The London Chargers?

[bjd5211]

They never should have left SD. The Chargers are (at best) the 2nd most popular team from the AFC West in LA, and are probably not in the top 15 league wide among the LA fanbase. How was this not seen coming by ownership groups and league officials, but it was blatantly obvious to people like us that this would be the outcome?

I have no doubt the league knew all that. It's a business first, and going to London would be done for league business reasons, not for fanbases. Same reason for leaving San Diego. Even if the London franchise didn't have the best base, the league promotion internationally is probably the top goal for them.

Yes they knew where they ranked in popularity in LA, but they didn't anticipate things going this poorly if they are already thinking about pulling the plug on it. The Chargers have been turned into a joke by this move due to always having their stadium full of the opposing teams fans.

[Blueboy]

And they can rebrand them as the London Queens.

Seriously, they better rebrand the team to make it London's team, cuz the Chargers brand doesn't bring anything to London except the baggage that it came from somewhere else and isn't really theirs.

They'll wait until the Queen dies and name it the Kings. "Queens" in a testosterone laden environment has too many negative connotations, and no team in their right mind would name their team the Queens in this type of environment/sport, with 53 jacked up dudes looking to smash other people.

Guys, guys. London Lightning.

[Lumps]

I lived in San Diego for 8 years and I go back and visit a lot.

I moved there in 1994 which was the season in which the Chargers went to the Super Bowl. The city had charger mania of course but besides that, San Diego didn’t engage well with having a football team. It felt like a city that has nice enough weather and other things to do in the fall that if the chargers weren’t winning, people would stop paying attention and go outside to do other fun things. I can see how in many other cities, life revolves around their football team. San Diego is the opposite.

I also lived there a bit, really close to the stadium actually. I used to watch the fans park in the Costco parking lot, hop out with their jerseys on, and start walking to the game. There was always several tow trucks patrolling on game day, taking their vehicle before they made it to the stadium.

The bolded is so so true. When I was first looking to move there, I went for my interview. I was having a beer at a bar in Gaslamp and the Padres game was on. It was in the 4th or 5th inning. As I was talking to people at the bar I learned that some there "are going to the game." I asked if they meant the Padres? Yep. Just hadn't made it there yet (it's like 1/4-1/2 a mile away).

As far as moving to London:

1) This is the NFL just continuing it's money over everything else stance. It's beginning to do damage to the league, IMO. TNF is awful. London games are stupid.
2) Having a team fully in London creates so much more travel time for teams, particularly in the division.
3) Doesn't the N stand for "National?"

[Forza_Azzurri]

And they can rebrand them as the London Queens.

Seriously, they better rebrand the team to make it London's team, cuz the Chargers brand doesn't bring anything to London except the baggage that it came from somewhere else and isn't really theirs.

They'll wait until the Queen dies and name it the Kings. "Queens" in a testosterone laden environment has too many negative connotations, and no team in their right mind would name their team the Queens in this type of environment/sport, with 53 jacked up dudes looking to smash other people.

Guys, guys. London Lightning.

NFL’s newest franchise ... London Calling

[djeternal2]

It's a less terrible idea than having two new teams in LA.

They could move the Cowboys into the NFC Central (where they belong), drop the Chargers into the NFC East, move Tampa into the AFC South and Houston into the AFC West.

Easiest travel schedule for a London-based team to hit the Northeast. Dallas could play the Packers twice annually and the London team could play Boston (tea party) and Washington (battle of the capitals) twice annually.

And they can rebrand them as the London Queens.

Seriously, they better rebrand the team to make it London's team, cuz the Chargers brand doesn't bring anything to London except the baggage that it came from somewhere else and isn't really theirs.

I think that would be infringement on the team in Minnesota.

[Lumps]

Chargers owner Dean Spanos on his team potentially moving to London: “It’s total f—kin bullshit. We’re not going to London. We’re not going anywhere. We’re playing in Los Angeles. This is our home, and this is where we are planning to be for a long f—king time. Period.”

[djeternal2]

Chargers owner Dean Spanos on his team potentially moving to London: “It’s total f—kin bullshit. We’re not going to London. We’re not going anywhere. We’re playing in Los Angeles. This is our home, and this is where we are planning to be for a long f—king time. Period.”

I'm sure he said similar things about San Diego once upon a time too.

[bjd5211]

Spanos is only a step or two below Daniel Snyder and Jimmy Haslem for the title of worst owner in the league, so who cares what he has to say, it's probably a lie anyway.

[Alex116]

Personally I think it's a crazy idea. Perhaps it's inevitable that expansion such as this will occur, but good luck trying to attract free agents to a team with that bad of a travel schedule having to "cross the pond" multiple times a year!

[notweswelker]

Personally I think it's a crazy idea. Perhaps it's inevitable that expansion such as this will occur, but good luck trying to attract free agents to a team with that bad of a travel schedule having to "cross the pond" multiple times a year!

This is how I see it too. Every away game for them is going to be a monumental disadvantage.
Not only that but you'd have to pitch every free agent to live in London. I feel like that would be a tough sell for guys and their families.
Then again, Kansas City and Detroit are atrocious places to live and they attract FA's decently.

[Forza_Azzurri]

Personally I think it's a crazy idea. Perhaps it's inevitable that expansion such as this will occur, but good luck trying to attract free agents to a team with that bad of a travel schedule having to "cross the pond" multiple times a year!

A lot of impracticalities ... aside from the distance & travel, you have exchange rate issues plus UK taxes are significantly higher than the US. How would they handle a salary cap that is constantly fluctuating?

Someone earlier mentioned realigning the divisions to take Dallas out of the East ... that ain't going to happen. No way the four East teams would allow all the money generated from those historic rivalries to go away.

[jordanzs]

At least if it happens, Rivers will be retired by then so he won't have to fly in his private jet from San Diego to London every day for practice. And the moving expenses for him & all his kids would be very costly.

[Plank]

European market shouild just start their own league, make money, then hope to merge in the future ..

[PR0v3]

At least if it happens, Rivers will be retired by then so he won't have to fly in his private jet from San Diego to London every day for practice. And the moving expenses for him & all his kids would be very costly.

[notweswelker]

At least if it happens, Rivers will be retired by then so he won't have to fly in his private jet from San Diego to London every day for practice. And the moving expenses for him & all his kids would be very costly.

In another decade Rivers plans to field his own team, sourced entirely from his descendants.