San Diego officials said that a "frustrating part of this year’s stadium effort has been the Chargers’ habit of frequently changing what they want or making new demands every time one of their complaints gets resolved," according to David Garrick of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Examples include the Chargers "asking for an early public vote and then dismissing it as impossible, which officials say was one of many times that the team has 'moved the goal posts.'" The city officials also suggest that it could be evidence the team "would rather move" to L.A. where momentum "continues to build behind proposed stadiums in Carson and Inglewood." Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani "disputed whether city and county officials have truly met several team requests, especially regarding environmental problems." He said that the Chargers "haven’t wavered since January from wanting a stadium built in San Diego as soon as legally possible." Councilmember Scott Sherman said, "In the beginning I thought all of the obstacles they kept throwing at us were just positioning to get the best deal possible from us, but now I think it was just more reasons to have things not happen so they could get to the end and say we couldn’t perform quickly enough" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/20).
HELP ON THE WAY? In San Diego, Kevin Acee wrote the NFL has to this point "been like-minded with the Chargers," but if the decision "has to be made this year, the Chargers are leaving." The NFL "is not going to make the Chargers comply with a plan the team’s lawyers have advised is faulty." There are many people in San Diego who could "hardly care less whether the team remains." A source said there has been “talk about ways to solve challenges in existing markets that might get close to a good proposal and need some sort of extra help to get it done.” For clarity, the source further said that the NFL "could provide assistance beyond the standard G4 loan amount" of $200M provided for new stadium construction. Acee wrote this indicates that the NFL "does not have to be limited in its efforts to help. If it wants to" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/20).
FALL-BACK PLAN: In San Diego, Dan McSwain wrote if nothing else, last week’s halt to negotiations "suggests that San Diego is the Chargers’ Plan B." From a business perspective, Plan A "must include pushing for a stadium in Carson, with or without the Raiders as partner." Allowing Rams Owner Stan Kroenke to get there first "would poach fans and corporate sponsors from the Chargers’ already unimpressive local revenue base." Along with "stalling San Diego, the team has powerful incentives to stall Kroenke." This explains why Fabiani has "pushed the mayor to join with counterparts in St. Louis and Oakland to ask the NFL to delay its decision for a year or so." McSwain: "It’s in the NFL’s interest to pick only one team. Assuming that team is very successful, owners can use the threat of moving a second team for the next few decades to persuade other cities to cough up public funding for stadiums." Kroenke could sell the Rams, "allowing the NFL to grab the St. Louis cash, and trade a stake in his Inglewood stadium for equity in the Chargers" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/21).
BUSINESS AS USUAL: In L.A., Michael Hiltzik wrote under the header, "San Diego Nightmare: Tell Me Again Why Any City Would Do Business With The NFL." One thing "you have to say about San Diego's civic leaders in their dealings" with the Chargers is that they have "done their best." San Diego "has a right to be appalled," but it "doesn't have a right to be surprised." This is how the NFL and its teams "operate when they're trying to get themselves a new stadium." Hiltzik: "These are the people whom the city of Carson thinks it can do business with. Good luck. But don't say you weren't warned" (L.A. TIMES 6/20). In San Diego, Michael Smolens noted there is "name-calling"
happening in Carson. The mayor has been "accused of sexual harassment,
an election dispute has triggered suggestions of corruption and the city
clerk showed up with sheriffs to change the combination of a safe where
the ballots reside" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/20).
