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This is a big gamble. I can understand the Chargers wanting to leave; San Diego is an embarrassment as far as NFL cities are concerned. Chargers games are routinely "home away from home" games for teams like the Broncos and Raiders. Even in a good season fan support in San Diego is not a sure thing. The 2007 Chargers went 11-5 and reached the AFCCG. But they also risked a home playoff game against the Titans being blacked out on the local market. That a playoff game was even at risk of being blacked out is a major embarrassment for a franchise and a testament to how disinterested its fans are.
With that said, of the three teams interested in relocating to Los Angeles, the Chargers link is the weakest. There may be an initial wave of interest in the Chargers when they first arrive, but unless the become a perennial contender L.A. fans won't support them. And even then, support will likely be passive in a good season. L.A. just isn't an NFL city.
I can see the Raiders being a good fit for L.A. but they're likely staying in Oakland, banking on receiving some of the relocation fees to put toward a stadium deal. The Rams also seem like a done deal, and they likely have a contingent of fans left over from the original L.A. Rams days.
Personally I think the Chargers should just borrow one from the Angels of MLB's playbook and stay put while rebranding their name. Can't you just see it: "The Los Angeles Chargers of San Diego!"
I always thought the whole "transplant city" thing was overblown
Regarding L.A. or San Diego? Because it's pretty accurate for San Diego. It's pretty rare for the Chargers to fill their stadium with Chargers fans. Either there will be a significant number of fans from the visiting team (see the game with the Steelers a couple weeks ago) or there will be a lot of fans disguised as seats.
L.A. seems a pretty passive sports town, too. A Dodgers game will bring in 40,000 people but at any given time during the game the crowd is much smaller. By the 3rd inning a significant number of people are still drifting in and by the 6th or 7th a significant number of people are leaving regardless of the score.
The Clippers were the prototypical "also ran" until they strung together a couple good seasons. Now they have fans.
L.A. won't support a mediocre team. Their support for a good team will be tenuous at best, unless there's history like with the Rams or Raiders. The Chargers in L.A. will be a bigger version of what they are in San Diego: a "home away from home" game for visiting teams due to lack of interest by the locals. Unless they put together a few 12-4 seasons and deep playoff runs, their popularity in L.A. will have a short shelf life. They can likely expect a brief honeymoon period but the L.A. sports crowd is fickle: give us a championship or we'll turn our attention to something else. And the NFL is a tough place for a team, especially a marginally mediocre one like the Chargers, to become a perennial contender.
L.A. seems a pretty passive sports town, too. A Dodgers game will bring in 40,000 people but at any given time during the game the crowd is much smaller. By the 3rd inning a significant number of people are still drifting in and by the 6th or 7th a significant number of people are leaving regardless of the score.
I've been to at least 30-40 Dodger games in the last 3 years and I found that to not be true . People generally file continuously in into the 2nd-3rd inning (mostly because access to Dodger stadium is insanely limited since it's on top of a hill) but generally people stay until the end unless we are getting blown out, which is true for any city.
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The Clippers were the prototypical "also ran" until they strung together a couple good seasons. Now they have fans.
L.A. won't support a mediocre team. Their support for a good team will be tenuous at best, unless there's history like with the Rams or Raiders. The Chargers in L.A. will be a bigger version of what they are in San Diego: a "home away from home" game for visiting teams due to lack of interest by the locals. Unless they put together a few 12-4 seasons and deep playoff runs, their popularity in L.A. will have a short shelf life. They can likely expect a brief honeymoon period but the L.A. sports crowd is fickle: give us a championship or we'll turn our attention to something else. And the NFL is a tough place for a team, especially a marginally mediocre one like the Chargers, to become a perennial contender.
The Rams had sellout streaks even in Anaheim up until the very end. Raiders stopped being a draw after the mid-80s but that has as much to do with the on the field product along with how dangerous Raider games were in the late 1980s
Even in bad years, people here really do love the Lakers and Dodgers, but most other LA teams sell out and are very profitable.
LA isn't the greatest sports town by any stretch but people are still really loyal to their teams here. I think the Rams would do absolutely fine here since they were here the longest but as long as whatever team that shows up doesn't feel like they're only here for a stop and here for the long haul, they're gonna get the same support as a Dodger or Laker team.
Raider fans in LA are insanely vocal but they're the minority of most NFL fans here.
By far the Rams would get the most support coming back. I do agree that the Chargers are an awkward fit and would be the NFL Clippers if they showed up here.
^ It's been a couple years since I've been to a Dodgers game, but I've been to quite a few there at Dodgers Stadium. I was always amazed by how many people left in close games as early as the 6th inning. The 7th inning stretch was often a mass exodus.
^ It's been a couple years since I've been to a Dodgers game, but I've been to quite a few there at Dodgers Stadium. I was always amazed by how many people left in close games as early as the 6th inning. The 7th inning stretch was often a mass exodus.
Maybe things have changed.
I hear what you're saying though. I definitely notice that people arrive late, but again, access to Dodger stadium is a joke.
People leaving early? I honestly only notice that in blowouts. I wish I took pictures of the post-7th inning games that I went to but I don't have any.
As we discuss this, I've got the Raiders @ Chargers on. Or more appropriately, Raiders @ Raiders/South. That stadium has at least as many Raiders fans in it as Chargers. I don't think the Chargers will be much better off in L.A. save for a bigger population to draw from, but I definitely can see why they want out of San Diego.
At least the Rams & Raiders have history with the city and probably still a fair number of fans still in the area, so I could see them being successful even if they are both terrible. I'm with iknowfootball though the Chargers have no history with the city, and unless they have 3 to 4 straight seasons of 11-5/12-4/13-3 season with AFC Championship/Super Bowl appearances each year I don't see them being any more successful in LA then they are in SD. Maybe the first couple of years for that "novelty" factor, but when that wears off, it better be year 3 or 4 of that "5 straight seasons of 12-4" to keep the fan base.
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