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[Juicy Bob]

Maybe the chargers should move to London.

We already have the Jags forced on us, thanks.

 

[norm9]

It stinks that Fox's afternoon "Game of the Week" in the LA area is Rams games for the forseeable future. They better start getting good real fast.

 

[Fenderputty]

. At least the Rams have enough money to be foolish and try to be the Jets of LA. At least until Kroenke decides he wants a new stadium again and moves to another big market. The Chargers though? They're not gonna last being the 3rd string.

For reference, the biggest TV markets without NFL teams are now (in order):

Orlando
Sacramento
St Louis
Raleigh
Portland
San Diego
Hartford
San Antonio
Columbus
Salt Lake City
Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson
West Palm Beach
Austin
Oklahoma City*
.

Kronke owns the stadium. It's LA Property. He's never moving. It will just keep getting more and more valuable. The Chargers will own a smaller portion, but the calculus will be the same. Unless the team is siphoning money off so much that it counteracts the market change to LA, the chargers will never be leaving either. Same reason the Clippers won't leave.

None of those markets mean fuck all compared to LA.

It stinks that Fox's afternoon "Game of the Week" in the LA area is Rams games for the forseeable future. They better start getting good real fast.

The first two games this season have been more fun to watch than any of the games last year. Fuck ... I'm pretty sure we only scored field goals the first three games last year.

 

[Swiggins]

That's an embarrassing first home game.

I liked San Diego having a football team. Screw Vegas, the Raiders should go to SD.

Considering the long standing blood feud between the two teams, I can't see this being a good idea.

It would however be cosmically hilarious.

 

[norm9]

The first two games this season have been more fun to watch than any of the games last year. Fuck ... I'm pretty sure we only scored field goals the first three games last year.

For sure they've been good and I was on the edge of my seat this past Sunday, but you know how the Rams are. Once they hit the skids, we're gonna be forced to follow along.

 

[grandjedi6]

Kronke owns the stadium. It's LA Property. He's never moving. It will just keep getting more and more valuable. The Chargers will own a smaller portion, but the calculus will be the same. Unless the team is siphoning money off so much that it counteracts the market change to LA, the chargers will never be leaving either. Same reason the Clippers won't leave.

None of those markets mean fuck all compared to LA.



The first two games this season have been more fun to watch than any of the games last year. Fuck ... I'm pretty sure we only scored field goals the first three games last year.

That's what everyone said before '95. Give it time lol

 

[Kintaco]

I sincerely doubt that the seats were that empty at the inaugural LA Dodgers game while they were announcing the team.

There is a stark difference between the seats being filled during the pregame of a franchise's first game and the seats being filled during the pregame of the Dodgers 63rd home game this season.

This was not the Rams inaugural season, nor their first home game of the season. The Dodgers were averaging about 26k in 1959, their second season in Los Angeles.

 

[Matthew23]

As a British NFL fan who loves this league and thinks Europe could learn a lot from the North American approach to professional sport, the idea of moving franchises is fucking grotesque to me.

Fuck Spanos and fuck these LA Chargers. I hope they fail and become the laughing stock of the league.

I would like to have seen the Chargers end up in London if they were going anywhere.

Growing up about half way between LA and SD in Orange County nobody gave a shit about the Chargers. You were either a Rams or Raiders fan. Chargers games weren't even televised. I imagine in LA there would be even less interest. I don't see the Chargers selling out any time soon. Their SD fans will be too bitter to support the team and LA doesn't want them.

The Rams move made more sense having spent over 30 years in LA and drawing well most of the time. Moving to Anaheim didn't work out but being back in LA with a new stadium coming should be a win. For the time being I don't expect them to move many tickets playing at the nearly 100 year old Collusium.

 

[Fenderputty]

For sure they've been good and I was on the edge of my seat this past Sunday, but you know how the Rams are. Once they hit the skids, we're gonna be forced to follow along.

As long as "the skids" are more entertaining to watch than last year, I should be there for most games. We're actually running an offense and Goff doesn't look anywhere near as bad as last year. Gurley looks like he'll do better this year as well.

