Results tagged “meadowlands”

Two preseason games at the Prudential Center in Newark have been so highly attended that the Nets are considering moving there from the Meadowlands while they wait for a new home in Brooklyn. An October 13th preseason game against the Celtics drew 12,790 fans to the Prudential Center, three times the the size of a typical preseason crowd at the Meadowlands' Izod Center. Then, a game against the Knicks drew 15,721. Those are nice numbers, but getting out of their lease could cost Nets owner and Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner millions.

The buzz was severely harshed last night for thousands of U2 fans making their way back from the Meadowlands to Manhattan. According to multiple reports, the post-concert scene was a total nightmare, with a packed mob left stranded for hours on the platforms. NJT officials tell 1010WINS there were plenty of trains, but there were too few ticket machines to accommodate the throngs of people. But one Gothamist reader describes a different scenario:

It was incredibly disorganized as there were not enough trains to accommodate the amount of concert-goers... At least a couple hundred people left during the encore in hopes of catching an earlier train and avoid the crowd, only to be met with a closed gate at the tracks. The staff didn't open the gates until people were completely pushed up against each other and 500 deep. When they finally allowed us on the platform, people shoved and pushed their way in. It was really unsafe.

Rex Ryan has now coached the Jets for two games and his defense has yet to give up a touchdown. Tom Brady could not find his way into the end zone this afternoon and the Jets stunned New England with a 16-9 upset at the Meadowlands, backing up their big talk all week.

Somehow, three cars in the Meadowlands parking lot caught fire during the Giants' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The State Police believe it was a barbecue mishap, but the cars were easy prey to grieving, seething and probably drunk Giants fans, who decided it was the perfect outlet for their pent-up rage. NJ.com posted these videos of some fans trashing the cars.

Yesterday afternoon, a gas tanker overturned and exploded on the NJ Turnpike near the Meadowlands. Authorities believe the tanker failed to negotiate the curve on a ramp; heavy smoke could be see for miles. Two good Samaritans driving behind the truck helped smother the flames. One, Angelia Mercado, used her coat to bundle up truck driver Rajinder Singh and drove him to a hospital in Newark (she also said Singh gave her phone numbers of family members to call). Singh, a Queens resident, is currently in critical condition after suffering second- and third-degree burns.

Although the Jets gave their fans a partial reprieve from personal seat licenses by not including upper deck season ticket holders in the scheme, the Jets are charging PSLs for 2,000 of the best seats in the new, under-construction stadium. The Jets have launched a new TV ad to entice fans--and it includes a familiar face:

      

Yesterday afternoon, the Giants and Jets announced it ended talks with Allianz, a German insurance company that was interested in buying stadium naming rights at the new stadium.

As the Giants and Jets consider possible companies to buy naming rights to their new stadium, one serious suitor appears to be German insurance and financial services company Allianz. Some say a 30-year deal could go for $25 million. However, the NY Times' Richard Sandomir has an article about Allianz's "disturbing connections to Nazi Germany. Allianz insured facilities and personnel at concentration camps like Auschwitz and Dachau." It also refused to "pay off the life insurance policies of Jews, and sent cash that was due beneficiaries and survivors to the Nazis. It also became the insurer of Jewish valuables taken by the Nazis."

The Meadowlands has released a new code of conduct cutting back the amount of time fans can tailgate before a game from seven hours to five. That means no more 6 A.M. Bloody Marys for Giants fans looking to get an early start at combating the stadium's strict alcohol policy which does not allow beer to be sold after halftime. The new code of conduct also requires fans to abstain from "foul or abusive language and obscene gestures and harassment of visiting team fans." Giants Stadium will also now have view-blocking banners hung on the spiral staircase where last year during halftime of Jets games women were strongly encouraged to reveal their breasts to leering fans below. Any season ticket holders ejected from games will have their yearly passes revoked.

Less than a month ago, the Giants announced they were going to generate revenue by issuing personal seat licenses to season ticket holders. Yesterday, they released the specifics of the plan that will charge $1,000-20,000 per seat. The monies collected will go towards paying debt on the new stadium. And the Giants aren't just selling PSLs, but they're also jacking up the price of the actual ticket too - the most expensive tickets will be $700 at the new stadium versus $115 this coming season. Assuming all the licenses are sold, the Giants will collect about $367 million. The new stadium, which the Giants will share with the Jets, is scheduled to open in 2010. The Jets have yet to reveal their PSL pricing scheme.

While the Jets are polling their season ticket holders about personal seat licenses, the Giants have announced that they're going forward with PSLs for the new shared stadium in the Meadowlands. The licenses will range from $1,000 to $20,000 depending on the seats. Giants co-owner John Mara said that the charge is necessary given construction costs and that the fees will go towards paying for the yet to be named stadium.

Don’t look now Jets’ fans, but it sounds like seats at the new stadium are going to cost more- a lot more. In a survey sent to season ticket holders last week, the Jets asked fans if they would be “interested” in paying prices between $1,200 and $30,000 in order to guarantee their seats. The holder of the seat license could then sell that license at a future date for a possible profit. Sounds like another way to bilk money out of fans and it left us wondering...for that kind of money, will you still be able to act like a drunken idiot?