As if things weren't already bad enough for both teams, one unwanted element of a decade-long malaise for both the New York Giants and New York Jets is the nagging criticism that the two Big Apple franchises actually play across the state line at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. That's influenced an unwanted legal distraction to both teams, as a pair of fans are persisting in legal action over New York football's territorial matters.
According to the New York Post, a pair of New York-area fans have amended their $6 billion lawsuit against the Giants and Jets, alleging that they must drop "New York" from their names given that they play in New Jersey. The original lawsuit filed in January had demanded both teams be returned to New York State proper by 2025, but has since been revised.
In their lawsuit, which seeks $2 billion in monetary damages and $4 billion in punitive damages claiming false advertising and deceptive practices, one plaintiff -- described as an "avid football fan" -- claimed that he was shocked to learn that the Giants played and operate in East Rutherford, New Jersey, when he bought tickets. The case-action lawsuit seeks to represent anyone who has attended games at MetLife Stadium since 2016.
Neither the Giants, Jets, nor the NFL have taken kindly to the lawsuit -- In April, all parties filed papers to have the lawsuit dismissed, insisting that the use of New York in the team names is not misleading at all. MetLife Stadium resides just seven miles from Manhattan (separated by the Hudson River), and is well within the 75-mile radius covering the teams' NFL territory rights.
"These claims are calculated to score points in the headlines -- not the courtroom," read a statement by lawyers representing the parties involved.
After playing at Yankee Stadium during their glory years in the 1950s and early 1960s, the Giants moved to East Rutherford in 1976 to the newly-constructed Giants Stadium. The Jets became tenants of Giants Stadium in 1984, and the two teams have shared MetLife Stadium since 2010.