That's what everyone said before '95. Give it time lol

Not sure the property values and asset values of sports teams are even remotely comparable to the mid 90's. The previous owners of the Rams didn't own their stadium either. This isn't a like for like scenario.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-forbes-cowboys-nfl-20160914-snap-story.html

According to Forbes, the move alone doubled the franchise value.

 

[timetokill]

The Rams move made more sense having spent over 30 years in LA and drawing well most of the time. Moving to Anaheim didn't work out but being back in LA with a new stadium coming should be a win. For the time being I don't expect them to move many tickets playing at the nearly 100 year old Collusium.

If there was any "sense" to it, LA would've never let the Rams come back after the way that they left. The fact that there are still fans in LA is mind-boggling to me. Fuck the ownership of the new LA teams.

 

[Hesh]

The StubHub Center is actually a great venue, and the novelty of watching an NFL game at it should be exciting, but it can't be understated how awful of an owner Dean Spanos is and how he's absolutely murdered the team's fan base.

I guess on the bright side if I end up moving to Carson later this year it won't be hard to get a Chargers ticket whenever I want to on the cheap.

 

[norm9]

If there was any "sense" to it, LA would've never let the Rams come back after the way that they left. The fact that there are still fans in LA is mind-boggling to me. Fuck the ownership of the new LA teams.

That witch Georgia long dead and gone so it's ok to like the Rams again if you were hurt when she ditched town.

 

[RBH]

The Athletic’s Don Banks joined the Darren Smith Show on 1090 AM in San Diego on Thursday to discuss the disastrous Los Angeles Chargers. This week, Banks wrote a piece about how quickly things have gone south for Dean Spanos and his team in LA and during the interview he went ever further.

Banks even suggested the NFL is quietly talking about forcing the team back to San Diego.

Banks has talked to a number of people inside the league and when asked what they think of Spanos, his response was telling:

“I have been painted a picture from people I’ve talked to that the league was sympathetic…to Dean Spanos’ plight. Feels like he had been a ‘league guy’ feels like he had waited kind of his turn on the relocation front, thought he had the votes the year before — Jerry Jones and Stan Kroenke pretty much outmaneuvered Dean and Mark Davis with the Raiders to be the first in line for LA. So it was almost as if this was a bit of a make up.

“I can tell you this Darren, there are people in the league — including the commissioner — they did not want to see San Diego forsaken. They would rather there be a team in San Diego. If there’s anything viable that they could find to put the league back in to San Diego, I think they will be in that camp strongly.”

When discussing the optics of empty stadiums and the Chargers not being able to fill a 27,000-seat stadium with their own fans, Banks had this to say:

“They’re saying the right things now and they’re going to keep a stiff upper lip and say that ‘we knew that this was going to be a hard slog uphill.’ There’s a lot of concern already. And there’s a lot of people who are thinking, ‘How can we put up with these optics for the next three years if the Chargers can’t improve the situation in Carson?'”

When asked if he believed the league was possibly talking about forcing the Chargers back to San Diego if things don’t improve, Banks was blunt:

“I think they’re talking about it. I do. I think there’s already a level of concern at how far south it’s gone, that there are at least people talking about it…I don’t think a true tipping point has been reached, it’s too early for that. But I think there’s enough concern that people are saying, ‘What’s the best option perhaps among bad options?'”

The fact that we’re heading into Week 3 of the regular season and people around the league are already talking about moving the Chargers back to San Diego is simply incredible.

http://thebiglead.com/2017/09/21/don-banks-nfl-is-talking-about-forcing-chargers-back-to-san-diego/

 

[Mutanthands]

Spanos is so toxic to San Diego fans right now, I can’t see it happening unless they force a sale and completely gut the upper management that let this happen in the first place. Can Goodell even do that?

 

[SoulUnison]

Well, San Diego will still have the Padres.

...

