New Chargers Stadium
by jbox on Jan 24, 2006 9:15 AM PST
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PrintI'm interested in how you all feel about the possibility of a new stadium for the Chargers. For me I don't like the excuse "The NFL will never have another Super Bowl in San Diego unless we build a bigger Stadium". Fine. Let them keep having Super Bowls in freezing cold cities like Detroit or Houston. We should be the ones making the rules. We'll only let you have a Super Bowl here if you give us the first round Draft Pick every year. Something like that. The NFL is only losing out on a few thousand ticket sales right? Make them eat it, don't threaten us!
I think Qualcomm is fine for the few home football games that they have here. This new stadium / ballpark craze is insane. Somehow owners and teams have been able to convince everybody that a team cannot survive without a new stadium. It's just not true. New Stadiums are nice and all but all these threats about leaving and losing money are dumb.
I especially don't like the idea of building a new stadium on top of Qualcomm and giving all the land to Charger's owners, so they can build a million condos. Have you tried driving around Mission Valley recently? Have you tried getting on or off the freeway as it is now? It's gonna be a mess.
If you just have to have a new stadium I'm all for having it outside the city limits. I'm okay with Chula Vista or anyplace else that has a bit of room.
I'm biased though since I'm not a die hard NFL guy and live close to Qualcomm.
What do you think? Vote in the poll
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Wow...
Everyone is so fast to jump on the Chargers. Granted their PR moves in the past have been terrible! But if you actually take time to read the proposal, with an open mind, I think you'd be surprised.
And so what if they build a thousand condos! This county needs housing the last time I checked! But it doesn't really matter what I say. You probably voted for that stupid surfer hag at the last election. She'd rather turn the whole Qualcomm land into a park! (By the way, Chargers plan to put a beautiful park in the middle of the Qualcomm complex).
If it came to it, Chula Vista would be a great venue too. Put it way out by Coors Amp. Plenty of big roads and land out there for them!
I apologize for being so worked up. I just can't stand when people shoot down this proposal without even listening to reason. The NFL is probably one of the most powerful companies in the world. They are so arrogant and powerful that they put the Super Bowl in Detroit this year...DETROIT! They put it in Jacksonville last year! Tagliabue has blacklisted San Diego because of the stadium condition (which costs the county about 10-15 mil to maintain it). I know in theory we should stand up to the NFL and say "no". But do you really want to turn down the opportunity to have a billion dollars come through this county every 3-5 years?! We would instantly be back in the Super Bowl rotation as soon as the stadium is built. Imagine all that dough going to the county and paying off all those delinquent pension bills...
food for though...
by pcarpe41 on Jan 24, 2006 10:44 AM PST reply actions
Relax
You're right I didn't LOOK at the proposal. If I did I'd probably get real sleepy. I don't read or investigate anything, if you read this blog you would know that!
I think it's stupid that an entire city should bow before the NFL even for a BILLION dollars.
You did a lot of name calling and made a lot of assumptions about me. Next time attack the idea not me, and quit with the name calling. Dex and I try and be real nice to everybody on this site and we are more than willing to discuss or argue a point if there is a disagreement. So chill next time.
This may sound like a quote from Bull Durham, but..
I didn't vote for the "surfer hag", I don't think Cuba should play in the WBC, I believe Ryan Klesko sucks, I believe that mission valley does have too many condos. I believe if we built a new stadium we'd get the superbowl a few times then the NFL would find another problem with it and black mail us again. I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses between Brian Giles and Ramon Hernandez.
point counterpoint
I will admit to voting for Donna Frye, the alleged "surfer hag" because I honestly thought beyond just the Chargers and figured if the city is at rock bottom with one philosophy, then what's the harm in putting somebody in there to shake things up?
As far as a park goes in Mission Valley, I would abosultely love that. Not taking anything away from how much I love the Chargers and speaking as a homeowner in the area who doesn't attend many games, a really nice park in that part of town would probably help my property value a whole bunch more than a bunch of condos.
Also, just as a practical manner, it's not like the Chargers are offering to build everything out of their own pocket book. This isn't a freebie. The initial profit from the condos that they would build is how they'd be financing the stadium.
As a blatant oversimplification, the Chargers are basically telling us that they're going to pay for an item and then asking us to give them something else to sell so that they can pay for the initial item. That doesn't sound so much like a sweet deal.
Also, I don't mind that pcarpe41's fired up about this. I think we could use a new stadium too. I just also think that we can't make the same kinds of mistakes that have been made in the past... Regardless of what the stupid editorial commericals on 1090 might have us believe.
