Teams adjust prices to account for lockout

The New York Giants and Jets, Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills made changes to their season-ticket plans this year to account for the lockout, with the Giants taking the biggest step by not requiring renewals until the labor stoppage ends.

According to a survey of all 32 teams, 17 teams are not changing ticket prices, nine are raising them, four are decreasing them – and two are both raising and decreasing, depending on seat location.

May 1 normally is the due date for full payment by Giants season ticket-holders. Not this year, barring a settlement beforehand of the dispute between owners and players.

“We felt comfortable with it, and we shouldn’t be singled out,” co-owner John Mara said. “Each team has its own cash situation and relationship with their ticket holders.”

The Giants and Jets shared the $1.6 billion cost for the New Meadowlands Stadium that opened last season. For 2011, the Giants are not raising ticket prices.

Elsewhere

A Cleveland Browns fan sued the NFL and its teams over the player lockout, claiming it violated his contract to buy tickets through his personal seat license.

Ken Lanci is a self-made millionaire who ran unsuccessfully last year for the top county government job in Cleveland.

“It’s a fight between billionaires and millionaires,” Lanci. “There isn’t any sympathy for multimillionaires. It’s just not going to happen. And somebody has to stand up and say, ‘Enough’s enough.’ ”

The lawsuit asked for damages of more than $25,000 from the Browns on both breach-of-contract and bad-faith counts and more than $25,000 from the league and its teams for alleged contract interference.