Attorney Shawn Flaherty Tells NFL “Be Fair With Your Fans”

Originally published February 17, 2011. Updated October 2026.

In February 2011, founding partner Shawn Flaherty wrote to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on behalf of fans who were displaced from their seats at Super Bowl XLV.

A Steelers Fan at the Super Bowl

Shawn is a lifelong Pittsburgher. His father was Mayor of Pittsburgh when the Steelers won their first Super Bowl. His partner in founding the firm, now the Honorable Dwayne D. Woodruff, played defensive back in the NFL for eleven seasons.

When the Steelers reached Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium, Shawn took his three children. Like many fans, they held tickets in the temporary seating sections that became the center of the controversy.

What Happened on Game Day

As Shawn described it in his letter:

• The family cleared security by about 3:30 p.m., some three hours before kickoff.
• At their gate, they were told there was a problem and sent to another gate at the far end of the stadium, which sent them back again.
• For about two hours, they were moved from gate to gate through dense crowds.
• Around 5:30 p.m., they were told to stand in line for possible replacement tickets.
• They reached their new, downgraded seats around the end of the first quarter. Some fans never got into the game at all.

The letter also described failures in the days before the game, including streets left snow-covered after a storm.

What Shawn Asked For

Shawn wrote that there was no excuse for selling some 2,000 fans tickets to seats that had not yet been built, inspected and approved. He noted that many fans had spent ten thousand dollars or more on tickets, travel and lodging.

More than 80 fans had contacted him with the same experience. Rather than starting with a lawsuit, his letter was an invitation: compensate the displaced fans fairly and early, and apologize. As he put it, the NFL had “the opportunity to right this wrong and to heal its relationship with its fans.”

What This Means for You Today

This letter is part of our firm’s history. It shows how we approach every case: listen to the people who were harmed, get the facts straight, and push for a fair result, in or out of court. Learn more about Shawn Flaherty and our team.

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