Chargers: Where we are now?

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The urgency was created early last month when Rams owner Stan Kroenke announced a plan to build a $1.8 billion stadium and move his Rams to Inglewood.He’s collected enough signatures, the Inglewood City Council voted to put it on the ballot, and that sent shock waves through the Chargers Organization. 

“They’re really events that force the chargers hand. 25 percent of our local revenue, 25 percent of our season ticket base comes from Los Angeles and Orange counties. We simply can’t allow another team, or teams to waltz into those markets, and take away our business,” said Mark Fabiani.

On February 19, the Chargers announced they would teamed up with the Oakland Raiders to build a stadium in Carson.

Mayor Faulconer never saw that coming since the Chargers had previously announced they would not exercise their clause, and would stay another season at Qualcomm Stadium.

But events are moving quickly in L.A.

“The potential of what’s happening up in Los Angeles is a significant driver of what’s happening. Never, I think, has that threat been more real,” said Mayor Faulconer.

After a hastily called meeting with Chargers’ Chairman, Dean Spanos, the mayor quickly fast-tracked the deadline for his Stadium Advisory Committee to come up with the key component that’s been missing for 13 years, a viable plan to keep the Chargers in San Diego.

“A plan is when somebody tells you this is where its going to be, this is how we’re gonna to build it, and most importantly this is how its going to be paid for,” the mayor added.

But the Chargers were skeptical seeing that the task force might not be designed to produce a real product but a half-baked plan to provide political cover for the mayor.

“To put the team in a bad light, to be able to say, ‘Hey, ah they wanted to leave anyway so they didn’t want to work with us,'” Fabiani said.

Task Force Chairman Adam Day said their job was two fold: To select a site and come up with a financing plan. That is it.

“Our objective is to come forward and settle this once and for all, obviously it’s something the voters need to support,” Day said.

The city council weighed in last Tuesday with a resolution committed to keeping the team in San Diego.

“The message is that San Diego is working in good faith to develop a plan that if approved by voters will provide a home for the Chargers, Aztecs,and great events for generations to come,” the mayor said.