Charger games on local San Diego television: BLACKOUTS mean misery and depression for area residents and merchants (Los Angeles: home, theater)

[hotornot]

If the Chargers move their team to San Antonio, Las Vegas or Los Angeles the blackouts of 2009 will have seemed like the perfect ending for a beloved sports team that is in the process of leaving home for good. It's almost like being seated in a theater and watching the curtain close in slow motion. It's a two-stage withdrawal process that is very painful for Charger die-hards. Think of a leg that's about to be amputated - a very lengthy operation - without the use of amnesia.

First there's the repeated blackouts they must endure over a span of several weeks and then comes the coup de' gras: the press conference sometime in the not too distant future when the Charger's reveal which city they'll be moving to.

Talk about torture. Charger fan and local San Diego merchants would rather be waterboarded at Gitmo than deal with the cruel hand of fate that is about to take the Charger's away from San Diego. Article discussing the devastating impact of area blackouts:

Please, no more Chargers blackouts

[moved]

I seriously doubt if the Chargers are going to be moving anywhere. I work for the company that provides security for the games, and we're scheduled for all home games at Qualcomm through January 3. The Chargers may WANT to move, but it costs $$. The game on August 15 was blacked out because it wasn't sold out. If the game is sold out, it'll be broadcast.

[Charles]

This has been the rule for at least 30 maybe 40 years. I never, ever saw a Los Angeles Rams home game on TV when they played in LA. Ever. I think I saw one home Raiders game in LA on TV. Of course the mammoth Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum held between 80,000 and 100,000 fans, depending on configuration.

That's the price you pay for living in an environment which affords people several options to spend their discretionary time and money. Would you rather have 20 years of continuous sellouts - and live in Buffalo?

[NYSD1995]

My prediction - they'll be gone within 2 years, to either LA or Vegas.

[hotornot]

Originally Posted by moved

I seriously doubt if the Chargers are going to be moving anywhere.

One expert (a university professor who specializes in analyzing business models) said that the chances of the Chargers moving is very high, according to him, because they would've found a location in San Diego by now. And since they haven't found a location in SD after all this time, they're as good as gone, you can bet your money on it, according to him.

The professor is just speculating. Sounds to me as if he's just using his gut but then I don't know him and maybe he has some kind of stats and data that'll support his prognostication. His reasoning sounds plausible but it ain't over till the fat lady sings though someone might need to pull a rabbit out of the hat.

[nmnita]

I agree with Sassberto and Charles, they will be annoucing where they are going, no one said they would be going this year. I don't know where moved got the idea anyone meant this year. Next, yes Charles, I was thinking the same, everywhere we have lived our home team games have been pretty much blacked out. Heck here, we don't even get the Hogs games.

To the OP, I do feel your pain, losing your team and not being able to properly say good bye isn't fair. How can you tell them good bye if you can't sit down with a cold one and watch them on TV.

Nita

[Charles]

Cool, return to LA, 50 years later.

Los Angeles Chargers (1960)

[NYSD1995]

If that big arena goes into City of Industry I think that's where the chargers will go.

[hotornot]

Another potential dark ending to mull over:
>some or all Charger games blacked out in 2009
>Chargers win Super Bowl in early 2010
>the city of San Diego celebrate their Super Bowl victory by having a parade downtown. 50,000 people show up in the Gaslamp though it's awkward as Charger fan feels like a dead man walking and so the celebration in the street feels a bit like a wake
>as everyone expected, a short time later the Chargers hold a news conference to announce they - the current Super Bowl champion - have found another home.

Despite having plenty of time to prepare for this moment, Charger fan is stunned by the news. You see people walking around San Diego with a deer-in-headlights look about them.

[loveautumn]

I heard an announcer on ESPN say that more blackout games will occur this year than ever before all over the country because of the economy, people can't pay top $$$ to go see crummy teams. I'm confident SD Chargers will sell out their games for the regular season, so I wouldn't worry about it.

As far as LA or LV, dont both those cities need to build a new stadium before the Chargers would leave...that could take several years to build.