OT - L.A. Rams/Chargers

Submitted by Mr. Owl on

Word I got from a news source (I work in a newsroom)

The final vote is coming within minutes. This looks to be a done deal:

Rams to Los Angeles

Chargers to Los Angeles w/option for what year they move (can move as soon as next year)

The Raiders are reportedly getting additional money from the NFL for a new stadium in Oakland.

Some details will have to be ironed out --- the NFL can not house two teams at the Coliseum, so Rams likely move and play there next year while a stadium is built. Where the Chargers will play is to be decided.

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Moe

January 12th, 2016 at 8:26 PM ^

They will be building a new stadium in Inglewood (always up to no good) for both teams in the future.  I'm sure they could work out a deal where the Coliseum hosts the Rams and the Rose Bowl hosts the Chargers if they both moved next year.

Joined: 10/24/2014

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ST3

January 12th, 2016 at 9:02 PM ^

If you mean LA isn't a good NFL sports town, well, that statement hasn't been tested in 20 years. LA has two major league baseball teams that each draw over 3 million fans per year, two NHL teams (cold weather sport in a warm weather area) that draw well - Kings fans are fanatical, which you would know if you'd ever met one - two NBA teams, two pro soccer teams, two major FBS schools, Pepperdine, CSUN, CS Fullerton, and UC Irvine (strong college baseball.) My son had baseball tryouts this Sunday, January 10th. January 10th for baseball! Soccer fields are full year round, adult softball leagues run year round, my buddy moved out here and joined a men's baseball league. We've got the best badminton club in the country - we're hosting a BWF event next month (Olympic qualifier.) There's surfing, beach volleyball, etc. etc. etc. The "LA is not a good sports town" meme is complete pablum. It's equivalent to Ian Faith assuring Nigel Tufnel and the boys that Boston isn't a big college town.

If you want to talk about piss-poor sports towns, start with Oakland. The A's can't draw shit even though they have a great team every year. They have to cover the upper deck with plastic-wrap so it doesn't look bad on TV. The Raiders were all set to move a second time. The Warriors have a great fanbase, but that's one team. The Sharks play in San Jose. Jacksonville is also a shitty sports town, as is just about every city in Florida. Ever been to a Tampa Bay Rays game? It's empty unless the Sox or Yankees are visiting.

Joined: 09/11/2010

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Nobody Likes a…

January 12th, 2016 at 9:06 PM ^

LA only has one pro soccer team. Chivas was always a joke. The Galaxy even when they had Landon had a hard time drawing with the head and shoulders best team in the league for 5 years.

 

LA is a front running town always has been. The clippers barely drew for years and the lakers would be playing to a three quarters full staples center if kobe wasnt retiring this year. USC is the best example of this. They start in their traditional over ranked place and the stadium is half empty until they begin conference play, then USC inevitably loses and its back to half full until Notre Dame shows up.

The angels have drawn well for years but thats a separate fan base to the major LA teams

Joined: 09/20/2013

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Cali Wolverine

January 12th, 2016 at 9:22 PM ^

The Los Angeles Football Club will be playing in the MLS in 2017 (they are taking Chivas's spot as the second LA area team). They are owned by the same ownership group that owns the Golden State Warriors, plus some other local celebrities and athletes. They are building a brand new MLS stadium next to the Los Angeles Coliseum (they are knocking down the Sports Arena).

Joined: 01/13/2013

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stephenrjking

January 12th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^

"It's happening" is a nebulous term when it comes to LA sports; after all, that was the mantra for the NFL for 20 years, vaporware until today. It could take time.

But I will say that, in agreement with your point about Carson, location matters. When I lived in CA I would have considered attending a Galaxy game if it hadn't been such a hike. Soccer is, after all, supposed to be a good attend-as-a-family sport with regards to cost and effort, and a long trip drains that of its appeal. 

