A woman shouting obscenities caught my attention moments before kickoff at the Super Bowl.
I turned quickly and made eye contact.
"That's right, I said it!" she yelled in my direction.
She was walking down a corridor framed by the Pittsburgh Steelers' locker room and a media work room, and she was steaming. Other fans wearing Steelers or Green Bay Packers colors were walking along with her, some appearing quite frantic, as officials led them into a nearby room. They emerged rather quickly and I'm not sure where they went, but word soon spread that some fans had been displaced at the last minute when seats were declared unsuitable for use.
What a nightmare. Some of them might have taken time off work and assumed debt for a chance to see their favorite team. Nothing the league does now can give back what was lost, but the NFL is making an effort to accommodate them. Has the league offered enough?
The NFL, in a statement released Tuesday, has said it has offered 400 displaced fans a choice of:
One free ticket to next year’s Super Bowl game, plus a cash payment of $2,400 (three times the face value of the Super Bowl XLV game ticket held by the individual). The ticket to next year’s Super Bowl game is transferable.
One free ticket to a future Super Bowl game of the fan’s choice, including next year’s if so desired, plus round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations provided by the NFL. This offer will be personalized in the ticket holder’s name and is not transferable.
The single-ticket offer works better for those who planned to watch this Super Bowl with a close friend or family member. What about those who did whatever they could to acquire a single ticket, just to see their favorite team play? What kind of value would they get attending a future Super Bowl, one most likely featuring different teams, without a friend sitting next to them?
That's just my initial impression. I'd be interested in hearing yours.
