Co-tenant? They already offered the Raiders...This is really stupid. How would the Rams possibly allow this?
Now LA will have two teams that no one gives a shit about.
Why? How can LA sustain 2 teams? How is this even a possibility?
The approval was given last year as part of the deal that allowed the Rams to move to LA. Spanos had the first right of refusal to become a co-tenant with the Rams and the NFL gave him a year to make his decision.Still needs to get 24 of 32 owners to pass it. Not a done deal yet.
Nope - the Chargers are the team with the co-tenant offer in hand. That's why the Raiders have been looking in Las Vegas.Co-tenant? They already offered the Raiders...
Why is this "stunning"? Isn't this what we thought would happen?
This as well....Yay! Now even fewer national games on local TV!
SD may not be a great sports town but there are several generations who are Chargers fans. It totally sucks to rip the team away from a fan base and move it to a city that is utterly indifferent to their arrival.Forbes listed the Rams as the 28th most valuable NFL franchise in 2015 with an estimated worth of $1.4 Billion. After their relocation in 2016 they shot up to number 6 with a value of $2.9 Billion. Like Kroenke, Spanos is a jerk but he didn't have a stadium deal (mostly due to his greed) and if he didn't move now, the Raiders could end up in the LA market. It's a smart move for the Charger organization.
I lived in LA for a decade and live in San Diego now. Both are lousy sports towns so really, whats the difference? Might as well go for the money long term.
You're right, the Chargers had the right to move up until Jan 16th of this year, after which point the right became the Raiders'. Spanos just had to line up the proper financing and logistical plan to make it happen.Nope - the Chargers are the team with the co-tenant offer in hand. That's why the Raiders have been looking in Las Vegas.
I agree. It does suck. I have a ton of friends who are devastated. But Spanos is a miserable, greedy guy who wanted no part of using his own funds for a new stadium. And the taxpayers, to their credit, weren't about to be railroaded into paying for the whole things themselves (compared to St Louis who actually agreed to give Kroenke a pretty sweet deal at the end only to have him still turn it down). Just look at the vote in November - voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposal. My point is that the move isn't shocking and actually makes sense for the Spanos family from a financial standpoint. Sure, it's a scumbag move, but that's par for the course for this ownership.SD may not be a great sports town but there are several generations who are Chargers fans. It totally sucks to rip the team away from a fan base and move it to a city that is utterly indifferent to their arrival.
I love how the NFL is basically a socialist enterprise except when it comes to franchise relocation. Then owners can do what they want, essentially. Because the votes on these things are jokes.
At this moment, Mark Davis is the best NFL owner of a California-based franchise and it's not close. And he's trying to leave.You're right, the Chargers had the right to move up until Jan 16th of this year, after which point the right became the Raiders'. Spanos just had to line up the proper financing and logistical plan to make it happen.
I had gotten mixed up as to which team had which role. All I remember is that Kroenke is a pre-eminent asshole even by the standards of NFL Owner Assholes.
TIL the Rockets franchise started in SD. Now the team name makes less sense to me.One AFL title, one AFC championship in 55 years. I think that's not quite as good as the Padres (two pennants) but I suppose it tops the Rockets' and the Clippers' tenures in San Diego.
As someone who lives in another fan wasteland (Tampa), I think owners are too cavalier in their attitude towards fans. The Lightning have made a concerted effort to put out a good product and enjoyable fan experience and they are starting to put butts in seats. But, they are establishing mostly first and some second-generation fans. Loyal fan bases take time and care to build for the most part (MLS' Portland Timbers is one counter example I can think of, but I digress). The Rays had a good product for some time, but the fan experience is likely the worst in US professional sports. The team draws good TV numbers, but location probably plays a bigger role for the Rays than others.SD may not be a great sports town but there are several generations who are Chargers fans. It totally sucks to rip the team away from a fan base and move it to a city that is utterly indifferent to their arrival.
[snip]
OK, this confuses me greatly. Because I assume most owners (and definitely Spanos) look at these things primarily as business (which I don't have a problem with), the increased value in being in LA has to offset this cost. And I'm trying to reconcile this with:Spanos has to pay a 650 million relocation fee. What a fool. He could have put 650 million towards a new stadium the cheap fuck he is.
If you assume that the LA Chargers have 3-5 years of poor attendance, does the franchise value increase from moving to LA offset the $650M relocation fee plus lost revenue from a bad stadium situation in LA plus worse attendance?I agree. It does suck. I have a ton of friends who are devastated. But Spanos is a miserable, greedy guy who wanted no part of using his own funds for a new stadium and the city wasn't going to give in either (compared to St Louis who actually agreed to give Kroenke a pretty sweet deal at the end only to have him still turn it doen). Just look at the vote in November - voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposal. My point is that the move isn't shocking and actually makes sense for the Spanos family from a financial standpoint. It's a scumbag move, sure but that's part for the course for this ownership.
