Lewis notes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Giants President & CEO John Mara and Jets Owner Woody Johnson -- at a ceremony at the new Meadowlands stadium yesterday -- "all acknowledged the toll the recession is taking on teams and fans." Mara said the economy has "had an effect with our club seating, which we still have a couple thousand available." Mara: "I know it's had an effect on people, and we're very sensitive to that. We try to work with people on an individual basis to ... find an option that allows them to stay in the building. But it's had an effect on suite sales (and) naming rights." Although Mara said that their seats are 95% sold, "nobody has bought naming rights to the new stadium." Johnson "insists his Jets anticipated and prepared for that possibility, and that they're 'very close' to having sold all their PSLs" (N.Y. POST, 6/2).

PROGRESS REPORT: On Long Island, Neil Best reports the stadium is 80% complete, with "three shades of gray seats in place, 'dry run' events booked for the summer of 2010 and a rail link set to open next month." Work on the stadium is "ahead of schedule, and by next spring and summer, the plan is for a series of small-scale events -- such as concerts and soccer games -- to work out the kinks before the Jets and Giants" begin play (NEWSDAY, 6/2). Meanwhile, the Jets and Giants yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the EPA "detailing their commitment to minimize the environmental impact of construction -- and providing a potential blueprint for future sports venues" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 6/2). The stadium last fall fell short of national "green" standards.