Chargers Staying Put Next Season

Source: San Diego Tribune

Chargers home games will be at Qualcomm Stadium for at least one more season as the team tries to build support for a new venue in downtown San Diego.

The announcement that the team won’t trigger the termination clause in its lease this year came yesterday from Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani.

But Fabiani, who has spearheaded the team’s stadium search since 2002, said the team won’t commit to staying in San Diego beyond the 2010 season.

The team’s announcement comes the same week that the Centre City Development Corp., San Diego’s downtown redevelopment arm, considers launching a 15- to 18-month process to obtain the approvals to pump hundreds of millions of tax dollars into a stadium.

Fabiani said the Chargers’ focus in 2010 will be on assessing the political support for building an up to $800 million stadium, partly via public subsidy.

“What we expect to know during the next year is whether city elected officials, particularly the mayor and a majority of the City Council and a majority of the county Board of Supervisors, will support a downtown plan,” Fabiani said. “I think we can figure that out before the CCDC process is over.”

Fabiani called political support crucial for a project of this magnitude but said he doesn’t expect elected officials to get behind it unless a financing plan is in place that works for the city and team.

Under its contract, the team is able to quit Qualcomm Stadium between Feb. 1 and May 1 from now until the end of its lease in 2020. The team must notify city officials in writing of its intention and pay a termination fee.

That fee decreases annually. It’s set at $54.6 million this year and falls to $25.8 million in 2011.

City Hall observers have long speculated that if the team were to leave, it would not do so before the end of next season because of the drop in the termination fee.

Fabiani addressed that issue yesterday.

“I don’t want to be cavalier about $20 million or $30 million,” he said. “It’s a lot of money by any one standard, but in a billion-dollar deal, no one’s going to be making a decision based on $20 (million) or $30 million.”

Before focusing on the site east of Petco Park, the Chargers considered building a stadium in Chula Vista, Escondido, National City and Oceanside.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders broached the idea of a downtown stadium with Chargers President Dean Spanos last year. The team said in December that it would only be possible with downtown redevelopment money from the city of San Diego.

Such sums are usually raised by borrowing against future property tax revenues. In this case, the approach needs approval from a range of elected officials.

The public may be asked to vote on a new stadium in 2012.

The CCDC board of directors meets at its downtown offices at 9 a.m. tomorrow to consider asking the City Council to support seeking approval to use redevelopment revenue for a stadium and other downtown projects.

It will also discuss the downtown site’s financial viability with stadium finance expert Mitchell Ziets — his first public presentation since being hired for $160,000.

Chargers "OWN" Broncos

San Diego Tribune— The smiles on their faces, their yells of defiance and the bounce in their step as they left the field revealed the importance of this beatdown.

The Chargers led from their first drive yesterday and routed the Denver Broncos 32-3 to take over what they believe is their rightful spot atop the AFC West.

"You'd love to say this is just another game, but it wasn't," linebacker Shawne Merriman said. "We were playing for first place in the division."

The Chargers, winners of five straight since Denver beat them Oct. 19 in San Diego, were at least a mile high as they considered their current roll and the significance of pummeling the plummeting Broncos.

"We had to re-establish ourselves this game as the first-place team in the AFC West," tight end Antonio Gates said. "That's why it was huge.

"The mental part was to prove to them we're still the AFC West champs. I think that was bigger than anything."

The Broncos (6-4) began the game running seven times. On their eighth play, quarterback Chris Simms dropped to pass, Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips hit his hand from behind and knocked the ball to the ground, where safety Steve Gregory picked it up.

Starting at their 31-yard line, the Chargers (7-3) drove to a touchdown and a lead that was never in jeopardy even as they struggled to put the game away until the third quarter.

The Chargers are now 11-5 over the past four Novembers, with one more game to play before reaching the month in which they haven't lost since 2005.

"We fought back earlier this year, and we're playing our best ball," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "Hopefully, we can keep going that way through December as we have in the past."

Already, they believe they've re-acquired division ownership.

Said running back LaDainian Tomlinson: "I think we established that we're the best team in the AFC West this year."

Jay Cutler is gone. So maybe Josh McDaniels is the Bronco that San Diego will love to hate now.

The Chargers' locker room was abuzz yesterday, as players were both offended and amused by the Denver Broncos head coach telling the Chargers linebackers before yesterday's game, "We own you."

That, at least, was the version offered by the linebackers, to a man.

McDaniels, who slowed down to talk on his way to his car more than an hour after the game, said the Chargers started the trash talking. He would not elaborate on what he may have said, but neither did he deny he talked back.

"They talked to me first," McDaniels said. "I'm not making a story about this. If I did, I'd be able to tell you some things that aren't (fit) for papers."

