Don’t Cry For Me San Diego

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The Chargers have called the City of San Diego home since 1961 as they’ve been a staple there. Since 1967, the Chargers have played their home games at Qualcomm Stadium (formerly Jack Murphy Stadium, but this is a facility that is far from being state-of-the art. At one time Qualcomm was home to the Chargers, Major League Baseball’s Padres, and the San Diego State University football team. But in 2004, the Padres moved into Petco Park which was a state-of-the-art stadium that was built in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. The Chargers have not been as fortunate to receive a new stadium, and after voters in San Diego didn’t vote in favor of a proposal last month that would have seen an increase in hotel tax in order to build a new convention center downtown, along with a new stadium for the Chargers, this is a franchise that appears to be at the end of their rope in the city.

Dean Spanos

Chargers team president and CEO Dean Spanos has tried for several years to work with city officials in order to get a new stadium for his team, but to no avail. And as Los Angeles is hungry to have another team join the Rams there, the Chargers appear ready to pack up and make the three-hour trip on Interstate-5 for L.A.

The National Football League is an industry that generates more than $9 billion a year as it relies on things such as lucrative television deals, along with their teams having state-of-the-art stadiums. Since 1996, 21 new stadiums have been built, while three more have been renovated. And the icing on the cake is that Atlanta Falcons are set to move into the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium next season.

But the Chargers have been left out of the party as Qualcomm Stadium is an aging facility that lacks the modern amenities that the National Football League covets such as luxury boxes and a close proximity to the downtown area. And since Qualcomm is not viewed as an historic venue such as Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconin, the league sees it as a dinosaur.

Spanos has done his part to keep the Chargers in San Diego, and although that there will be some heartbroken people within the city, all signs point to the New Year’s Day home game against the Kansas City Chiefs being their last one in the 6-1-9.

And with that Chargers fans in San Diego will only have the memories of Sid Gilman who was the head coach that led this organization to the American Football League Championship in 1963, while he revolutionized offensive football. Then of course there was “Air Coryell” of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s under the leadership of head coach Don Coryell and quarterback Dan Fouts that set numerous passing records that paved the way for the modern passing game. There were also the miracle Chargers of 1994 that came out of nowhere to win the AFC West before they would upset both the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs en route to their only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. The Chargers have had their fair share of Hall of Fame players suit up for them such as wide receiver Charlie Joiner and defensive end Fred Dean, and although that they were never able to bring a Super Bowl Champion to San Diego, they definitely left a lasting impression.

And just like St. Louis, Missouri last year that bid farewell to the Rams as they returned to Los Angeles, the odds are against San Diego getting another National Football League franchise as this is one of the smaller markets in the league that hasn’t been known to possess a fan base that would consistently support the Chargers who’ve recently been near the bottom in regards to home attendance. A potential move by the Chargers would also mark the second time that the City of San Diego lost a major sports franchise as the NBA’s Clippers left town in 1984 in favor of Los Angeles.

But as there will definitely see some sad faces when and if the Chargers head north for Los Angeles, the folks in San Diego had every opportunity to keep their team . The sand in the hour glass is nearly done as Spanos appears to be at the point of no return with the only football likely to remain in the city would that of San Diego State, along with the Poinsettia and Holiday Bowls.

Source: Pro-football-reference.com

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By | 2016-12-08T10:06:44+00:00 December 8th, 2016|Categories: National Football League|Tags: , |0 Comments

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