[snip]
As someone who lives in another fan wasteland (Tampa), I think owners are too cavalier in their attitude towards fans. The Lightning have made a concerted effort to put out a good product and enjoyable fan experience and they are starting to put butts in seats. But, they are establishing mostly first and some second-generation fans. Loyal fan bases take time and care to build for the most part (MLS' Portland Timbers is one counter example I can think of, but I digress). The Rays had a good product for some time, but the fan experience is likely the worst in US professional sports. The team draws good TV numbers, but location probably plays a bigger role for the Rays than others.
The Rams value literally doubled by moving to LA. That's solely based on having a new stadium (which they'll obviously now be sharing) and being located in the 2nd biggest market in America. Sure, the Chargers don't have the history in LA like the Rams, do (although they did originate there) but the team will still keep a decent percentage of the San Diego fanbase despite how betrayed those fans feel this morning. I realize SD and and LA are two totally different cities and mindsets, but it's still only a move of 120 miles. Between holding onto some of that SD fanbase, the new LA market, and the stadium deal, I'd be shocked if that doesn't make up for the relocation fee and then some regardless of the team's attendance the first decade.If you assume that the LA Chargers have 3-5 years of poor attendance, does the franchise value increase from moving to LA offset the $650M relocation fee plus lost revenue from a bad stadium situation in LA plus worse attendance?
The Rams value literally doubled by moving to LA. That's solely based on having a new stadium (which they'll obviously now be sharing) and being located in the 2nd biggest market in America. Sure, the Chargers don't have the history in LA like the Rams, do (although they did originate there) but the team will still keep a decent percentage of the San Diego fanbase despite how betrayed those fans feel this morning. I realize SD and and LA are two totally different cities and mindsets, but it's still only a move of 120 miles. Between holding onto some of that SD fanbase, the new LA market, and the stadium deal, I'd be shocked if that doesn't make up for the relocation fee and then some regardless of the team's attendance the first decade.
It's important to remember that the other NFL owners have wanted two teams in LA for over a decade now. They know the potential for the market and will do everything to help those teams be financially successful. It's now in the league's best interest.
Given the times we live in, they'll honor history by having Paris Hilton heavily involved in the public presentation of her grandfather's team.Reportedly, they are re-branding. Which for this football fan who loves history in general is sickening.
No, they have not won a ton of titles. But they have a glorious history including some of the game's most important figures.
We've had this discussion before. The history of televised NFL Saturday games (restricted by law to late season) has an inordinate number of Jets and Giants games, regardless of how well they are doing, just to get them out of the way for the NY Sunday audience to see games involving other teams.Saturdays are highlighted national games the last 2 weeks of December, no? That's like getting the SNF slot.
Dean Alexander Spanos (born May 26, 1950) is the team president, gutless feck and CEO of the National Football League's San Diego Chargers franchise, in which his father, owner Alex Spanos, purchased majority interest in 1984.
Despite having full support of the city of San Diego residents and Charger fans, Spanos cowardly posted a letter online to officially announce the controversial move.
That's nice that they are honoring Fred McCrary, ole number 44.
The new logo
How is this Jerry Brown's fault? I don't see what he has to do with this, since state funding of sports stadiums has been illegal in CA for 40 years. Unless you're playing a very long game of blame here, since he was governor then too.They have to play the Raiders home game in London, don't they?Pissed off LA Raider fans will spend their kids college fund to get their hands on those tickets. There are already Raiders fans really excited for 2022, when we will have ten home games, with two games in Kroenkeworld.
At what point in the next 5 years will it become clear to the NFL owners how wrong they got LA simply because they hated Al Davis? They just moved two teams to LA without fan bases there essentially so they could leave the team with an established LA fan base out in the cold, or desert as the case may be.
San Diego are Jerry Brown are also idiots for letting this happen. When they lose Comicon in the next couple years, they are basically Norfolk with better weather and food. I look forward to the city negotiating with the Padres in a five years when they determine Petco needs serious upgrades to remain competitive.
EDIT: Today is also a great day to remember what a shortsighted fool post 1980 Al Davis was. He brought the Spanos family into the ownership fold in 1983. Then 11 years later he left LA for a terrible deal in Oakland because Tagliabue hurt his feelings. Now the Spanos' have his spot in America's 2nd largest market.
It's worse than that. Local fans that have an allegiance have it to either the Rams (who are back - so why would they switch?) or the Chargers' main rival (are they going to switch to a team they hate?). Who are they hoping to draw from? People from LA who aren't old enough to have attached themselves to one of the other teams?I would bet a fair number of money the Chargers end up back in San Diego in my lifetime. The Rams have history and some fans in LA, the Chargers have neither (nobody gave a shit about the AFL in 1960). They're gonna fail.
Looks like a little kid went outside the lines on the Dodger Logo.
The new logo