Jet Fan's Lawsuit Against Bill Belichick and Patriots Given More Time

Monday loomed as a deadline for a Jet fan to show reason why his lawsuit against Bill Belichick and the Patriots should go forward. The lawsuit had languished with no movement for nine months and the U.S. District Court in Newark said the plantiff had until June 30th to make progress or have the whole thing thrown out. Carl Mayer wrote a letter asking for more time, however, and a judge has given it to him.

Mayer claims that his co-counsel was sick and that new revelations coming to light have forced him to amend the lawsuit. He didn't specify what the revelations were but it seems that Arlen Specter's involvement in the case has sparked some litigious ideas in Mayer's head.

Mayer has not specified what other defendants or issues might be included in an amended lawsuit. But he has said the new allegations relate to the efforts of Specter, the Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican and a critic of the National Football League's response to what has been called "Spygate."

Mayer now has until August 30th to amend the lawsuit and serve notice on the defendants. The suit is seeking $184.8 million in damages under federal rackeetering and New Jersey fraud statutes. He filed the suit on behalf of all jets ticket holders because the Patriots taping of signals deceived customers who thought they were seeing an honest competition.