The Chargers yesterday "declared a proposed Dec. 15 stadium vote impossible" based on "environmental concerns, dealing a blow to San Diego’s efforts to prevent the team from moving" to L.A., according to a front-page piece by David Garrick of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. The news came yesterday shortly after the city’s negotiating team "expressed optimism that they’d alleviated the Chargers concerns about environmental problems during a 90-minute negotiating session." San Diego officials in a post-negotiation press conference said that they "presented the Chargers with multiple options for accelerated environmental approvals ... that they described as strong and legally sound." Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani said that they "appreciate the efforts by the city, but aren’t convinced any of the proposed options are viable." He said, “The various options that we have explored with the city’s experts all lead to the same result: Significant time-consuming litigation founded on multiple legal challenges, followed by a high risk of eventual defeat in the courts" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/17). ESPN.com's Eric Williams noted the Chargers in a statement said that a citywide vote proposed for Dec. 15 "will not comply" with the California Environmental Quality Act. The announcement "further shifts the focus of the organization toward a potential move" to the L.A. market (ESPN.com, 6/16).
LOSING HOPE? In L.A., Sam Farmer writes yesterday's announcement is "another indication of the impasse" between the Chargers and the city. That means the Chargers "hold little hope of staying in San Diego, at least according to the NFL's current timeline, and will continue to jointly pursue a Carson stadium" with the Raiders. San Diego stadium task force spokesperson Tony Manolatos said, "Instead of working collaboratively on a solution, the Chargers have thrown up one road block after another" (L.A. TIMES, 6/17). In San Diego, Nick Canepa in a front-page piece writes talks between the two sides "sound like a divided married couple in court -- one wants a divorce, the other doesn’t." Fabiani said of the negotiations, "It’s going nowhere. It’s the truth.” Canepa: "It’s easy to see the Chargers aren’t buying what the city is trying to sell, and that’s what matters, because [Chargers Chair Dean] Spanos has the bullet in this gun -- the team. And he can fire it anywhere he pleases" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/17). In California, Scott Reid notes San Diego officials said that they were "caught off guard and frustrated by the Chargers’ move" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 6/17). In L.A., Vincent Bonsignore writes with yesterday's announcement the Chargers "moved one step closer to looking north for a new home." The team's 54-year run in San Diego "did not officially end" yesterday, but its future there "is uncertain" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 6/17). CBSSPORTS.com's John Breech wrote, "It's starting to look like the city of San Diego is facing a fourth-and-long situation when it comes to keeping the Chargers." No one in the city "is overly optimistic" about keeping the team (CBSSPORTS.com, 6/16).
TICKET TO RIDE: In San Diego, Jonathan Horn reports the Chargers on Monday sent an e-mail to season-ticket holders explaining a "new individual game ticket pricing policy." Starting this season, dynamic pricing for individual games "will fluctuate in real time." The Chargers are pricing the Oct. 12 game on “MNF” against the Steelers as the "most expensive." The Chargers last year "set their face values based on opponent, but did not adjust them" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/17).
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL? In St. Louis, Jim Thomas reports for a portion of "what could be the Rams' last training camp in St. Louis, they will train in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks area" just northwest of L.A. The team will practice Aug. 17-18 with the Cowboys in Oxnard, then "practice Wednesday Aug. 19 there by themselves, and then head back to St. Louis." Thomas: "With thousands of Rams fans in the St. Louis area worried about the potential relocation of their team to L.A., why train in the Los Angeles area of all places for a few days?" Rams coach Jeff Fisher said, "The two are not related. The Cowboys have practiced against somebody just about every year." Thomas writes the appearance in L.A. "seems less than coincidental for a Rams franchise that may be wanting to stimulate fan support on the West Coast" for '16 (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/17). ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner wrote, "It's probably safe to assume the organization will be taking some notes on how its received in its three-day Hollywood cameo" (ESPN.com, 6/16).