*stifles laughter*

 

[Angry Grimace]

As long as "the skids" are more entertaining to watch than last year, I should be there for most games. We're actually running an offense and Goff doesn't look anywhere near as bad as last year. Gurley looks like he'll do better this year as well.



Not sure the property values and asset values of sports teams are even remotely comparable to the mid 90's. The previous owners of the Rams didn't own their stadium either. This isn't a like for like scenario.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-forbes-cowboys-nfl-20160914-snap-story.html

According to Forbes, the move alone doubled the franchise value.

Franchise value is speculative based on them drawing more than a dime.

All NFL teams have a baseline value because of revenue sharing, but if you spend 3 seasons not making any of the extra money you're supposed to get by being popular your valuation will plummet. People will watch them if they're good. They're never good and the fans in LA have 0 connection to any of those players. Rivers was a beloved figure here in SD and considered polarizing elsewhere. So naturally LA won't give a shit about him, or Gates, or any of the legacy players.

Well, San Diego will still have the Padres.

...

*stifles laughter*

<_< >_>

The team already moved like 9 months ago and is playing games in LA with no one attending.

Also, most of us didn't find the team moving away after 50+ years funny, really.

 

[BobLoblaw]

http://thebiglead.com/2017/09/21/don-banks-nfl-is-talking-about-forcing-chargers-back-to-san-diego/

Dear Chargers. No one ever wanted you here. Please leave. Thanks. - LA/OC/Everyone not in SD

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

http://thebiglead.com/2017/09/21/don-banks-nfl-is-talking-about-forcing-chargers-back-to-san-diego/

I like how don banks is quoted as saying he thinks people are talking about it and that gets telephoned into people around the league are talking about it. If it's speciation of a reporter columnist don't launder that into something that sounds sourced if banks wasn't willing to do the same sheesh.

 

[elrechazado]

The NFL forcing chargers back to SD likely results in some subsidized deal once again raping the citizens for a billionaire's benefit. Nothing to cheer about that.

 

[Dishwalla]

If the NFL is going to "force" the Chargers back to San Diego it better be prepared to help them build a new stadium.

 

[Angry Grimace]

The NFL forcing chargers back to SD likely results in some subsidized deal once again raping the citizens for a billionaire's benefit. Nothing to cheer about that.

There's a 0% chance the city of San Diego will ever do anything for Dean Spanos, period. It's not a LeBron in Cleveland situation.

If the NFL is going to "force" the Chargers back to San Diego it better be prepared to help them build a new stadium.

It already WAS and offered them tons of money to do it. The Spanos's insisted on a stadium downtown in a site owned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority that literally couldn't have the transit depo moved without a huge expenditure of time and money rather than the Qualcomm Stadium that has nothing on it but a huge stadium and the most enormous parking lot. This soured the City Council on supporting anything the team wanted to do because it would have cost way more money.

They needed 67% approval to get it approved. They got 43%. They knew it would never pass as a 2/3 vote, it's that the entire proposal was a to justify moving to LA.

 

[TheCochese]

Spanos is so toxic to San Diego fans right now, I can’t see it happening unless they force a sale and completely gut the upper management that let this happen in the first place. Can Goodell even do that?

There's a flip tax which means the other owners would get a sizable portion of the sale for a specified time period.

In other words, this is a pipe dream.

 

[Bread]

The NFL forcing chargers back to SD likely results in some subsidized deal once again raping the citizens for a billionaire's benefit. Nothing to cheer about that.

I think you overestimate how badly San Diego wants them back

 

[elrechazado]

There's a 0% chance the city of San Diego will ever do anything for Dean Spanos, period. It's not a LeBron in Cleveland situation.



It already WAS and offered them tons of money to do it. They insisted on a stadium downtown in a site owned by the Metropolitan Transit site that literally couldn't have the transit depo moved without a huge expenditure of time and money rather than the Qualcomm Stadium that has nothing on it but a huge stadium and the most enormous parking lot (you can drive to games at the Q and just sit in the lot drinking still because the parking lot around the stadium is enormous). This soured the City Council on supporting anything the team wanted to do because it would have cost way more money.

