On January 12, it was announced in a letter to the public from the owner of the San Diego Chargers, Dean A. Spanos, that this NFL sports team will relocate from San Diego to Los Angeles at the beginning of the 2017 NFL season. San Diego has been the Chargers’ home for 56 years and the team is relocating to Los Angeles in order to become more of a team powerhouse and to “get back to winning.”
The Chargers played their first season in 1960 in Los Angeles before moving to San Diego in 1961. Throughout their 56 years in San Diego, the Chargers have won one league championship, one conference championship, and 15 division championships. The Chargers have also had 18 playoff appearances including 13 in the National Football League.
According to Spanos, the first step in the relocation of the team is to, “earn the respect and support of LA football teams.” Then, he continues, “We must get back to winning… We must make a meaningful contribution.” He ends his letter stating that “the Chargers are determined to fight for LA and we are excited to get started.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement in order to acknowledge the Chargers’ time spent in San Diego. In this statement, Goodell expressed that, “relocation is painful for teams and communities… the fans in San Diego have given the Chargers strong and loyal support for more than 50 years.” Goodell also acknowledges the team’s attempt to negotiate with a new stadium in San Diego as, “a viable solution,” as an alternative to Qualcomm Stadium before choosing to relocate instead.
Unfortunately, the response from the public on Facebook seems to be overwhelmingly negative. Many fans are disappointed due to the method of the delivery of this news. Large numbers have expressed the sentiment that a letter was not the proper way to announce this huge change. It was requested that Spanos at least get in front of a camera and announce the relocation in person. The loyal San Diego fan base is devastated to see the move of their home team. There is a strong air of resentment present towards Dean Spanos and the rest of the administrative team, even though this power move is being made for the team, not for the fans. San Diego fans seem to have settled upon an air of agreement that they will no longer support the Chargers in their new home.
