NFL fan files massive $6 billion lawsuit against Giants and Jets
The New York Giants and New York Jets are being sued by an NFL fan because the two teams currently play in the state of New Jersey and not the state of New York as suggested by their respective names.
The lawsuit was filed in the New York borough of Manhattan and their federal court, seeking to ensure that both the Giants and Jets leave MetLife Stadium and return back to the state of New York by 2025.
The fan, or in this case the plaintiff Abdiell Suero, a resident of Greenwhich Village, calls for a change in the current branding of the Jets and Giants. Suero has proposed that, until the teams are relocated back to New York, they should instead be called the East Rutherford Giants/Jets as long as they are in New Jersey.
In documents provided by the court, Suero speaks of the commute from New York to New Jersey:
“If the Giants and Jets want to call themselves New York teams, they need to come back to New York. I’ve traveled to and from MetLife Stadium by mass transit and car service, and both ways are a nightmare.”
Of the $6 billion lawsuit, $2 billion is sought for monetary damages while the remaining $4 billion is in punitive damages. Moreover, the lawsuit asserts there are lawful grounds for inaccurate advertising and misleading practices.
Suero and his lawyer maintain that both NFL franchises and their move to New Jersey had a significant impact on the fanbase, declaring that:
“Plaintiff and the class of New York Giants and Jets fans respectfully request that both teams return to the State of New York so they can enjoy all the healthy social, psychological and physical benefits associated with sports identifications of their home NFL teams.”
The lawsuit goes on to contend that fans have endured mental and emotional damage due to the actions of the NFL's Giants and Jets:
“The move to New Jersey financially benefited the defendants alone at the expense of plaintiff and the class of millions of Giants and Jets fans ... Plaintiff and the class have suffered mental and emotional damage, including depression, sadness and anxiety ... as a result of the Defendants’ conduct.”
Have the New York Giants & New York Jets ever played NFL games in New York?
The Giants have played in East Rutherford, New Jersey for 46 years. However, before they moved across the Hudson River from New York, they played their home games at the old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx until 1976.
1984 marked the first year that the Jets became joint New York occupants alongside the Giants in the Garden State, having previously played exclusively at Shea Stadium in Queens, home of MLB’s New York Mets.
In 2010, both teams moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, and took up residence in a new stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, currently known as MetLife Stadium. But if the lawsuit has its way, the New Jersey Giants will play the New Jersey Jets until further notice in an NFL game.