Chargers shocking losses could have far-reaching effects
By Travis Wakeman
It seems that the 2016 San Diego Chargers are literally inventing ways to lose. Though it’s the last thing fans in San Diego want to hear, those losses could result in serious changes. Namely, the team’s bid to get a new stadium.
A city would really have to love its football team to stand with it during the types of losses we’ve seen this season and though the diehard fans in San Diego still will, many people who cast a vote on the ballot may simply not care enough, particularly about a team that hasn’t been able to field a winner for a few years now.
Though many fans may not want to admit it, the Chargers sit at 1-4 and host the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. If they can’t find a way to beat them, they’ll be 1-5 with a nearly insurmountable hill to climb.
I won't vote for the #Chargers on a new stadium if McCoy isn't fired!!! 6-14 vs our own division??? Shows how much ownership really cares!
— Angelo (@_angelooo_) October 10, 2016
A winner builds a positive attitude, not just on the football field and in the hearts of those watching on TV, but in the community. A loser doesn’t. In other words, there will be voters of all walks of life deciding whether the Chargers deserve a new stadium, not just the fans that watch every snap of every game. If all a voter ever hears is how this team can’t find a way to win a game, which way do you think they’re more apt to vote?
The Chargers have managed to lose a 21-0 lead in Kansas City. They’ve allowed a touchdown pass of over 60 yards with less than a minute and a half left in the game. They’ve fumbled twice in the fourth quarter while holding a 13-point lead and, most recently, they’ve fumbled the snap on a potentially game-tying field goal on the last play of the game.
What measure do I vote for that builds us a stadium and convention center AND forces the #Chargers out of town? Asking for a friend
— sdmike (@sdmike) October 10, 2016
Did anyone see Philip Rivers on the sideline during the recent loss to the Oakland Raiders? Replays showed him on the sideline watching Drew Kaser botch the snap, never allowing Josh Lambo to even attempt a field goal to tie the game, and Rivers almost looked like he expected it to happen.
It’s not even a surprise at this point.
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You’d have to dig deep down into NFL history to find a team that has suffered more gut-wrenching losses than this one has. It just doesn’t happen. You can toss around words such as “cursed” and snake bitten”, but the truth is that this couldn’t be happening at a worse time for the Chargers.
Though fans will want to block a potential move out of their minds, no matter what the Chargers do this season, that will be the question at the end of the day. Of course, former Chargers general manager A.J. Smith insists the team won’t be leaving the city, as reported by Pro Football Talk via the San Diego Union-Tribune.
But why would any Charger fan want to listen to anything he has to say?