I think you overestimate how badly San Diego wants them back

I know it's not LeBron. The vote was 43% for their boondoggle of a deal. I never put it past idiot commissioners or council members to "restructure a much better deal". It has happened in many cities (multiple public funding attempts finally succeeding).

 

[NihonTiger90]

Yep. I don't expect them to stay either. The Raiders are LA's team but just happen to play several hours away in a smaller market. Kinda like how Milwaukee is Green Bay territory. At least the Rams have enough money to be foolish and try to be the Jets of LA. At least until Kroenke decides he wants a new stadium again and moves to another big market. The Chargers though? They're not gonna last being the 3rd string.

For reference, the biggest TV markets without NFL teams are now (in order):

Orlando
Sacramento
St Louis
Raleigh
Portland
San Diego
Hartford
San Antonio
Columbus
Salt Lake City
Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson
West Palm Beach
Austin
Oklahoma City*

Obviously a lot of these cities are still too close to existing NFL teams but all of them are bigger than Vegas, Jacksonville and New Orleans. Guess what I'm saying is have fun with the Utah Chargers and Oklahoma Rams in a decade

Spoiler

and Portland Jets.

*Oklahoma City is technically slightly smaller than Vegas but I felt it deserved to be included.

Orlando (Bucs/Jags would throw a hissyfit)
Sacramento
St Louis
Raleigh (Panthers wouldn't allow it)
Portland (Do they care about football?)
San Diego (Do they really want them back?)
Hartford (Robert Kraft laughs at this)
San Antonio
Columbus
Salt Lake City
Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson
West Palm Beach (Dolphins say no)
Austin (Jerry F'n Jones)
Oklahoma City* (See above)
[/spoiler]

There's really just nowhere for the Chargers to go if San Diego says "Thanks but we don't want them back" besides maybe Salt Lake City or San Antonio.

 

[Dishwalla]

Move the Chargers to Virginia Beach, this city is itching for a professional team. Lots of Chargers fans around here too, from people that at one time or another were stationed in San Diego(also lots of Seahawks fans for the same reason, from ships up in Washington).

Also the Panthers aren't really a local team here, the Redskins are considered the local team, with the Ravens a distant second.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Yep. I don't expect them to stay either. The Raiders are LA's team but just happen to play several hours away in a smaller market. Kinda like how Milwaukee is Green Bay territory. At least the Rams have enough money to be foolish and try to be the Jets of LA. At least until Kroenke decides he wants a new stadium again and moves to another big market. The Chargers though? They're not gonna last being the 3rd string.

For reference, the biggest TV markets without NFL teams are now (in order):

Orlando
Sacramento
St Louis
Raleigh
Portland
San Diego
Hartford
San Antonio
Columbus
Salt Lake City
Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson
West Palm Beach
Austin
Oklahoma City*

Obviously a lot of these cities are still too close to existing NFL teams but all of them are bigger than Vegas, Jacksonville and New Orleans. Guess what I'm saying is have fun with the Utah Chargers and Oklahoma Rams in a decade

Spoiler

and Portland Jets.

*Oklahoma City is technically slightly smaller than Vegas but I felt it deserved to be included.

For as big as it is with college I wish Alabama had an NFL team, i'd heavily support them except against my Patriots.

 

[cdyhybrid]

For as big as it is with college I wish Alabama had an NFL team, i'd heavily support them except against my Patriots.

You a Yankees and Lakers fan too?

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

Orlando (Bucs/Jags would throw a hissyfit)
Sacramento
St Louis
Raleigh (Panthers wouldn't allow it)
Portland (Do they care about football?)
San Diego (Do they really want them back?)
Hartford (Robert Kraft laughs at this)
San Antonio
Columbus
Salt Lake City
Greenville–Spartanburg–Anderson
West Palm Beach (Dolphins say no)
Austin (Jerry F'n Jones)
Oklahoma City* (See above)
[/spoiler]

There's really just nowhere for the Chargers to go if San Diego says "Thanks but we don't want them back" besides maybe Salt Lake City or San Antonio.

