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NFL rumors: Los Angeles Chargers moving to London?


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NFL rumors: Los Angeles Chargers moving to London?

Updated 9:56 AM;Today 9:38 AM 
Philip Rivers, A.J. Klein

AP

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers might have to start shopping for homes in London.

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The NFL has dabbled in London for almost 20 years, creating an opportunity to capture a full-time European audience as invested in sports as any other faction. Think of the crowds that regularly attend international soccer games.

But could an NFL franchise actually move overseas?

And are the Los Angeles Chargers THAT team?

They might just be, according to Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic.

The Athletic has learned through NFL sources that the possibility of the Chargers moving to London has been broached among league personnel. The Athletic also has learned that, while the team is fully committed to Los Angeles where it will move into the new $4.5 billion stadium with the Rams next year, the Chargers would at least listen if the NFL approached them about London as a possible option.

Finally, The Athletic has learned that NFL owners are concerned enough about the Chargers’ situation in L.A., where a crowded sports market and the presence of the more established Rams has resulted in a tepid embracement of the Chargers, that they would provide the necessary support for a relocation to London if the Chargers pursue it.

 

This could be the beginning of American professional sports teams moving overseas to exploit a market yearning for more big-time sporting events.

There are some logistical issues to sort through, to say the least.

And the franchise could face backlash from fans used to attending games and watching their favorite team play.

But if the Chargers organization keeps its eye on the bigger picture, it could be worth the initial blow to get ahead of the curve.

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They should.

If any doubt, just watch the Chargers v. Steelers "home game" this year.

About 10 Chargers fans vs. 50,000 Steelers fans.

Should never have left San Diego, but now that that is done, move um' to Europe.  Sure, why not.

As a Brit myself, I might even root for them if they move.

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Great as far as getting an early morning game but I don't like this idea.  What about the players and their families?  I would imagine not too many players will uproot their families to move to another country especially in a league where job security is non existent for many.

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NFL rumors: Los Angeles Chargers moving to London?

Updated 9:56 AM;Today 9:38 AM  Y4LFDLHBNBBIFA5PT624I4QPDA.jpg&key=ba55dceb1d9cccc00f1ccff72d4d5c01c19b980c370b069f5387aff9d3ddb8bb

AP

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers might have to start shopping for homes in London.

5     0 shares By Todderick Hunt | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The NFL has dabbled in London for almost 20 years, creating an opportunity to capture a full-time European audience as invested in sports as any other faction. Think of the crowds that regularly attend international soccer games.

But could an NFL franchise actually move overseas?

And are the Los Angeles Chargers THAT team?

They might just be, according to Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic.

The Athletic has learned through NFL sources that the possibility of the Chargers moving to London has been broached among league personnel. The Athletic also has learned that, while the team is fully committed to Los Angeles where it will move into the new $4.5 billion stadium with the Rams next year, the Chargers would at least listen if the NFL approached them about London as a possible option.

Finally, The Athletic has learned that NFL owners are concerned enough about the Chargers’ situation in L.A., where a crowded sports market and the presence of the more established Rams has resulted in a tepid embracement of the Chargers, that they would provide the necessary support for a relocation to London if the Chargers pursue it.

 

This could be the beginning of American professional sports teams moving overseas to exploit a market yearning for more big-time sporting events.

There are some logistical issues to sort through, to say the least.

And the franchise could face backlash from fans used to attending games and watching their favorite team play.

But if the Chargers organization keeps its eye on the bigger picture, it could be worth the initial blow to get ahead of the curve.

Why would a player want to go to London? Build up Frequent Flyer Miles?
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3 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

It makes no logistical sense unless you move TWO teams to London to reduce on travel a bit. 

And what division would you put them in?  The AFC East?  Oh joy.  

Mexico City would make a ton more sense than London if the league is adamant about expanding internationally.  

What if a west coach team has to travel 16 hours to play a playoff game, is that fair? 

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Omg!!!! Woody is already there.... please let this be inaccurate- and it’s actually the Jets moving to London. 
I need a legitimate reason to finally give up on this god forsaken franchise!!!!!

Im such a junkie and can’t quit on my own!

If they’re gone- I’d have no choice!!!

