Sources: Chargers plan to announce move from San Diego to Los Angeles

[r8rh8rmike]

Sources: Chargers plan to announce move from San Diego to Los Angeles

7:19 PM PT
Adam SchefterESPN Senior Writer

Almost one year to the day that the Rams moved to Los Angeles, the San Diego Chargers now likely are planning to do the same.

The Chargers plan to announce as early as Thursday that they are moving to Los Angeles, ending a 55-year stint with San Diego and returning to their birthplace, league sources said.

The Chargers played their inaugural season in Los Angeles in 1960 before moving to San Diego in 1961.

The Chargers have notified NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and other league owners, of their intent to move to Los Angeles for the 2017 season, sources said.


But as one league source cautioned Wednesday night, Chargers chairman Dean Spanos had yet to send a formal relocation letter to the NFL, yet to notify public officials in Los Angeles or San Diego of the team's move, or even tell the members of the San Diego organization about his plans. The source insisted nothing is final.

But unless Spanos unexpectedly changes his mind at the last moment -- and there certainly have been enough plot twists in this San Diego stadium saga -- the Chargers will be moving to Los Angeles.

This is said to have been an extremely difficult decision for Spanos to reach, sources said. While the economics of the decision have been clear, Spanos' loyalty and connection to San Diego have countered it. But in the end, Spanos' efforts to find a new stadium are now in their 16th year, with no solution in sight. This stalemate is occurring at a time when the Rams are becoming more established in the Los Angeles market. Spanos is said to believe he needs to start fighting for the Los Angeles market as soon as possible.

As of Wednesday night, the Chargers' intent was to become the second team in less than a year to move to Los Angeles, giving the city two NFL teams after it went more than two decades without having one.

[AvengerRam]

King Midas Kroenke wins again!

Move team. Check.
Build mega-stadium. Check.
Gain tenant to help pay the bills. Check.

[adarian_too]

It is with heavy heart and maudlin disdain that I must regretfully confirm to Ram fans that my business interests will not take second seat to catering to the prospects of Rams’ onfield success.

With the decision of Spanos to relocate to LA, I will now be able recoup some of my relocation fees as he parts with a chunk of his fees to me. Further, as his tenancy and residuals associated with a second team based in the new stadium will allow me to recover significant capital costs, I can now turn to maximizing the profit the Rams’ relocation to LA will return to me.

For instance, the move of the Chargers to LA will afford me the ability to hire lesser coaches at lesser money, and populate the team with less statured players at also lesser money because the attention devoted to the Rams’ onfield success will be deflected by the success or lack thereof of by another LA football team.

Please have a happy new year, because I intend to.

Sincerely,

hE. Stanley “The Man” cHronic_He

[gap]

Chargers announce decision to relocate to Los Angeles

By Around The NFL staff NFL.com
Published: Jan. 12, 2017 at 11:49 a.m.


It's official: The Chargers are relocating from San Diego to Los Angeles.

Chargers owner Dean Spanos announced the decision in a letter released by the team while informing his staff about the move Thursday morning. The Chargers had until a league-mandated deadline of Tuesday to make a decision on their future.

"After much deliberation, I have made the decision to relocate the Chargers to Los Angeles, beginning with the 2017 NFL season," Spanos wrote in the letter. "San Diego has been our home for 56 years. It will always be part of our identity, and my family and I have nothing but gratitude and appreciation for the support and passion our fans have shared with us over the years."

In addition, the Chargers unveiled a new team logo a short time after announcing they were relocating.

The move comes after Spanos told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, other league officials and a few team owners of his intentions following the committee meetings Wednesday, sources informed of the situation told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. During those meetings, the Chargers were barely a topic and the league did not offer any additional money to contribute to their stadium efforts.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who is scheduled to meet with Spanos on Thursday, welcomed the Chargers in a statement:

"Los Angeles is one of the world's great sports towns," Garcetti said. "Championship teams and iconic athletes aren't just memories here -- they are legends woven into the fabric of our history. Today, we welcome an important part of that history back with the Chargers returning to Los Angeles.

"L.A. already has more visitors than ever before. The Chargers will make our NFL tradition even richer, and give sports fans everywhere one more reason to be in Los Angeles. I congratulate Dean Spanos and the entire Chargers organization, and look forward to the extraordinary contributions they will make to our entire region."

