Could the NFL really send the Chargers back to San Diego? It's something being discussed, according to longtime NFL reporter Don Banks.
The former Sports Illustrated reporter, who has worked for NFL Media and currently writes for The Athletic, told a San Diego radio station on Thursday the NFL never wanted to lose San Diego as a market and could force Chargers owner Dean Spanos to take the team back.
"I have been painted a picture from people I’ve talked to that the league was sympathetic … to Dean Spanos’ plight," Banks told The Mighty 1090. "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.
"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."
The Chargers failed to sell out their temporary home, the 27,000-seat StubHub Center, in their home opener last Sunday. Banks wrote at The Athletic the NFL is shocked by how quickly things have gone south for the Chargers in L.A. As the Rams struggle to draw fans to the L.A. Coliseum, Banks said the NFL does not want the bad "optics" of empty stadiums for three years before the Rams and Chargers are scheduled to move into a new Inglewood stadium in 2020. [Reply]
In preseason last year, the Rams broke a record for attendance at nearly 100,000 people.
The Coliseum is a piece of shit. Now, if you're a USC grad, it's "home", which is why it's sold out for each game, but USC grad's aren't necessarily Rams or NFL fans.
Once the new stadium is built, it'll be a go-to destination. [Reply]
Move the Chargers and their dipshit owner to North Dakota as a punishment for being so greedy and stupid. The Fargo Chargers would draw just as many fans as they do now.
Of course, these fair weather pussies would have to play in the cold, so they would rarely win. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
You're disputing this? Why?
In preseason last year, the Rams broke a record for attendance at nearly 100,000 people.
The Coliseum is a piece of shit. Now, if you're a USC grad, it's "home", which is why it's sold out for each game, but USC grad's aren't necessarily Rams or NFL fans.
Once the new stadium is built, it'll be a go-to destination.
im a charger fan born and raised in san diego.
the move to LA sucks yes....but i still follow them and will root for them..they are my team for life...its sad because we are the laughing stock of the league. and we arent bad, we play good teams well and barely lose and shouldt lose but somehow we do..
in san diego...we had greats fans win we were winning allah 2005-2009...ever since the stadium has been half opposing teams. one reason being that other teams fans plan their vacations around their team games VS San diego.. because its such a nice place...other reason...people in san diego have tons of options for things to do on sundays....beach, snowboarding, hiking ETC....so i mean if we were in say south dakota we would probably have fans because there isnt anything to do in places like that....even KC....what else are you going to do in KC on a winter sunday lol?
as for going back to SD//// maybe in 5 years..its just really a sad thing happening right now for us...the players are getting emotional because of it. fans are getting really petty too...
Originally Posted by BlackOp:
"Spanos agreed to pay a $645 million relocation fee, which means the 30 other owners have a financial incentive not to let the Chargers leave L.A. (each team gets a $21.5 million cut of the relocation fee, with the exception of the Rams and Chargers)."
This will be the real reason if KC loses tomorrow.....
Originally Posted by Sd760:
im a charger fan born and raised in san diego.
the move to LA sucks yes....but i still follow them and will root for them..they are my team for life...its sad because we are the laughing stock of the league. and we arent bad, we play good teams well and barely lose and shouldt lose but somehow we do..
in san diego...we had greats fans win we were winning allah 2005-2009...ever since the stadium has been half opposing teams. one reason being that other teams fans plan their vacations around their team games VS San diego.. because its such a nice place...other reason...people in san diego have tons of options for things to do on sundays....beach, snowboarding, hiking ETC....so i mean if we were in say south dakota we would probably have fans because there isnt anything to do in places like that....even KC....what else are you going to do in KC on a winter sunday lol?
as for going back to SD//// maybe in 5 years..its just really a sad thing happening right now for us...the players are getting emotional because of it. fans are getting really petty too...
Originally Posted by vailpass:
Lame loser exscuses are lame.
alot of fans from other teams said they always make sure to go to the SD games, because its the best place to vacation....and all the transplants from all over the USA....SD voted best city to live in the USA [Reply]
Originally Posted by vailpass:
Lame loser exscuses are lame.
Yeah, I never bought that excuse. There are tons of things to do in CO year round, too. Its been years since I lived in LA but I remember it as a baseball town.
And moving the Chargers back to SD would be even more dumb than the move to LA was. That team needs a total re-branding and new ownership. Name change and all. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ShiftyEyedWaterboy:
Yeah, I never bought that excuse. There are tons of things to do in CO year round, too. Its been years since I lived in LA but I remember it as a baseball town.
And moving the Chargers back to SD would be even more dumb than the move to LA was. That team needs a total re-branding and new ownership. Name change and all.
Originally Posted by Sd760:
im a charger fan born and raised in san diego.
the move to LA sucks yes....but i still follow them and will root for them..they are my team for life...its sad because we are the laughing stock of the league. and we arent bad, we play good teams well and barely lose and shouldt lose but somehow we do..
in san diego...we had greats fans win we were winning allah 2005-2009...ever since the stadium has been half opposing teams. one reason being that other teams fans plan their vacations around their team games VS San diego.. because its such a nice place...other reason...people in san diego have tons of options for things to do on sundays....beach, snowboarding, hiking ETC....so i mean if we were in say south dakota we would probably have fans because there isnt anything to do in places like that....even KC....what else are you going to do in KC on a winter sunday lol?
as for going back to SD//// maybe in 5 years..its just really a sad thing happening right now for us...the players are getting emotional because of it. fans are getting really petty too...
BOLT UP
Never bought the "We have so many things to do BS. You also have 52 weekends a year to do those things. Furthermore, with weather rarely a deterrent, you go through little hardship sitting in the stands. Despite no ocean and cold weather, people in flyover country believe it or not actually have things that they could enjoy on a winter day as well. Lame Southern Cal excuse IMO. [Reply]