The LA basin/market is very spread out. It's all urban, without the natural divisions (state lines, major bodies of water, etc, as in NY, Chicago, and others) that other metro areas have, so it's easy for people who haven't lived there to overlook the effect distance can have on fans. Especially when traffic is considered. But a drive from Ann Arbor to Lansing is quicker and less taxing than, say, a drive from the San Fernando Valley to Anaheim. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

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Cali Wolverine

January 12th, 2016 at 10:49 PM ^

nearly 400 acres on the westside of Los Angeles....it's happening carries some weight. Likewise, when the driving force of the ownership group (an ownership group that owns an NBA team and started out by buying minor league sports facilities) commits to tear down the Sports Arena And replace it with a privately funded $200 million plus state of the art soccer-specific stadium to house an MLS team...a team that they have the rights too...and have already spent money creating team name, colors, logo...I don't think it is wishful thinking. Further, the stadium is part of the Los Angeles 2024 bid to host the Olympics...but I guess Los Angeles' entire Olympic bid is a rouse too. As far as attendance, the stadium is going to be adjacent to a major college campus and a five minute uber drive from DTLA...so saying the team won't pull 12k in attendance is pretty ridiculous.

Joined: 01/13/2013

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Witz57

January 12th, 2016 at 11:21 PM ^

Kings fans? Really? I've gone to like ten Wings Kings games and it's literally half wings fans every time. Kings fans, and most other LA sports fans also seem to be about screaming the other team sucks than cheering for theirs. 

It is the biggest county by population in the US though, and transplans also like to see their own home teams when they come out, so if your argment is butts in seats, sure butts will show up.

Joined: 06/11/2011

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WolvinLA2

January 12th, 2016 at 11:47 PM ^

Yeah, there are a lot of Wings fans at Kings games, but that has a lot more to do with simply how many WIngs fans are in LA than it does about the Kings fans.  Kings fans are nuts and they always sell out Staples.  Of all of the LA sports fans, the Kings fans are the wildest and most loyal.  This was even before their recent success, but that hasn't hurt.

Joined: 11/13/2009

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trustBlue

January 13th, 2016 at 1:50 AM ^

I get the argument for bringing one NFL team back to the LA market, but what is the point of, after 20 years, trying to suddenly shoehorn in two teams at the same time?  

This somehow makes obvious sense to the billionaires running the NFL, but to a lowly thousandaire like myself, this seems insane.

Joined: 04/14/2014

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SpikeFan2016

January 13th, 2016 at 9:10 AM ^

I agree, I'm moving to Los Angeles in a few months so it'll be interesting to see how this all turns out, but I think one of the biggest problems for the NFL in LA is that of major US cities it definitely has the highest population of transplants who are loyal to teams elsewhere. 

Joined: 04/03/2015

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TomLAblue

January 12th, 2016 at 8:59 PM ^

LA Rams fans rally at Coliseum to demand team's return

Rams were the first pro team in LA and still have a ton of support here. i bet you anything they will be a huge success. Stan Kroenke did his homework on the LA market and it made perfect sense to bring home the Rams. Which is why he's willing to invest over $2 billion on a new stadium.

Joined: 01/12/2016

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rob f

January 12th, 2016 at 10:39 PM ^

At long last, Deacon Jones can rest in peace.

Somewhere, 75-year-old Roman Gabriel is smiling.

And one of my favorite NFL uniforms ever, those iconic LA Rams uniforms, can be made the ONLY uniforms the Rams wear.  No more ND gold to soil one of the best NFL uniforms EVER.

 

Joined: 11/11/2010

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xtramelanin

January 13th, 2016 at 6:06 AM ^

practice.   and split the little cotton ball a bit wider so it sits on the arm better.   that helped. 

now go buy a set and challenge your kids.  we have one downstairs and it is michigan v. illinois.  go blue!

Joined: 12/09/2014

MGoPoints: 15439

Jack Hammer

January 12th, 2016 at 9:03 PM ^

I'm far less concerned about LA being a sports town as I am utterly saddened and disappointed for Chargers fans.  I lived in SD for a little while and can attest to the raging fandom that city has for its team.  Hopefully the team name stays in SD and they get a new franchise soon.

Sincerely,

Super Sonics Fan

Joined: 11/25/2014

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M Go Old and I…

January 12th, 2016 at 8:40 PM ^

Anaheim Stadium was home to the Rams after they left LA and before they went to St. Louis during the 80s.  It went through a huge expansion before the Rams went down there.  I know it has been pretty extensively renovated since the Rams left, but if they really wanted to, I am sure they could make it fit for football again.