No free lunch
Wow is right...
"Do you know how much a Super Bowl brings to this fine county?! Over a BILLION DOLLARS"
Althought there are a lot of intangible sources of revenue that come from being a host city in terms of tv exposure, the city revenue and direct spend is not in the billions. We're talking 100's of millions. Granted having it in San Diego year after year, would be another story.
"Chargers will pay for the stadium...build new roads and infrastructures for better traffic flow (if you read the proposal you would know that!)..."
I don't need to read the proposal to understand that building new roads and infrastructures in Mission Valley won't happen over night. Last time I checked, major road development in San Diego can take several years or even a decade to complete.
"Everyone is so fast to jump on the Chargers. Granted their PR moves in the past have been terrible!"
I can't imagine a better way to destroy a sports-community relationship than the way the Chargers have done so. They repeatedly threaten to move the team from SD unless they get a new stadium. They play their hand by moving the training camp facility from UCSD to Carson, only to move it back to SD. It's as if they feel the city owes them this much. Not to take away from any philanthropic endeavors by the Spanos family, but their actions in the last several years around a new stadium and their current lease in the Q is pitiful at best.
"And so what if they build a thousand condos! This county needs housing the last time I checked!"
I love it when people who are short-sighted call out other people for being short-sighted, or in this case completely ignorant. Dude, there is no housing shortage in San Diego. Trust me, spectulative housing prices going up in the last five years are NOT a result of Econ 101 - supply and demand.
"They are so arrogant and powerful that they put the Super Bowl in Detroit this year...DETROIT!"
I take offense to this comment about the Motor City. Have you ever been to Detroit? Yeah, it's Hell on Earth, and the city basically bought themselves a Super Bowl, but they have the best Coney Island hot dogs in the world. Top that San Diego!
The NFL Sucks
Good to see the GLB crew last night...thanks guys.
by David on Jan 24, 2006 1:11 PM PST reply actions
Qualcomm/I pay one center
Multi-purpose stadiums for the 60s...were bad for both teams. Long time Padres fans should realize that -- as the baseball field was miserable after football season started. And, did you really want to watch a baseball game from the view level in CF? No way. You might as well have been seated in Allied Gardens. And -- the Q actually stinks for football too -- the field level seats, the moveable ones -- are ALL essentially 'obstructed view,' because of the benches. You sit in the Field level, you stand the entire game.
The place is crumbling, due to deferred maintenance....also, the expansions have made the place very uncomfortable -- a real football stadium would place the fans closer to the action.
And, for other reasons listed earlier -- it would be nice to have a Super Bowl and the revenue/attention it brings to a community. Many of the 'scribes' and broadcasters say New Orleans (pre Katrina, of course) and SD were the 2 finest locations for the Super Bowl -- just rotate between the two cities. (Instead, it's horrible Detroit. Ick.)
No doubt -- this market -- and for that matter, major California cities have big problems building new stadiums and arenas. Both Staples/SBC were privately funded in the past 10 years. Only smaller Cal markets -- Bakersfield, Fresno, Stockton, have paid for indoor arenas and other communities with minor leage baseball have built facilities. Nobody wants to build with public money in the major markets. That, perhaps is why Chula Vista, out past Eastlake might be the best site of all for a new football stadium.
No governmental problems, and they might want to put their city on the map while San Diego marches in place.
However, the 49ers can't get a new building...the A's can't.....there was a bill in the Cal legislature (I have no idea at what stage it is) that would offer development money to cities to replace aging facilities -- the bill's sponsor noted that California is falling way behind other states that are building new sports and entertainment facilities. (A 19K arena in OKLAHOMA CITY?) What do we have here? An aging, embarrassing facility for a major market.
I also live close to Qualcomm, and see no problem with developing that land -- it's gonna happen anyway, so it may as well include a replacement stadium. However, that project may never get off the drawing board.
I'm a former Chicagoan -- as has been noted before.
When the Bears neeed a new stadium -- Mayor Daley snapped his fingers, presto -- there's a new Soldier Field. Talk about your 'strong mayor' form of government. Here, we have to clear things through 75 different people. Nothing gets done. Petco is a friggin miracle in that it actually happened!!!
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jan 24, 2006 1:46 PM PST reply actions
Staples Center
Also, I've seen games at Quallcom and while it's not the greatest, it's hardly a dump... But then again, I'm not sitting in our no longer state of the art luxury boxes that so desperately need to be upgraded so that the Chargers can sell more tickets to the big corporations and the rich people. As a poor person, those seats are fine with me.