In November, San Diego voters rejected a ballot measure that would have raised hotel occupancy taxes to help pay for a proposed $1.8 billion downtown stadium project. Ultimately, Spanos, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and other city and county officials failed to agree upon a stadium plan that would have kept the franchise in San Diego.

Goodell acknowledged last month at the Winter League Meeting that "no great progress" had been made in finding a stadium solution in San Diego and owners were not optimistic about the Chargers' future in the city.

Last month, the Chargers agreed to lease a portion of an Orange County office facility as part of their preparations for a potential L.A. move.

The Costa Mesa, California, location will be the Chargers' new front-office home, the team previously confirmed. The Chargers would eventually play their home games roughly 40 miles north in Inglewood at a stadium facility they would share with the Rams. They would also have offices at the Inglewood stadium, which is under construction and slated to open in 2019.

The Chargers have until May 1 to terminate their lease with Qualcomm Stadium and with their training facility. They also now owe a $12 million termination fee to the city and will have to be out of Chargers Park by July 1.

As for where in the L.A. area they might play in 2017, the StubHub Center in Carson will serve as the team's temporary home until the Inglewood stadium is built.

The decision to move ends the Chargers' 55-year stint in San Diego, but it's not the first time the team has played in L.A. During their inaugural season in 1960, the then-American Football League franchise played in Los Angeles before moving to San Diego the following season.

As it stands, the Los Angeles market will play host to two NFL teams in 2017 for the first time since 1994, when the Raiders and Rams left for Oakland and St. Louis, respectively. The Rams returned to L.A. last January.

Here's the report from nfldotcom.


gap

[gap]

How will this impact potential PSLs? Will they become cheaper? They would almost have to, as a PSL owner loses the right to season ticket to one of the two teams. They would also have to split the rights to those seats for non-NFL games. This could be good news for those that want to buy Season Tickets to RAMS games.


gap

[Dreadlock]

Wouldn't be shocked at all if San Diego now builds a stadium and the Chargers are back in 5 years.
ala Baltimore, Cleveland, St Louis and Houston.

[MoonJoe]

Wouldn't be shocked at all if San Diego now builds a stadium and the Chargers are back in 5 years.
ala Baltimore, Cleveland, St Louis and Houston.

Interesting question, there is talk of "Rebranding" the Chargers name, although they started here. I don't see expansion anytime soon though. To me this is anther mistake. LA needs at least another 5 years (and a good team) to get people to commit to the Rams. Add to that, San Diego downtown by the sea would be a great Super Bowl town...SMH

[r8rh8rmike]

The best thing about this development, is that the Faiders will not be coming back to LA.

This is also an interesting development:

ProFootballTalk ✔@ProFootballTalk
Los Angeles Chargers plan to play at 30,000-seat StubHub Center in 2017-18 http://wp.me/p14QSB-ae0y
8:59 PM - 11 Jan 2017

[Rambos]

How will this impact potential PSLs? Will they become cheaper? They would almost have to, as a PSL owner loses the right to season ticket to one of the two teams. They would also have to split the rights to those seats for non-NFL games. This could be good news for those that want to buy Season Tickets to RAMS games.


gap

That's a good question and a good point.Id think Stan is thrilled to have two teams to sell PSLs for construction cost finance. ESPN was reporting Spanos was trying to get Stan to help fund his stadium in San Diego to keep the LA market to himself but that did not happen.

As far as the 30,000-seats report is the chargers are going charge more for there tickets to make up the different, plus less cost to lease a larger staduim while they wait for the new one to be built. To different approaches that's for sure.

[AvengerRam]

Among the reactions on social media, this one was my favorite:

Johnny Hekker

✔ @JHekker The chargers are copy cats.
12:31 PM - 12 Jan 2017

[Head Slap]

Probably best for the Spanos family to get the max value out of this team if there is no one competent capable and willing in the family succession ranks. Maybe it is a play to sell later. I see no other reason to move away from a supportive fan base

Insisting on a down town stadium was the deal killer for Spanos. No parking and no tailgating Tailgating at the Merff was ideal. Should have just rebuilt there.

[Ram Dragoon]

All I can say is CHARGERS GO GET YOUR OWN STADIUM

The only reason the Chargers are moving to L.A. is because their owner couldn't get the locals in San Diego to pony-up for a new stadium.