Joined: 12/11/2012

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xtramelanin

January 12th, 2016 at 9:34 PM ^

in the late 80's when i lived out there. they used to call the stadium the 'big A', and its not a very good football stadium, not to mention it is surrounded by parolees and gangsters - most of the murders i ever prosecuted happened with a few miles of that place.  

chargers leaving san diego makes no sense to a fan - there must be some big $ driving that push.  san diego is a great place and i loved playing or watching games at qualcomm (true name:  jack murphy stadium, or simply, 'the murph').  

Joined: 12/09/2014

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CoverZero

January 12th, 2016 at 8:31 PM ^

Ill be a Rams fan before Ill root for the Chargers.  Great to have the NFL playing less than 10 miles from Hacienda CoverZero.

Joined: 08/30/2014

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gwkrlghl

January 12th, 2016 at 8:34 PM ^

but hasn't LA always been a failure of an NFL city? I still see partially full UCLA and USC stadiums and wonder why the NFL things they can now drop two teams at once into LA and have them be a success.

Sucks for San Diego and St Louis fans. I can't imagine what it would be like if Michigan was relocated to Cincinnati or something.

Joined: 04/13/2012

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BlueMk1690

January 12th, 2016 at 8:38 PM ^

the Rams and Raiders moved because they couldn't get a stadium deal done. Pretty much exactly the same reason every other NFL team has moved for including the Rams and Chargers this time. It had nothing to do with the fans.

And I'd like to think the football team of the University of Michigan is a little more deeply rooted in the state of Michigan than a pro franchise would be, especially one like the Rams which has moved only fairly recently to St. Louis.

Interesting and often forgotten: the Chargers actually started out in L.A. and were the Los Angeles Chargers first.

 

 

 

Joined: 02/04/2011

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Roc Blue in the Lou

January 12th, 2016 at 11:36 PM ^

St. Louis:  Only city to lose 2 NFL franchises...and losing one team (Rams) ,despite having that team's only Super Bowl win...  Oh, and the same City that agreed to contribute large sums of public money to building 2 new stadiums in less than 25 years.  Yeah, it took them a whole year to approve this newest stadium gift, but why would the Stache want to pay more than the $250K a year (yeah, the Rams have been "renting" the dome for that princely sum since 1997) in rent???  Good luck RG on getting 1/2 full stadiums in LA.  Pride goes before the fall and the NFL has a long way to drop.  But hey, what do I know, I'm a college football guy.

Joined: 12/09/2013

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uferfan

January 13th, 2016 at 7:50 AM ^

It's not well known, but the L.A. Rams were the Cleveland Rams before they relocated to Los Angeles. I believe that happened in the '40s.

Then, of course, Cleveland lost the Browns to Baltimore the first time around.

The major distinction between St. Louis and Cleveland NFL franchises is that there are no Super Bowls to speak of (there are a few old NFL Championships won, though).

Joined: 02/04/2015

MGoPoints: 24581

WolvinLA2

January 12th, 2016 at 11:56 PM ^

I agree.  The idea that the NFL "failed" in LA or that it won't be successful now is based on absolutely nothing.  Hell, The Rams could sell out every game to the visiting team only.  WIth how many transplants LA has from Seattle, PHX and the Bay Area, their division games will be nuts, and I promise you could fill 2 stadia with the visiting fans from any NFC North or NFC East team (especially the Cowboys).  

 

The NFL is a lot bigger than it was 25 years ago, and so is LA.  And although many have brought up the traffic, LA traffic really isn't at all bad on Sundays.  A Monday night game would be a mess, however.

Joined: 11/13/2009

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Eye of the Tiger

January 12th, 2016 at 8:43 PM ^

USC and UCLA sell on average 75-80k seats per game, which is about what an NFL stadium holds. When they play at the Rose Bowl, though, that's only 76-80% of the seats--hence why the stadium looks partially full.

(And part of the reason why the numbers aren't higher is that it's a pain in the a** to get to the Rose Bowl from either campus--kind of like if Michigan played in Pontiac, but with much worse traffic.)



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