(...But I do want a new stadium.)
The Q
I remember an idea of lowering the playing surface, so Field Level peeps wouldn't have to stand. Does anyone else remember this, or did I just come up with a great idea?
That was my idea, dude!
Chargers respond
Jon - thank you for your interest in the San Diego Chargers
While that idea was thrown around a few years ago, it has not come to
fruition. The main reason it has not happened is mainly because the
field itself is already on sea level. You know how when we have rains
and the SD River overflows? It's usually talked about mostly by the
mall and anywhere where it impedes traffic?. Well, on those same rainy
days the water and sewage tunnels here at the stadium back up and
overflow. The simple fact we have not had a game on those days helps
the fact that no one realizes the stadium grounds get just as flooded as
much as mission valley and pacific beach area.
Small side note: 4 days after the last Super Bowl that was here - we
were hit with a tremendous rain storm that had the super bowl been one
week later - there were serious questions on if the game ever could have
been played here.
So no, the field will not be lowered to accommodate the lower field
seats. However those tickets down on that level are reduced for not
only Season Seat Purchases, but also single game sales as well
While we do hope to have a new stadium on the City agenda before it is
too late, you can make sure it will be the utmost state-of-the-art
facility that will have no obstructed view seats or anything to make
people wonder what is next to improve the facility
Thank you for you interest in the San Diego Chargers
If you log in to Google Earth...
by ranger31 on Jan 26, 2006 9:39 AM PST up reply actions
Did you know...
by ranger31 on Jan 25, 2006 9:17 AM PST up reply actions
Staples
Quallcom
But wouldn't an easier solution be to lower the playing field? That can't be all that hard, can it? Certainly much easier than tearing the whole place down and making a new one.
by Emcee Emmerson on Jan 25, 2006 10:04 AM PST up reply actions
Oops
Eff it.
by Emcee Emmerson on Jan 25, 2006 10:06 AM PST up reply actions
Most of the southern portion of the parking lot...
From an architectural and engineering standpoint, the scuttlebutt I've heard is that there is no real benefit to the City to refurbish the Q due to the amount of deferred maintenance and the magnitude of the renovation that would be required. IMHO, if the stadium was privately held, City Code Enforcement would be all over the owner to make the necessary repairs/upgrades; and, if that were the case, I would bet dollars to donuts that the private owner would tear the existing stadium down in order to start over. In the long run it would be cheaper, due to the vast savings in maintenance costs, and safer to boot.
by ranger31 on Jan 25, 2006 1:06 PM PST up reply actions
Good info
Oh man, that'd be great.
Again...
Smooth Jazz Man, has it completely right. I feel we should rebuild both those sites. Hell, we might even get the Clippers back here! Careful what we ask for I guess...
I agree with you completely about Klesko and the Cuban baseball team. It's too bad Ramon and Brian won't be able to enjoy those kisses anymore. Maybe Maribelli will pick up that slack.
Also, I thouroughly enjoy this site and visit it often. Keep up the good work!
by pcarpe41 on Jan 24, 2006 2:00 PM PST reply actions
No problem
WOW!
The city of San Diego is getting a great deal, especially for the financial mess they are in.
Let's face it the NFL is God, because we love football. When new cities get a team the NFL lays down the law: "You'll pay half a billion to join the NFL, build a stadium for another half billion with taxes and you'll like it. Oh what's that you say?!! Well I'm sure there is another city we'll award this team to. Ya that's what I thought bitch!"
I like the current site. It is central; the city could use it and get some needed cash. We'll get new roads that will help the rest of the year, and traffic on Big Sunday isn't that much worse than every other rush afternoon anyway.
Chargers need to do a better job at getting the info out to the Public!!! Perhaps Dex can work on that now that he is so much smarter.
Also, we'll never get the clippers back or any NBA team for that matter.
It was also good to see David last night. Your front man sounds just like Elvis Costello.
Sockers!
by Russ @ Gaslamp Ball on Jan 25, 2006 7:02 AM PST reply actions
Russ....
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jan 25, 2006 12:35 PM PST reply actions
No Clippers...but other teams welcome
Don! Hey Don! Don! (That got his attention.)
He looked over, (surprised that somebody recognized him, I guess) and smiled and waved.
In unison -- we yelled:
"Hey Don -- we're from San Diego -- YOU SUCK!!""
That smile vanished, he turned away, and I'm surprised we were not thrown out. Ah, to be young and foolish again.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jan 25, 2006 12:42 PM PST reply actions
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