The Silver Lining of Moving to Los Angeles

Disclaimer: I am a Chargers supporter all the way from the lovely state of New Jersey. I have no affiliations with either the city of Los Angeles or San Diego. That being said, I would prefer the Chargers to stay in San Diego. However, there could be some good if the inevitable does happen and the Chargers move to Los Angeles. Please do not kill me for what I am about to write. Give me a chance to explain myself. I am simply attempting to look at the other side of the horrible reality that the Chargers could move up north to Los Angeles.

THE END OF THE MIKE McCOY ERA

Let’s start with the first thing that will bring a smile to ANY Chargers fan; the end of the Mike McCoy era. There have been numerous reports that Chargers management has not offered Mike McCoy a contract extension, making him a lame duck coach. This is where a move to Los Angeles will be beneficial for the team.

A young, talented team with a franchise quarterback playing in a big market will attract a lot of head coaching candidates. I know the Rams have a coach opening as well, and yes, their owner does have deep pockets. However, the Chargers are in a better spot than the Rams. Those candidates that are looking at the Rams head coaching job have to be comfortable with Jared Goff as their QB. In addition, they also will have to be at peace with the fact that they will not have the access to numerous draft selections for many years to come due to the trade the Rams made to get Goff. On the flip side, the incoming Chargers coach will most likely find himself selecting in the top 10 of next years draft; giving him a great chance to succeed sooner.

SPANOS MAKING IT RAIN?

It is going to be a pissing war between Stan Kroenke and Dean Spanos as soon as the Chargers arrive in Los Angeles. And while there is no way that Spanos can get in a spending war with an owner whose pockets are endless with money, it will force Dean to be more aggressive than he normally has been in the past just to keep up with big brother.

Dean is moving to Los Angeles for one reason and one reason only; money. And if the owner of the Chargers is correct, and he does indeed receive more revenue due to the move, then it is sensible for him to be bolder in his coaching hirings and free agency pursuits than he was in San Diego. The Chargers will no longer be relegated to solely building their team through the draft and bargain free agents. They would be able to take more calculative risks to help improve their team. I am not saying Dean will be able to keep up with the Rams owner, Stan Kroenke. But don’t be surprised that Dean actually opens his wallet to help improve his team after the move.

CHARGERS WIN OVER THE LOS ANGELES FAN BASE

The Los Angeles fan base is synonymous with being fair weathered. Take a look at the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. For years, the Clippers were considered the red headed step child of the Lakers because they were awful. However, the Lakers started losing talent and aging while the Clippers started getting younger and more exciting over the last 7 years. And as a result, Laker fans started jumping ship to support the hottest show in town, “Lob City.” Don’t get too comfortable Clippers fans, with young talent such as Ingram, Randle, and Russell, the Lakers are making a comeback to steal back the town in the next couple of years.

Now, what does this have to do with the Chargers you may ask? The Rams failed to put an attractive product out on the field during their inaugurating season in Los Angeles. The fights in the stands were more exciting than a Jared Goff 7 yards incomplete pass. It is safe to say the Rams did not win over the fan base of Los Angeles.

Call the Chargers what you may, but one thing you cannot call them is boring. Their offense can be dynamic at times and their defense is on the rise as well with marketable stars such as Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, and Jason Verrett. Every game they play in is competitive and a roller coaster of an experience.

So between the Rams failures this year and the Chargers polarizing style of play; it is easy to forecast that the Chargers can succeed at taking and winning the Los Angeles market away from the Rams, making the Chargers the real team in Los Angeles.

A FASHIONABLE REBRAND

There are numerous reports out there that Dean Spanos would consider a full franchise rebrand if the Chargers move to Los Angeles. I am adamantly opposed to this ridiculous idea. However, what I am not totally against is a subtle rebrand; a rebrand that keeps the Chargers name intact.

Ask every NFL fan out there what NFL team has the best jerseys, and 9 out of 10 of them would reply the powder blues of the Chargers. It is unfortunate that the Chargers only fashion these jerseys a couple of times each year... See where I am going with this? It would be a smart marketing move by Dean Spanos and the Chargers if they made the powder blues the official home jersey of the Los Angeles Chargers, while the navy blues would be the alternative. No Chargers fan can deny how much cooler it would be watching the Chargers don the powder blues every Sunday, something that should have happened years ago.

I know what was brought up in this article doesn’t make up for the fact that the lifelong Chargers fans will be losing their beloved team as the Chargers move 120 miles north to Los Angeles. My father went through the same thing when the Dodgers left Brooklyn for Los Angeles. So like my father, I expect fans to no longer support their fleeing team.

The city of San Diego and the evil Dean Spanos need a hail marry to salvage a stadium deal. Things cannot stay the way they currently are if the Chargers are to succeed off the field. For the last couple of years, the fans of the opposing teams have taken over the Q. It is embarrassing what has become of the Chargers the last few years. They have experienced local TV blackouts, horrid ticket sales, and poor attraction of free agents. Something has to change and I hate to admit this, but maybe a move to Los Angeles is exactly what the Chargers need and better for them in the long run.