There is a "new indignity every week" for the Chargers, whether it is "failing to sell out their debut at the 27,000-seat StubHub Center, or needing a silent snap count at home because of all the screaming opposing fans, or barely beating the local ratings" of the 6:30am PT game in London, according to Sam Farmer of the L.A. TIMES. This week’s game against the winless Giants has been "shoved" to KCAL-CBS, where it "won’t risk bumping into the Rams’ kickoff." These problems are "baked into the situation, and the issues aren’t going to be solved with a few Ws." The Chargers came to L.A. "without a compelling story." There is no "meaningful history" or "significant fan base." And there is "no rationale beyond the bottom line." The Chargers "arrived uninvited into a market still skeptical about embracing one team." Then, in addition to a "botched logo and other fumbles, the Chargers rolled out their 'Fight for L.A.' slogan." That could be "read one of two ways." They were either "fighting the Rams for fans, which the NFL didn’t like ... or fighting on behalf of L.A." Now, there is "no longer any reference to 'Fight for L.A.'" on the team’s website, and the narrative has "shifted to one that’s almost pleading and apologetic, in essence: 'We knew this was going to take a long time. ... We didn’t expect you to love us right away. … Please, give us a chance.'" There "might be a niche market in that, but it’s hard to imagine the franchise growing a robust fan base that way" (L.A. TIMES, 10/6).
TAKE ME HOME: THE RINGER's Rodger Sherman wrote the team's games at StubHub Center are "soul-sucking." The weekly images of the "half-empty stadium" have become "more than just a running punch line about an unpopular team." They are a "symbol of the league's most cynical test." By "swapping human fans in San Diego for profitable empty seats" in L.A., the Chargers have "become a case study in whether a professional sports team can survive without fans." This is the Chargers’ "new reality: road games in front of hostile crowds, and home games in front of smaller hostile crowds." But the "most damning statistic of all" is that last Sunday, when the L.A. TV market broadcast six NFL games, Chargers-Eagles "finished fifth in the ratings, squeaking in ahead of a Dolphins-Saints matchup" that aired at 6:30am. Sherman wrote it is not just that "nobody is going to Chargers games," but that "nobody cares at all" (THERINGER.com, 10/4). SPORTS ON EARTH's Ross Tucker wrote the Chargers' move to L.A. thus far has been an "epic fail." It is "extremely difficult to foresee a scenario where they are properly supported by the hometown fans" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 10/3).
ILLUSTRATED MAN: Sports cartoonist Jim Thompson weighed in on L.A.'s reception of the chargers so far (TWITTER.com, 10/6).
