Cowboys Owner JERRY JONES took the stand yesterday "to testify about his and his team's involvement in the seating fiasco" at Super Bowl XLV, and the court session became "filled with combative testimony," according to Candace Carlisle of the DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL. The plaintiffs tried to pin Jones down "on his plans to break the Super Bowl attendance record, and his attempts to deflect the issue." Attorney MICHAEL AVENATTI questioned Jones' attempt "at making Super Bowl XLV the most profitable Super Bowl in history." Jones indicated that the revenue brought in by increased ticket sales "was an important point to make during the original bid process to secure the game because of the inherent expense of a Super Bowl." Jones: "It was never an issue, in my mind, that this would be the most-attended Super Bowl." Carlisle noted Avenatti introduced e-mails between the Cowboys and NFL officials "commenting on the need to increase the stadium's seating capacity and the disarray of the temporary seating days prior" to the game. An e-mail from the NFL stated that the "standing room in the suites" at AT&T Stadium was "overcrowded." Another e-mail indicated that Arlington public safety officials "would not support the standing-room-only plan." The testimony at one point "became adversarial between Avenatti and Jones, with Jones taking offense to one of Avenatti's lines of questioning about his role during the Super Bowl saying, 'C'mon let's go,' implying that the two should take the disagreement outside the courtroom" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/10).
JUST JERRY BEING JERRY: In Dallas, Jeff Mosier notes Jones spent more than two hours on the stand, and his "star presence attracted a full house in the gallery and a collection of still and video cameras." The only other testimony "that could be described as colorful in this case was that of Seating Solutions owner SCOTT SUPRINA, who was frequently dismissive of questions and projected annoyance." Suprina testified "via video deposition and not in person in the courtroom" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/11). In Ft. Worth, Gordon Dickson reports Jones in his "colorful and comical" testimony "repeatedly said he couldn't recall specific conversations with NFL executives" in '10 and early '11. Jones "smiled during most of the testimony," though U.S. District Judge BARBARA LYNN at one point "scolded both Jones and Avenatti and asked them to stop interrupting each other." The trial, which started last week, is "expected to wrap up with closing arguments" today. Jones and the Cowboys initially were "named in the lawsuit, but were later dropped" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 3/11).
