Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Like most Central New Yorkers, Jim and Kevin Niezabytowski will be watching the Super Bowl at home this year.
In this case, however, the father and son will have last year’s trip fresh on their minds.
Jim and Kevin were among the 3,200 fans with tickets to the
big game at Cowboy Stadium who weren’t allowed to sit in their seats because of safety concerns. A year later, they’re regretting the way they chose to be compensated for last year’s ordeal, even though they say it was a fair offer from the NFL.
"It took them awhile, they looked at several different packages and came around finally to what they sent to Kevin,” Jim Niezabytowski said.
Jim and Kevin were left with three options: a trip to this year’s Super Bowl, a future Super Bowl, or a financial package. Kevin chose the last one. He says he needed the money for some much needed renovations on his house.
"And of course my father and I looked at each other when we made that decision and said, watch the Giants go to the Super Bowl and sure enough here we are,” Kevin Niezabytowski said.
This year, both Giants fans are having plenty of second thoughts, but when they had to make their decision last March, the Super Bowl and a Giants Super Bowl were the farthest things from their minds.
"He had a lot of advice from family and friends but it was always his decision,” Jim said.
"We're going to do it the normal way with my brothers and father and get together at one of our houses and watch it the normal way, the way most people watch it,” Kevin said.
Of the roughly 3,200 fans who found themselves scrambling in last year’s seating fiasco, 246 took the NFL up on its offer for a ticket to Sunday’s game. The rest accepted a financial settlement from the NFL, plan on going to a future Super Bowl, or are suing the league.
