Mayor says city can't afford Chargers stadium

[RamsFan4ever]

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/SD/9389781

SAN DIEGO (April 21, 2006) -- Cash-strapped San Diego doesn't have the money to help the Chargers build a new stadium, Mayor Jerry Sanders said, opening the door for Southern California's only NFL team to leave the city it has called home for 45 years.

Sanders said he plans to ask the City Council to amend the Chargers' lease to allow the team to begin looking at sites elsewhere in San Diego County before the end of the year. If the team fails to find a new home in the county before Jan. 1, the Chargers would be free to negotiate a deal anywhere in the country.

The Chargers can leave San Diego after the 2008 season if they pay off the approximately $60 million in bonds the city issued in 1997 to expanded Qualcomm Stadium.

"I do not think it would be prudent or honest for me to say to taxpayers 'We can't resurface our roadways, but we can finance a stadium,"' the mayor said.

The Chargers' negotiator, Mark Fabiani, said the smaller cities of Oceanside, Chula Vista, and National City to the north and south of San Diego have approached the team, along with a private investor whose identity Fabiani wouldn't disclose.

"It's tough to make a deal like this in seven months, but it's enough time to get a sense of whether something can get done or not," Fabiani said. "This does give us an opportunity to really figure out whether there's anything promising out there."

San Diego is facing what the mayor called a financial and a managerial crisis, which includes a $1.4 billion city employee pension fund deficit and federal investigations into city finances.

The Chargers have been in San Diego since 1961, the year after they started playing in Los Angeles under the ownership of hotel magnate Barron Hilton.

Last year, the team proposed building a $450 million stadium as part of a commercial development the Qualcomm site, but dropped the plan because it could not find developers to share the estimated $800 million upfront costs. The team offered to pay for the stadium and traffic improvements, but wanted the city to give it 60 acres for development to recoup its costs.

Earlier this year, the mayor of San Antonio signaled that his city would welcome the Chargers to fill the Alamodome, where the displaced New Orleans Saints played three games last season.


If chargers cant find a new home in the county, where do you think they might move in the country?

The Boston Chargers?
The Colorado Chargers?

[KentuckyHawk]

LA has been looking to bring a new team to the area, so i would assume that the Chargers will now be called The Los Angeles Rams of Anaheim, which means they will bring in more money from all of the surrounding areas (San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles County, etc.) It's all about the Benjamins for Governor Schwarzenegger!

[txramsfan]

Well, the Chargers originally came from L.A. anyway, so they would just be going home.

[r8rh8rmike]

Originally Posted by txramsfan

Well, the Chargers originally came from L.A. anyway, so they would just be going home.

The only problem is that no one in L.A. seems to care about getting an NFL team, or paying for a new stadium.

[tomahawk247]

The NFL seems to be very insistent on LA having a team, just because of the market. Who cares if they want a team? They can pay for it so lets chuck a team at them.

[KentuckyHawk]

Originally Posted by r8rh8rmike

The only problem is that no one in L.A. seems to care about getting an NFL team, or paying for a new stadium.

I was under the impression that both LA and the NFL wanted a team there. I think the Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger even talked about during a MNF broadcast.

[r8rh8rmike]

Originally Posted by KentuckyHawk

I was under the impression that both LA and the NFL wanted a team there. I think the Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger even talked about during a MNF broadcast.

The NFL and most politicians want a team in L.A., but the sports fans who would be the base could care less, at least that's the impression I get. In an area that's full of transplants who follow their team of origin, the need just doesn't seem to be there. I was a season ticket holder in Anaheim and without exception, the Big A was always nearly half filled with fans of the opposing team. I'd be interested to hear if any other SoCal Ram fans have a desire or know anyone who has a desire for a team in L.A. or Orange County.

Now if the Rams wanted to come back, I'd of course be all for that, but a new team doesn't interest me in the least. My team currently resides in St. Louis.

[bigredman]

The owner of the Chargers, Alex Spanos, is from Stockton, CA where I live. Folks are calling sports radio and writing in the local newspaper that Spanos and local corporations should build a stadium here claiming that its just a matter of time before Davis takes the Raiders out of Oakland again to move to LA, and that would keep two NFL teams in Northern California.

All I can say is.....DREAM ON!!!!!!

:tut

[txramsfan]

I for one find it refreshing to hear a politician talk about roads and things that are far more important to a community than a football team.

[Truth]

Originally Posted by txramsfan

I for one find it refreshing to hear a politician talk about roads and things that are far more important to a community than a football team.

Got to agree here. What would be even more refreshing would be hearing an owner say that they understand that current conditions do not allow for city money to build a stadium. And, that they would not take the team away from the fans that helped fill the owner's pockets (or something like that). I'm really sick of the NFL and certain franchises, holding cities and fans hostage for new stadiums. If a team wants a new stadium, then they should be paying for AT LEAST 50% of it. The fans already pay a pretty hefty ticket price (not to mention concessions. Oh yeah, and parking). When is this madness going to end????

[bigredman]

The New England owner built his own stadium, and the franchise appears to be solid....the rest of the owners better get the clue.