NFL fans miffed by the New England Patriots’ secret videotaping of their opponents’ signals can boycott games or team merchandise, but they can’t seek legal damages for “Spygate,†a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday. The appeals panel upheld a district judge’s ruling that dismissed the suit by lawyer Carl Mayer, a New York Jets season ticket holder from Princeton, N.J. Mayer had argued that fans spent large sums to see games that were essentially rigged, and he sought $185 million in damages for Jets fans alone but the 3rd Circuit Court didn’t buy it. “We do not condone the conduct on the part of the Patriots and the team’s head coach, and we likewise refrain from assessing whether the NFL’s sanctions (and its alleged destruction of the videotapes themselves) were otherwise appropriate,†Senior Judge Robert E. Cowen wrote for the three-judge panel. However, he said Mayer failed to prove any legal right to damages. “At best, he possessed nothing more than a contractual right to a seat from which to watch an NFL game between the Jets and the Patriots, and this right was clearly honored,†Cowen wrote. Source: Associated Press
