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Chargers Introduce New Coach; John Spanos Criticized For Comments On San Diego

The Chargers yesterday officially introduced new coach Anthony Lynn, and he displayed what several in the organization "have characterized as a 'presence' about him," according to Michael Gehlken of the L.A. TIMES. Lynn "did not lack for excitement" while being introduced at StubHub Center, the team's new home. Lynn: "We don't care where we'll play. We'll play out here on the asphalt; we don't care" (L.A. TIMES, 1/18).

FALSE START? Lynn almost referred to the team as its former name, saying, "I am so proud to be the head coach of the San Di ... Uh ... L.A. Chargers. Oops." In L.A., Dylan Hernandez writes Lynn "might have inadvertently come up with the team’s unofficial motto: Oops." Yesterday it was "unclear how much" Chargers brass had "thought beyond following through on their longstanding threat to ditch San Diego." Chargers President of Football Operations John Spanos was "unable to resist taking another swipe" at San Diego. He said, "On a personal level, for me, I’m actually really excited about having a nice, big Jumbotron where we can really clearly see the scoreboard and replays, so that our coach can decide quickly whether or not he wants to challenge a play." Hernandez: "It’s hard for a newcomer to develop a fan base in this market. It’s harder when only 30,000 fans can watch the team in person every other week. It’s even harder when the team is perceived as an enemy" (L.A. TIMES, 1/18). In San Diego, Tom Krasovic writes the Chargers' brain trust yesterday "booted the opening kickoff out of bounds," and Spanos "should know better." Krasovic writes of his scoreboard comment, "Dumb comment, John. Made you looked entitled, although of course every NFL venue should have video boards that are 21st century. ... If video clarity is so important, why didn’t Team Spanos buy an effective video board?" Krasovic writes he has "yet to hear or see any messaging from the Spanoses that comes off as a heartfelt thank you to Bolts fans who supported the family-owned business, in some cases, for all 33 years" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/18). Sports gossip blogger Terez Owens writes of Lynn's gaffe, "Ooops, not a great first impression for Angelenos" (TEREZOWENS.com, 1/18). Fox Sports Radio's Jason Smith  tweeted, "Lynn just dropped an s-bomb in his introductory press conference with the Chargers. I love him already." Rochester-based WROC-CBS' Thad Brown: "Lynn's 1st moment as #Chargers head coach didn't go much better than his 1st as #Bills head coach. Oops." Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith: "Lynn just said the Chargers will be tough and disciplined. Still waiting on a coach to say his team will be soft and undisciplined."

UPHILL BATTLE
: The UNION-TRIBUNE's Krasovic writes, "Not that L.A. should care, but the sad coincidence is that the same family that is trumpeting the Fight For L.A. seldom put up a Fight For San Diego." Not even the "most ardent" Spanos family backer would "characterize the 33-year Spanos Era in San Diego as a sparkling display of smart creativity, innovation, spirited fan outreach or wise investment in the product." Krasovic: "All too often, the contrary" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/18). In California, Steve Fryer writes if Chargers Chair Dean Spanos "thought that visiting team crowds were large and loud at Chargers games in San Diego, he is going to be floored by how much worse that will be" in L.A. (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 1/18). In San Diego, Abby Hamblin asks, "New town, new Spanos?" The Chargers Chair is "basically acting like a D-list celebrity trying to recover after a scandal, and it seems as if he’s already given more interviews" in L.A. "talking about Measure C, the team’s failed San Diego stadium proposal, than he did during the campaign itself down here" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/18). THE MMQB's Andrew Brandt wrote under the header, "The Five Myths Of NFL Relocations." Among them are the fact that both fans and ticket sales "truly matter" (MMQB.SI.com, 1/17).

SLAP IN THE FACE: SI's Will Leitch writes the Chargers in L.A. have been "greeted the same way the Rams were: with a shrug that felt like a slap to the ardent fans in the city the team had abandoned." The "closest comparison" to the Chargers and Rams' moves is the SuperSonics' move from Seattle to Oklahoma City in '08. But that is "not much of a comparison," as there are "no Durants or Westbrooks on the Rams or the Chargers." The Chargers "won't even be playing in L.A. -- or in a football stadium." The NFL "may someday pay a long-term price for its decisions to leave cities with passionate fan bases and aging stadiums for cities where people couldn't care less" (SI, 1/23 issue).

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