The Chargers are winless over their first three games in L.A., as opposing fans have been "taking over" StubHub Center, according to Eric Williams of ESPN.com. The Chargers fell to 0-4 yesterday after their loss to the Eagles, and Eagles fans were "perhaps the rowdiest of the three games." The Chargers were "loudly booed coming out of the tunnel for player introductions." Chants of "Let's go Eagles" basically took "over the facility in terms of crowd noise." Eagles C Jason Kelce said, "We kind of knew. We heard I guess on StubHub like 70 percent of the sales were from the Philadelphia area, so we kind of knew it was going to be at least close. And then right when you came out of the locker room to open the game, the cheers for Philadelphia coming out, we knew it was going to be a big crowd for us." Eagles OT Jason Peters: "It's almost like the Chargers got 16 away games. It's going to be tough sledding for those guys" (ESPN.com 10/1). In Philadelphia, Zach Berman wrote it sounded as if the Eagles were "playing on South Broad Street." The game drew an announced crowd of 25,374 to the 27,000-seat StubHub Center. Eagles veterans who have "become used to a vocal road contingent admitted they have never seen a road crowd as disproportionately in favor of the visiting team as the one at StubHub Center" (PHILLY.com, 10/1). CSNPHILLY.com's Dave Zangaro wrote Eagles fans "always seem to travel well, especially to the West Coast." But yesterday's contest was "different," as it "really did feel like a home game." Every time an Eagles player ran to or from the tunnel, the crowd "went nuts" (CSNPHILLY.com, 10/1).
FALSE START, FALSE HOPE: In L.A., Dan Woike writes the loss "caps a friendly stretch of schedule that could’ve given the Chargers a boost in a new city and introduced them to a new fan base." The team's first season in L.A. is "dangerously close to being lost" (L.A. TIMES, 10/2). Also in L.A., Helene Elliott writes the atmosphere at StubHub Center was "surreal." The "roars and cheers from legions" of Eagles fans "reminded the Chargers that their house is not yet their home." Being "scorned and booed in their own stadium didn’t feel good to the Chargers, who have bigger problems than hearing jeers but still can’t help wonder when they’ll get some love in their new city." Eagles fans "were boisterous and persistent" (L.A. TIMES, 10/2). In L.A., Jack Wang writes in its first three contests as an NFL stadium, StubHub Center has "hosted crowds officially counted at 25,381, 25,386, and 25,374." That is "as close as the Chargers will get to a sellout in the 27,000-seat venue, since they don’t count their hold of 1,200 complimentary tickets, and must also reserve 500 seats for sale to disabled fans." Wang: "So overall attendance isn’t the real problem. What is? The colors in the stands." Chargers OT Joe Barksdale said, "It is kind of disheartening when your home stadium is chanting for the away team" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 10/2). Chargers QB Philip Rivers said, "It’s certainly not ideal." In San Diego, Kevin Acee writes the Chargers are a "mess on the field, a joke off of it." The "reality of the Chargers playing in a toy stadium with a high school locker room is neither quaint nor curious," but a "travesty." It is a "perfect Hollywood story more fitting than even the most bitter Chargers fan could write" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 10/2).
THEY'RE BACK: The Rams defeated the Cowboys 35-30 at AT&T Stadium yesterday, and in L.A., Vincent Bonsignore writes "don’t be surprised if somewhere down the road someone points" to the team's victory yesterday as the day the Rams "truly became ours again." The Rams finally arrived in L.A.’s "hearts and imagination by going toe to toe with one of the best teams in the NFL and outplaying, out-muscling and out-coaching them at every critical turn." That it all happened with Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones -- who "played one of the biggest roles of all in the Rams returning to L.A. -- watching from his luxury suite only made it all the more dramatic." Bonsignore: "It took a while, but the Rams are officially back" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 10/2).