Jerry Jones could keep a team out of a different state?

 

[FStubbs]

Orlando (Bucs/Jags would throw a hissyfit)
Sacramento
St Louis
Raleigh (Panthers wouldn't allow it)
Portland (Do they care about football?)
San Diego (Do they really want them back?)
Hartford (Robert Kraft laughs at this)
San Antonio
Columbus
Salt Lake City
Greenville&#8211;Spartanburg&#8211;Anderson
West Palm Beach (Dolphins say no)
Austin (Jerry F'n Jones)
Oklahoma City* (See above)
[/spoiler]

There's really just nowhere for the Chargers to go if San Diego says "Thanks but we don't want them back" besides maybe Salt Lake City or San Antonio.

Jerry Jones would fight any team in Texas - he probably needed convincing to allow the Houston Texans and that probably only happened because McNair is a league guy and Houston had history in the league.

And yeah, he'd fight to keep a team out of Oklahoma or Arkansas. Too close to Dallas.

The Panthers would fight Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson. That's closer to Charlotte than Raleigh is. They'd fight any team in the Carolinas.

Add the Tidewater area to your list. They're hardcore Redskins fans there, but it's the biggest metropolis with no major pro sports team and no major college sports team.

 

[NihonTiger90]

Jerry Jones could keep a team out of a different state?

He has enough pull to if he thinks an OKC team would infringe upon the Cowboys' territory.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

He has enough pull to if he thinks an OKC team would infringe upon the Cowboys' territory.

I dont think we'll ever get a team but if he opened his mouth about it id be pissed. Worry about your own state.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

You a Yankees and Lakers fan too?

My mind is fucked when it comes to sport teams...

College Football
1. LSU (father played for)

NFL
1. Patriots
.
2. Cowboys(team I was raised to like)
3. Saints(father played for a very limited time)

Baseball
1. Red Sox
2. Yankees(some family)
3. Braves(raised regional and some family)
4. Rangers(raised by my mother to like)

And basketball (not counting being a bandwagon fan of the 90's Bulls phenomenon)
I was only really into the Shaq Era Miami Heat.

 

[Dishwalla]

Add the Tidewater area to your list. They're hardcore Redskins fans there, but it's the biggest metropolis with no major pro sports team and no major college sports team.

Like I said, VA Beach is hungry for a professional team, they tried some years back to attract a NBA team to come here. Put the Chargers here and they can possibly attract fans from Hampton Roads, Richmond, and parts of Northern NC. Also it's a pretty good distance from both Charlotte and FedEx Field in Maryland.

 

[NihonTiger90]

I think, having thought about it, if not San Diego, the remaining options would conceivably be:

Richmond/Tidewater Virginia
Louisville, Kentucky
Birmingham, Alabama
San Antonio, Texas
Portland, Oregon
Salt Lake City, Utah

And to a lesser extent, St. Louis (but it'd have to be the NFL/ownership building the stadium entirely with their own money)

The Texans and Cowboys would fight a San Antonio team like hell unless they got a nice chunk of change as part of the deal.

Louisville, Portland, Birmingham and SLC are tough sells.

I actually think all things considered, Virginia might be the best call for a move. You'd have to move the Texans to the AFC West and the new Virginia team to the AFC South for that to work, though.

 

[Tobor]

Like I said, VA Beach is hungry for a professional team, they tried some years back to attract a NBA team to come here. Put the Chargers here and they can possibly attract fans from Hampton Roads, Richmond, and parts of Northern NC. Also it's a pretty good distance from both Charlotte and FedEx Field in Maryland.

Haha. Snyder would kill any deal to move a team to VA. Not even remotely possible. Like it or not, VA is a Redskins market.

 

[Dishwalla]

Hey I didn't say it was likely, but it is a thought to chew on I think. Northern North Carolina used to be hardcore Redskins country too, until the Panthers.

