Rumors of the San Diego Chargers potential relocation will continue throughout the next year, but team chairman Dean Spanos is at least saying the right things for the area he’ll call home in 2016.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune notes Spanos reaffirmed his commitment to keeping the Chargers in San Diego.
“Whatever we need to do, we’re going to do what we need to do to get this done … We’re trying as hard as we can. I can’t do it myself. It’s going to take the effort of the mayor; politically we need support. The business community needs to step up.”
Spanos continued, saying he believes support will come once the organization has a “definitive plan” in place that economically makes sense for the voting public.
In case you’ve avoided relocation talk, NFL owners extended San Diego the option of deciding to join the Rams in Los Angeles within the next year. Otherwise, the Chargers will receive a $100 million grant toward the building of a new stadium in San Diego.
While $100 million is merely a small percentage of the necessary funds needed to replace Qualcomm Stadium, any bargaining chip for Spanos is useful in talks with the city.
Additionally, the franchise appears ready to devise an actual plan and participate in serious negotiations. In 2015, we regularly saw reports suggesting the Chargers weren’t doing much and a public vote was impossible.
Though putting stake into the team remaining in San Diego isn’t particularly wise, Spanos and Co. will say the right things until a vote passes or it’s time to announce a move.