We’re well beyond Episode IV in the Chargers stadium saga, but after the unrelenting gloom and doom of December, a new hope does seem to be emerging that maybe, just maybe, the Chargers won’t be going to Los Angeles after all.
Last month, Dean Spanos met with various San Diego officials, including Mayor Kevin Faulconer and County Supervisor Ron Roberts. Roberts’ Chief-of-Staff confirmed to 10News that a regional financing plan to build a new Chargers stadium was discussed.
Earlier this week, San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Kevin Acee reported that everyone in that meeting is now waiting on the NFL to see if the league can come up with a way to bridge the funding gap separating San Diego from a new stadium for the Chargers. Various estimates place that gap somewhere between $100 million and $250 million dollars.
That’s a lot of money, and the possibility of the Chargers moving to Los Angeles remains very real. The team is still facing a January 15th deadline to inform the NFL if they plan to share the new stadium in Inglewood with the Rams.
But talk of a possible NFL-backed solution is generating a lot of talk on social media.
ESPN’s Jim Trotter, who last month suggested that the Chargers needed a last-minute miracle to avoid relocation, pushed for a NFL-led plan on Twitter.
Sense I get is Chargers' dire talk about moving isn't meant to pressure SD to act. It's meant to pressure NFL, which wants team to stay put.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 2, 2017
Last year NFL knew it could block move. No such power this year. So if league wants Chargers to stay, it likely will have to step up. $$$
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 2, 2017
The Chargers don't believe city/county can find enough public $$ to make a deal work. Hence need for NFL to step up if it wants team in SD.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 2, 2017
One way for @nflcommish to improve his image with fans: provide even more NFL funding to teams seeking new stadiums. Win-win for everyone.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 3, 2017
When G4 funding initially began, stadium costs were a fraction of what they are now. It's time for NFL to factor inflation into equation.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 3, 2017
If G4 contributions increased proportionally to cost of stadiums over the years, a deal would be done to keep the Chargers in San Diego.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 3, 2017
Could it really be that simple?
Former Raiders executive Amy Trask suggested on Twitter that if each NFL team contributed $1 million per year for 10 years, the Chargers could easily build a new stadium in San Diego.
For now, the waiting game continues as Dean Spanos sifts through his final options.
But it does feel as though there may be A New Hope for San Diego.
