Photo courtesy of: Dean Spanos's Twitter
The San Diego Chargers are moving to Los Angeles, where they will join the Los Angeles Rams football organization. The Chargers chairman, Dean Spanos, announced the move via Twitter on Jan. 12, 2017.
“San Diego has been our home for 56 years. It will always be part of our identity, and my family and I have nothing but gratitude and appreciation for the support and passion our fans have shared with us over the years. But today, we turn the page and begin an exciting new era as the Los Angeles Chargers,” Spanos said.
The move was decided after a long battle with San Diego voters. The organization was asking for $1.15 billion in hotel occupancy taxes to help fund a new downtown stadium and convention center valued at $1.8 billion. It is no secret that San Diego taxpayers refused to pay.
However, Spanos is now paying a $650 million relocation fee in Los Angeles. Some say that by pairing with the NFL, the organization would have given the team the $300 million to build a San Diego Stadium without a dime from taxpayers.
With the Chargers relocation they are leaving life-long fans behind — not to mention big-name legends that San Diegans once all cheered for. The memories of LaDainian Tomlinson scoring touchdowns and linebacker Junior Seau destroying anything that was in his way are now just stories that parents will tell their kids about the greats that used to play in their city.