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Leagues and Governing Bodies

NFL Trying To Recover Legal Costs From Fans Involved In Super Bowl Seating Case

The NFL is seeking more than $24,700 in legal costs from three fans who sued the league over the Super Bowl XLV seating fiasco. The move comes despite a jury ruling in the fans' favor last month. In a court filing in Dallas federal court earlier this week, the NFL argued because the three fans were awarded less than what it had offered them, the league under federal statute is entitled to its costs since the higher offer was made. "Because none of these Plaintiffs received a judgment in this case that was `more favorable' than the NFL’s pre-trial offers of judgment, [federal] Rule 68 requires that each of them pay the NFL’s costs incurred after the date the offers were made, and that none of them recover their post-offer costs," the NFL contended in a motion before the court. The jury awarded Bruce Ibe, David Wanta, and Robert Fortune, respectively, $7,957, $5,670 and $7,100. The NFL in the motion said these sums were less than what the league offered weeks before the trial, and although not legally relevant, the NFL pointed out was less than what the league offered shortly after the seating mishaps at the '11 game. The three were among seven that won a jury trial, which awarded the seven cumulatively nearly $76,000. The seven are appealing certain aspects of the decision, and counsel for the fans also represent another case with 200 fans suing the league over their seats not being ready at the Dallas Super Bowl.

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