Los Angeles Chargers schadenfreude (San Diego, Oakland: layoffs, move to, stadium)

[The Illusive Man]

It will take time. When LA first got the Clippers from San Diego, we didn't immediately embrace them. They had no fanbase and were up against the Lakers. Now, the Clippers sell out every game, have a strong fanbase, and are a financial success, including being the 6th most valuable franchise. The Chargers just need time to build a fanbase. It's not going to happen overnight, it's going to take years to construct. They'll be fine.

[The Illusive Man]

Originally Posted by eastcoastbias

Its a SoCal thing- the NFL has trouble supporting 1 team here- now there are two??? American Football is not a Southern California thing.


SD Residents have absolutely no room to talk.


Does anyone remember businesses that bailed out the fans who didn't attend to avoid blackouts?
Does anyone remember SD being practically the only city to complain about the NFL blackout policy?
Recall empty seats at the Q?
Recall half the stadium being opposing teams fans sometimes more (Raiders, Green Bay) for a game at the Q?

Yeah, San Diego really doesn't have any room to talk. They never supported the Clippers and Rockets and both left within a few years. The Chargers rarely sold out and games were always dominated by opposing fans. When they played the Raiders? It was a complete Raider blackout. They don't even support their only team left, the Padres. They lose teams left and right and no franchises from other leagues want to go there. That should tell you something.


The Chargers would rather start at the bottom in LA, than stick it out in SD.

[TristramShandy]

Originally Posted by eastcoastbias

Its a SoCal thing- the NFL has trouble supporting 1 team here- now there are two??? American Football is not a Southern California thing.


SD Residents have absolutely no room to talk.


Does anyone remember businesses that bailed out the fans who didn't attend to avoid blackouts?
Does anyone remember SD being practically the only city to complain about the NFL blackout policy?
Recall empty seats at the Q?
Recall half the stadium being opposing teams fans sometimes more (Raiders, Green Bay) for a game at the Q?

That started happening after 16 years of being jerked around about whether a new stadium was going to be built or not. Prior to that, their attendance was decent enough . . . and they were ALWAYS able to get 27,000 of their own fans.

[The Illusive Man]

Originally Posted by TristramShandy

That started happening after 16 years of being jerked around about whether a new stadium was going to be built or not. Prior to that, their attendance was decent enough . . . and they were ALWAYS able to get 27,000 of their own fans.

It was still a struggle to fill the Q, and that was with only two teams in your market at the time. The Chargers are coming into a new market. Why should LA embrace them right now? What have the Chargers done to earn the LA fan at this point?


Face it. San Diego is likely the worst sports market in the nation.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by The Illusive Man

It was still a struggle to fill the Q, and that was with only two teams in your market at the time. The Chargers are coming into a new market. Why should LA embrace them right now? What have the Chargers done to earn the LA fan at this point?


Face it. San Diego is likely the worst sports market in the nation.

Let's see, year round good weather. Too much to do besides get drunk at 9 am every Sunday and scream at the top of our lungs and fight in parking lots.

[TristramShandy]

Originally Posted by The Illusive Man

It was still a struggle to fill the Q, and that was with only two teams in your market at the time. The Chargers are coming into a new market. Why should LA embrace them right now? What have the Chargers done to earn the LA fan at this point?


Face it. San Diego is likely the worst sports market in the nation.

So what's the Rams' excuse? Combined the two teams couldn't get up to USC's attendance.

I grew up on the East Coast, so arguing whose better, San Diego or Los Angeles when it comes to which is the better fan base, is like arguing about who is the taller midget.

[The Illusive Man]

Originally Posted by TristramShandy

So what's the Rams' excuse? Combined the two teams couldn't get up to USC's attendance.

I grew up on the East Coast, so arguing whose better, San Diego or Los Angeles when it comes to which is the better fan base, is like arguing about who is the taller midget.

USC football has played in LA continuously for over 100 years. The Rams have been back in LA one. Who do you think deserves the most support? The team that has been loyal to the city and has strong roots.


Let's face it. The Rams left for 21 years and lost an entire generation. They left when I was 9 and I'm 31 now. My peers love all LA teams but they adopted other NFL teams during that frame. It's going to take some time to rebuild the fanbase. Focusing on the younger generation should be their goal.


This is a long-term process, but based on the first season, we saw many games with over 80,000, so the potential is enormous. Every single one of LA's teams are successful financially, but they've all had to earn it and build their fanbase.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Greedy Spanos could have built a new stadium many years ago for what it is costing him to move. Even with a debt waiver it's still 400 million. In 2003 dollars that was a lot! Plus, the NFL would have picked up part of the tab!

[eastcoastbias]

Originally Posted by The Illusive Man

USC football has played in LA continuously for over 100 years. The Rams have been back in LA one. Who do you think deserves the most support? The team that has been loyal to the city and has strong roots.


Let's face it. The Rams left for 21 years and lost an entire generation. They left when I was 9 and I'm 31 now. My peers love all LA teams but they adopted other NFL teams during that frame. It's going to take some time to rebuild the fanbase. Focusing on the younger generation should be their goal.


This is a long-term process, but based on the first season, we saw many games with over 80,000, so the potential is enormous. Every single one of LA's teams are successful financially, but they've all had to earn it and build their fanbase.

I don't see this any different than SD.


The majority of fans here were with the Chargers "win or tie". The new stadium will attract a few more to the games, but that will eventually wear off and then the support will be based on the results in the win column.

[The Illusive Man]

Originally Posted by eastcoastbias

I don't see this any different than SD.


The majority of fans here were with the Chargers "win or tie". The new stadium will attract a few more to the games, but that will eventually wear off and then the support will be based on the results in the win column.

And that's how it should be. Only fools support bad products. We don't like wasting our money on crappy cars, crappy food, crappy movies, crappy music, crappy appliances, so why should people have to support crappy sports? Yet, people love to attack LA for that, when in reality it happens everywhere.