 

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8 minutes ago, prime21 said:

Great as far as getting an early morning game but I don't like this idea.  What about the players and their families?  I would imagine not too many players will uproot their families to move to another country especially in a league where job security is non existent for many.

What about them?  The NFL minimum salary is $495,000 for a rookie, higher for Veterans.  The average salary is over $2 million.  Median is over $800K.  They don't have to move their whole family (most pro athletes don't).  Only themselves and only (most likely) during the regular season. 

They'll be fine. 

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What about them?  The NFL minimum salary is $495,000 for a rookie, higher for Veterans.  The average salary is over $2 million.  Median is over $800K.  They don't have to move their whole family (most pro athletes don't).  Only themselves and only (most likely) during the regular season. 
They'll be fine. 
You're right, but... guys that have a choice (better players, veteran players) could choose to avoid it, reducing the quality of the available talent pool.
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18 minutes ago, prime21 said:

Great as far as getting an early morning game but I don't like this idea.  What about the players and their families?  I would imagine not too many players will uproot their families to move to another country especially in a league where job security is non existent for many.

Yeah, will be tough for them to attract free agents.

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Omg!!!! Woody is already there.... please let this be inaccurate- and it’s actually the Jets moving to London. 
I need a legitimate to finally give up on this god forsaken franchise!!!!!
Im such a junkie and can’t quit on my own!
If they’re gone- I’d have no choice!!!
 


That’s what you think. You are stuck just like the rest of us.


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app
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16 minutes ago, mrcoops said:

If they want to move to somewhere with a fan base, how about San Diego?

It was a mess though.  They couldn't get a stadium built and Dean Spanos wasn't about to fork more money into either Qualcomm or what he was already willing to do with a new stadium .  Qualcomm Stadium was a complete dump (I've been there at least 5 times).  It was a mess even back in 2010 when a bunch of us @Paradis, @TokyoJetsFan were there to see the Jets win that playoff game.

The sad part is that the fans really did embrace them (but the local politicians didn't) and a vote to increase a tax to fund the stadium failed (not surprisingly).  In a town with only two sports teams (Padres, Chargers) they really had an opportunity to own the city.  Those smallish cities that don't have other major sports teams tend to have a rabid fanbase for the one or two teams they do have....even in a laid back, casual sports market like California where fans show up to Lakers games in the 2nd quarter and leave late in the 3rd.

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9 minutes ago, doublel9 said:

LAX-LHR ~ 11 hrs.  Not a short flight, but not 16 hrs.

The Chargers would likely move divisions somehow.  This would be a big time realignment to get the Chargers to London and trying to schedule games with East Coast teams that are only a 6 hour flight away.  It sounds crazy but geographically you could put the London Chargers in the AFC East, the Houston Texans in the AFC West (like the Chiefs) and move the Miami Dolphins to the AFC South with the Jaguars, Titans, etc.

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28 minutes ago, isired said:
33 minutes ago, joewilly12 said:

NFL rumors: Los Angeles Chargers moving to London?

Updated 9:56 AM;Today 9:38 AM  Y4LFDLHBNBBIFA5PT624I4QPDA.jpg&key=ba55dceb1d9cccc00f1ccff72d4d5c01c19b980c370b069f5387aff9d3ddb8bb

AP

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers might have to start shopping for homes in London.

5     0 shares By Todderick Hunt | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The NFL has dabbled in London for almost 20 years, creating an opportunity to capture a full-time European audience as invested in sports as any other faction. Think of the crowds that regularly attend international soccer games.

But could an NFL franchise actually move overseas?

And are the Los Angeles Chargers THAT team?

They might just be, according to Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic.

The Athletic has learned through NFL sources that the possibility of the Chargers moving to London has been broached among league personnel. The Athletic also has learned that, while the team is fully committed to Los Angeles where it will move into the new $4.5 billion stadium with the Rams next year, the Chargers would at least listen if the NFL approached them about London as a possible option.

Finally, The Athletic has learned that NFL owners are concerned enough about the Chargers’ situation in L.A., where a crowded sports market and the presence of the more established Rams has resulted in a tepid embracement of the Chargers, that they would provide the necessary support for a relocation to London if the Chargers pursue it.

