Before the season started, the New York Mets thought they could boost season ticket sales for 2008 if they promised buyers awesome seats at Citi Field in 2009. The catch was that you had to buy season tickets for both the 2008 and 2009 season this year, which could get pretty costly.
Mets fan Judd Burstein was one of those fans who bought in to the Mets promise, and he dropped $17,000 on tickets for this year and next. Burstein, who is a celebrity lawyer (as opposed to a poor person lawyer), has four field level seats between first base and the outfield this season at Shea, and he was pretty sure he'd have similar seats next season as well. Well, he won't, as he recently found out that his season tickets next year will be in the upper deck of left field.
Of course, since Judd is a lawyer, he can think of only one response. He's suing the team.
"They picked the wrong person to cheat," said Burstein, whose clients include boxers Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis, as well as advertising mogul and talk-show host Donny Deutsch.
In the suit, which Burstein will file today in Manhattan Supreme Court, he claims he got a letter last year urging him to renew his tickets with the promise he'd get "priority" seats at Citi Field.
The New York Mets can't move into their new stadium fast enough, as Shea Stadium is quickly becoming something of a death trap. Back in April, a fan named Antonio Nararainsami plunged to his death when he fell off an escalator after a Mets game against the Washington Nationals. It was a tragic incident, but it wasn't the first time a fan died at Shea. Back in 1985, a 21-year old fell 100 feet from an escalator to his death below.
A fan was seriously injured after plunging 25 feet from the handrails of an escalator at Shea Stadium during Saturday's New York Mets game, police and team officials said.
The fan, a 26-year-old man, fell about 10 p.m. from the box-seat level to a floor near Gate D at the stadium as the Mets played the St. Louis Cardinals, police Detective Brian Sessa said.
The unconscious man was taken to a hospital, the Fire Department said. He was in critical condition early Sunday but expected to survive, said police Lt. John Grimpel.
It's great news that the fan is expected to survive, but I hope the Mets don't just keep going about their business. I've never been to Shea Stadium, so I don't know how vital the escalators really are, but I think it's about time they start forcing Mets fans to walk up the ramps if possible. One death at a baseball game is too many, let alone three.
Sad news out of Shea Stadium last night, where a fan died as a result of losing his balance on an escalator (which wasn't moving for whatever reason) and falling to his death while his family witnessed the entire horrific scene.
Antonio Nararainsami, 36, and several relatives, including his two young daughters, were leaving the stadium at the end of Tuesday night's game against the Washington Nationals when he fell in a section below the left field stands and landed on a concrete floor. Nararainsami, a Guyanese native who lived in Brooklyn, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead half an hour later.
Kevin Prashad, a cousin who attended the game, said Nararainsami was walking down the escalator, which wasn't moving, and was holding the hand rail when he "lost his footing."
Speaking as somebody who's been to Shea Stadium numerous times, I can tell you that there's plenty of times when an escalator or elevator isn't working here or there in the stadium. Saying that, there's no way to know if anybody is at fault in this instance, so there's no point in even speculating. As of now, this is simply a tragic, tragic event which is even more heartbreaking because his family was witness to it. Our prayers go out to them.
Nicholas Kamparosyan, 31, and his brother Telemak, 27, of Forest Hills, have filed a lawsuit in Brooklyn Federal Court claiming they were beaten by Shea Stadium guards and then falsely arrested.
"They were sitting in the best seats in the house, minding their own business and they got the s--t knocked out of them," said lawyer Howard Greenberg, who is defending them in Criminal Court.
The suit, which seeks unspecified charges, contends the brothers stood up to take photos of each other during "a lull" in the game.
The suit alleges the Kamparosyans were taken by guards to a tunnel area in the bowels of the stadium where they were beaten and choked.
"Take this beating like a man," an unidentified guard told Nicholas Kamparosyan, according to the suit.
There is another side to the story, the Stadium's, which alleges the brothers were arrested for the appropriate offenses and taken out of the stadium peacefully ... but man, if this is even close to true, Shea Stadium security personnel have a lot of 'splaining to do. "Take this beating like a man" -- what is this, a Bourne Identity sequel? Beware the Estonian with the shifty eyes!
I'm a bit shocked this video is still up considering MLB dispatches its YouTube police rather quickly.
So, at least for now, enjoy the above footage of a groundskeeper at Shea Stadium getting a surprise from a kitten. I enjoyed this as much as Jon Miller did. Which is to say, I enjoyed it a lot.
Two weeks ago, we told you about the fan in Shea Stadium who was ejected and arrested for shining a flashlight at Edgar Renteria. A flashlight in and of itself isn't harmful, but when the light in question insinuates anything like something a sniper's scope might have, you're going to get yourself into serious trouble. Originally, it was thought that Frank Martinez, the man responsible, might get a year in prison for his battery-powered fun.
The actual punishment is far more kind. Rather than a year in jail, Martinez must only serve 15 days behind bars. Ah, but here's the kicker: he's got to avoid Shea Stadium for three years.
From everything I've heard about Shea Stadium, that doesn't exactly sound like a punishment. (Zing!)
But in all seriousness, suspensions are no fun. My dad got suspended from my Little League -- alright, he's banned for life -- and I've never recovered from the experience. For example: he didn't get to see my triple against Treiber Construction, and I really stretched that thing. Mets players are surely lamenting Martinez's loss in similar fashion today.
The Fanhouse's look at the day's most intriguing matchups Cleveland Indians (14-8) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (13-12)-7:05PM Est.
We already told you about the possibility that C.C. Sabathia could be traded this season if the Indians are out of contention, but there's just one minor problem with it. The Indians are currently in first place, and have won eight of their last ten. They're also 5-0 when Sabathia starts, even though he gave up five runs in six innings in his last start. The Blue Jays counter with A.J. Burnett as tonight we'll figure out whose initials are better. New York Mets (15-9) vs. Florida Marlins (12-13)-7:10PM Est.
If you like runs, I suggest you watch this game. The combined ERA of both starting pitchers is 28.15. Ricky Nolasco takes his 20.25 ERA to the mound for the Fish, and rookie Mike Pelfrey brings his 7.90 ERA with him. It should be fun. For some reason, the Mets just can't pitch at Shea Stadium. They have a Major League best team ERA of 2.96. On the road their ERA is 1.50, but at Shea Stadium it's 4.38.
Texas Rangers (10-15) vs. New York Yankees (9-14)-8:05PM Est.
George Steinbrenner may be able to send faxes from the grave, but that doesn't mean the Yankees will rise from the AL East cellar. Tonight, Philip Hughes will take another stab at this whole Major League pitcher thing he's trying out. He'll be going against Kameron Loe who's finally earned that starting spot I lobbied so hard for him to get, and has made me look stupid so far with that 5.21 ERA. Listen, Loe, I don't need your help looking stupid.
Before the season started, the New York Mets thought they could boost season ticket sales for 2008 if they promised buyers awesome seats at Citi Field in 2009. The catch was that you had to buy season tickets for both the 2008 and 2009 season this year, which could get pretty costly.
The New York Mets can't move into their new stadium fast enough, as Shea Stadium is quickly becoming something of a death trap. Back in April, a fan named 
There will be no dissent and no dissonance -- when 
Two weeks ago, we told you about the 