 

[cdyhybrid]

I think, having thought about it, if not San Diego, the remaining options would conceivably be:

Richmond/Tidewater Virginia
Louisville, Kentucky
Birmingham, Alabama
San Antonio, Texas
Portland, Oregon
Salt Lake City, Utah

And to a lesser extent, St. Louis (but it'd have to be the NFL/ownership building the stadium entirely with their own money)

The Texans and Cowboys would fight a San Antonio team like hell unless they got a nice chunk of change as part of the deal.

Louisville, Portland, Birmingham and SLC are tough sells.

I actually think all things considered, Virginia might be the best call for a move. You'd have to move the Texans to the AFC West and the new Virginia team to the AFC South for that to work, though.

Why not Toronto?

 

[SoulUnison]

<_< >_>

The team already moved like 9 months ago and is playing games in LA with no one attending.

Also, most of us didn't find the team moving away after 50+ years funny, really.

Oh...
Well I haven't lived in SD for 17 years, so I guess I'm behind on the local sports teams.

 

[jmood88]

For as big as it is with college I wish Alabama had an NFL team, i'd heavily support them except against my Patriots.

Alabama's team is the Saints.

 

[Angry Grimace]

My mind is fucked when it comes to sport teams...

College Football
1. LSU (father played for)

NFL
1. Patriots
.
2. Cowboys(team I was raised to like)
3. Saints(father played for a very limited time)

Baseball
1. Red Sox
2. Yankees(some family)
3. Braves(raised regional and some family)
4. Rangers(raised by my mother to like)

And basketball (not counting being a bandwagon fan of the 90's Bulls phenomenon)
I was only really into the Shaq Era Miami Heat.

You don't say

 

[FStubbs]

Haha. Snyder would kill any deal to move a team to VA. Not even remotely possible. Like it or not, VA is a Redskins market.

I think he could kill a team in Richmond since their training camp is there but I don't think he could kill a team in Tidewater. He's not Jerry Jones.

Remember, the Redskins ultimately couldn't kill a team that moved closer to their stadium than their team offices are.

 

[jwhit28]

Would the rest of the owners just waive the $645 million they charged the Chargers in relocation fees so they can encroach on someone else's TV market?

 

[NihonTiger90]

Why not Toronto?

Possible. The Bills would throw a tantrum if they moved the Chargers there because it's within their immediate broadcast territory.

You'd also have the unfortunate problem of not being able to put them in either the AFC North or AFC East. So they'd have to stay in the AFC West :|

 

[Dishwalla]

I think he could kill a team in Richmond but I don't think he could kill a team in Tidewater. He's not Jerry Jones.

Remember, the Redskins ultimately couldn't kill a team that moved closer to their stadium than their training facility is.

Yeah I was thinking Richmond was a little too close, but two hours further south...

 

[FStubbs]

Possible. The Bills would throw a tantrum if they moved the Chargers there because it's within their immediate broadcast territory.

You'd also have the unfortunate problem of not being able to put them in either the AFC North or AFC East. So they'd have to stay in the AFC West :|

I don't think the Bills have the power to kill any team move, but how many Bills fans live in Toronto? Could the team survive in Buffalo if they lose the Toronto market?

 

[NihonTiger90]

I don't think the Bills have the power to kill any team move, but how many Bills fans live in Toronto? Could the team survive in Buffalo if they lose the Toronto market?

Let's just say

Spoiler

it would fuck up Goodell's plans to move the Bills to Toronto

 

[FStubbs]

Let's just say

Spoiler

it would fuck up Goodell's plans to move the Bills to Toronto

Got me there. Nicely played.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Well, San Diego will still have the Padres.

...

*stifles laughter*

I'm still trying to comprehend how a city THAT big would have only the one sports team, even with the proximity to LA, that's still so wierd.

They're like the anti-Boston. No sports spirit.

 

[Dishwalla]

I'm still trying to comprehend how a city THAT big would have only the one sports team, even with the proximity to LA, that's still so wierd.

They're like the anti-Boston. No sports spirit.

They did have three at one point in time...