The NFL’s second franchise in Los Angeles looks like it was a mistake from the start, and it seems like the NFL might cut its losses on the endeavor before they cause too much damage to the Chargers franchise.
Reports swirled on Friday that the league is seriously considering moving the Chargers back to San Diego after the team’s first home game was a sparsely-attended disaster.
A report from NFL writer Don Banks hit the Internet on Friday after he appeared on a radio program and speculated that the NFL might try to put the Chargers toothpaste back in the tube that is Qualcomm Stadium.
The Chargers currently play in an MLS venue that’s half the size of a traditional NFL stadium, and even that was barely occupied in the team’s first home game against the Dolphins.
“I have been painted a picture from people I’ve talked to that the league was sympathetic … to Dean Spanos’ plight,” Banks told The Mighty 1090. “Feels like he had been a ‘league guy’ feels like he had waited kind of his turn on the relocation front, thought he had the votes the year before — Jerry Jones and Stan Kroenke pretty much outmaneuvered Dean and Mark Davis with the Raiders to be the first in line for LA. So it was almost as if this was a bit of a make up.
“There are people in the league — including the commissioner — they did not want to see San Diego forsaken. They would rather there be a team in San Diego. If there’s anything viable that they could find to put the league back in to San Diego, I think they will be in that camp strongly.”
It might not be as immediate of a move as many in San Diego would like, but it appears fan interest in the Chargers in LA was vastly overhyped at this point. Things could get better, but this report indicates that if it does not the league might try to reverse course and correct what could have been a massive mistake in leaving San Deigo behind.
