Chargers Editorial: The Chargers Vs. The City of San Diego
In this modern era of sports where the games themselves have become of greater importance to most people than that of politics or religion, fans of the San Diego Chargers indeed feel let down by their city and their team. A very depressing fact that just doesn’t seem to go away.
The City of San Diego has drug its feet in dealing with the Chargers stadium issues. The team has every right to be angry, but the strides the team has taken towards leaving the city of San Diego is troubling indeed. I can understand the Chargers frustration with the city, but to take out its frustration on the fans of the team is heart-breaking.
As a native San Diegan and Chargers fan for life, I am particularly distraught over this whole situation. To think of the team leaving and playing in the Los Angeles area is horrible. Playing 100 miles away from the city is not the end of the world, but due to most San Diegans natural hatred of all things Los Angeles, the thought is nauseating.
If the team were to attach the name Los Angeles to its name, a ton of Chargers fans would be lost. Most fans to which I’ve spoken to would not support the team if they leave. That remains to be seen. The Spanos family has clearly made up its mind on leaving. In treating the San Diego based fans this way, he is burning bridges that might not be able to be repaired. If a stadium were built here and everything was solved, I would still have a hard time believing all fans will forgive the Spanos family for their actions.
Very troubling times for fans as the beloved Chargers are very close to packing up and leaving town. Antonio Gates, Eric Weddle and Malcolm Floyd are all scheduled to become free agents at the end of the year. Weddle is angry and wants an extension from the team now. Gates had indicated he wanted to come back after this season. Floyd could be retained, but his health is always an issue for him.
The San Diego Chargers are poised to go in a different direction, and the faces of the franchise could easily be changed one calendar year from now. A very sobering fact for Chargers fans is the team could very easily be called the Los Angeles Chargers in the near future. Pains me to write that, and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think this would be a possibility.
I understand the game of football has gotten out of control and in fact all of sports has become that way. The all mighty dollar has become the bottom line. The history of the game will always remain, but the future of how its played will be ever changing. A football stadium is not a necessity for a city that has other concerns. I get that. However the Chargers franchise brings a sense of pride to the city that cannot be recognized nationally like a new park or library can. Even the most anti-sports of persons gets enthusiastic and proud when their local team plays for a Championship. I remember all the fans that came out of nowhere in 1994 for the Chargers and 1984 and 1998 for the Padres. Truly magical times for this city.
In my estimation a lot of San Diegans forgot that sense of pride for the city that a Championship run brings. With all that being said we as a community must speak up and join together if we really want to save this franchise. If we fight for this team, I believe the team will give an effort on the field we as Chargers fans have never seen before.
It is really tough to put your finger in who is the root of the problem here. In reality both parties are equally to blame with some blame pointed at the taxpayers who are so adamantly against a new stadium. There will always be opposition to every project. That however cannot be a major blockage in the road. The majority of San Diegans would welcome a new stadium and the revenue it would provide from sporting events, concerts, trade shows, etc.
Lets face it, San Diego is a tourist trap of a city. Let us embrace that fact and create a pair of stadiums that rival nobody in the nation. Petco Park and the Padres are doing their part, now it is time for the Chargers to step up and support the city that has housed them for over 50 years. This situation is not close to being resolved. The future of the Chargers in the city of San Diego is cloudy at best. It is really a shame that doing what is right has no meaning to most people in this world we live in.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.