 

This could be the beginning of American professional sports teams moving overseas to exploit a market yearning for more big-time sporting events.

There are some logistical issues to sort through, to say the least.

And the franchise could face backlash from fans used to attending games and watching their favorite team play.

But if the Chargers organization keeps its eye on the bigger picture, it could be worth the initial blow to get ahead of the curve.

Why would a player want to go to London? Build up Frequent Flyer Miles?

London is a great city to live in.  But I wonder what the taxes are like?

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As a San Diegan, I can say this: the Spanos family are even worse owners than the Johnsons...probably worse the Spanos are evil, shameful owners, Jets ownership is just incompetent...the NFL should never have let them move, and should have contributed extra to a San Diego stadium. That said the Spanos family made San Diego look bad in not giving them a new Stadium but they never negotiated with the city, fans and residents in good faith the "deals" they wanted were ludicrously lucrative for them and hurtful to the city...I wish the NFL had a way to take action against horrible owners and take away their franchises, maybe have them keep ownership but allow them no power over any decisions whatsoever...Spanos and Johnson families should be first to go.

In terms of the NFL, the way that they push London when NO ONE cares (even London) and handle officiating shows how completely out of touch they really are.

 

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I feel bad for the teams that might play in their division and for the players of that team.

This isn't a good move for the NFL. It's a scheduling nightmare all the way around. I can also see a lot of situations where players avoid going to play there - their families are all in the USA. I understand the current gimmick of having international games to collect some money and put teams out there that can't fill their home stadiums up (Florida), but this is not an international game.

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People b*tch all the time about west coast and east coast teams having to travel to opposite ends of the country.

Now we’re going to have a London team who has to cross the pond 8 times a season?

Putting a team in Canada is a helluva lot more feasible and that’s still never happened despite them talking about it for decades.

Still, one thing is for sure, Roger Goodell is the worst thing to ever happen to the NFL.

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7 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

It was a mess though.  They couldn't get a stadium built and Dean Spanos wasn't about to fork more money into either Qualcomm or what he was already willing to do with a new stadium .  Qualcomm Stadium was a complete dump (I've been there at least 5 times).  It was a mess even back in 2010 when a bunch of us @Paradis, @TokyoJetsFan were there to see the Jets win that playoff game.

The sad part is that the fans really did embrace them (but the local politicians didn't) and a vote to increase a tax to fund the stadium failed (not surprisingly).  In a town with only two sports teams (Padres, Chargers) they really had an opportunity to own the city.  Those smallish cities that don't have other major sports teams tend to have a rabid fanbase for the one or two teams they do have....even in a laid back, casual sports market like California where fans show up to Lakers games in the 2nd quarter and leave late in the 3rd.

San Diego would have approved a reasonable deal, none of the Spanos proposals were even remotely reasonable...and some cities like Escondido and Chula Vista had quite viable proposals for them but the Spanos wanted ALL of the revenues to go to them and to additionally be allowed to build hotels and other businesses without any tax responsibility. They wanted San Diego to just gift them QUalcomm's property and then not get taxes from it either...of course with them gone it looks like San Diego will basically gift the property to SDSU anyway.

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27 minutes ago, isired said:
29 minutes ago, Warfish said:
What about them?  The NFL minimum salary is $495,000 for a rookie, higher for Veterans.  The average salary is over $2 million.  Median is over $800K.  They don't have to move their whole family (most pro athletes don't).  Only themselves and only (most likely) during the regular season. 
They'll be fine. 

You're right, but... guys that have a choice (better players, veteran players) could choose to avoid it, reducing the quality of the available talent pool.

Lot of hypotheticals there.  Do players in MLB avoid Tononto?  Do players in the NHL avoid Canada?

So much melodramatic hand-wringing over this idea, pretty funny.  It's a total nothing burger.

It'll be fine if it happens.  Why should WE care anyway, we're not Chargers (Redcoats?) Fans.

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50 minutes ago, Gibby said:

Omg!!!! Woody is already there.... please let this be inaccurate- and it’s actually the Jets moving to London. 

12 minutes ago, Barkus said:

How about move the jets to London and the chargers to NYC?

 

There's at least 1.6 billion reasons why that'll never happen.  

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