The linebackers did not deny one or more among them may have started the dishing, but they thought McDaniels' behavior was beneath a man in his position.

"You gotta like his fire," Stephen Cooper said. "As a head coach I don't think you want to start jawing with players if you're not putting the pads on."

With a laugh, considering the Chargers' 32-3 victory, Cooper added, "Looks like he owned us, but it got repossessed."

A smiling Shawne Merriman said of McDaniels popping off: "It was cute."

Other Chargers said McDaniels directed his barb at Shaun Phillips. A source said it was Phillips who actually began the give and take.

"I'm not surprised," Phillips said of McDaniels talking. "He's a little cocky. ... It's all good, all fun and games. We didn't look too much into it. As a coach, I hope he has that mindset. But to say he owns us? I mean, you beat us one time. What has he really done in this league? He had a team 6-0, and now he's looking up at us from second place."
Clary gone?

The Chargers may have lost right tackle Jeromey Clary for the season after he was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with an injury to his left ankle.

Head coach Norv Turner said he believes the "injury is going to be more serious than I'd like it to be."

Brandyn Dombrowski replaced Clary and will be the likely fill-in, going forward, though the Chargers did sign signed tackle Corey Clark from the practice squad last week.

Dombrowski started two games in September at right guard and has been working at left tackle.

Clary left last week's game and did not practice last week with a sprained right ankle.
Blackout looms

Approximately 7,000 tickets remain for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and it appears the Chargers' club record-tying streak of 44 games without a local television blackout is in danger of ending.

Said Jim Steeg, the Chargers' chief operating officer: "It will be very difficult to sell 7,000 tickets in three days with a holiday weekend starting on Wednesday."

The game must be declared a sellout by 1:05 p.m. Thursday to avert the blackout, although an extension is possible due to because of the Thanksgiving. holiday.
Playing it smart

LaDainian Tomlinson carried 20 times for 73 yards and a touchdown but was off the field in stretches, in part by design and in part due to because of the hip injury that continues to bother him.

"It's still bruised," said Tomlinson, who injured the hip Nov. 8 against New York. "Whenever I get hit or land it, I monitor it. But I don't think about it. ... I also want to stay fresh throughout the game like I used to do with Michael Turner, and (Darren Sproles) is doing a heck of a job. That's why I come out, so I can be fresh in the fourth quarter if we need to put the game away."
Big air

Nate Kaeding is not one of the league's big legs on kickoffs. In fact, there are 16 kickers in the NFL with more touchbacks than Kaeding since he came into the league in 2004.

But maybe if Kaeding kicked in the altitude in Denver every week ...

Kaeding had five touchbacks yesterday, bringing his career total in six games in Denver to 19, exactly half his career total.

To make it even easier on Kaeding, 15-yard penalties against the Broncos had him twice kicking off from the 45.

"I've made a living off getting touchbacks here," Kaeding said. "To give it to me on the 45 it was a gift for sure."
Nuts 'n' Bolts

* Defensive end Luis Castillo left the game in the second quarter with a calf injury and did not return.
* Cornerback Quentin Jammer left the game for a play after colliding with Phillips while defending a pass. Last week he was felled for a series by friendly fire, when he and Eric Weddle collided. Said Jammer: "The only time I get hurt, it's always one of my teammates hitting me."
* For the first time in 50 years of playing the Broncos, the Chargers have won in Denver for the third time in four years ... only an Ed Hochuli call from having won four straight.
* After 36 punts, Mike Scifres finally had one make it into reach the end zone for a touchback. That leaves Detroit's Nick Harris as the only punter in the league to have punted more than 30 times without a touchback.
* In starting 6-0, the Broncos outscored opponents 76-10 in the second half, including 17-3 at San Diego. But during their four-game losing streak they've been outscored 77-17 after halftime, including 17-3 yesterday.
* The Chargers scored a touchdown on their first possession for just the second time in 10 games and third time in the past 31 games.

Bolts' improving coaching staff

Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

The Chargers are down to two vacancies on their coaching staff after the team reached agreements with two more assistant coaches Wednesday.

Former All-Pro cornerback Cris Dishman, who spent the 2008 offseason with the Chargers through the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship, will assist newly-hired secondary coach Steve Wilks.

Greg Williams, who was most recently a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh, agreed to terms to become the Chargers’ assistant linebackers coach.

Dishman played 13 seasons in the NFL and was named to two Pro Bowls. He began his career with the Houston Oilers, played for Chargers Head Coach Norv Turner with the Washington Redskins and played one season each with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings.

Since 2006, Dishman has been on the staff at Menlo College in the Bay Area where he’s served as defensive backs coach and most recently as defensive coordinator.

Williams comes to the Bolts after one season at the University of Pittsburgh, where he’s worked under former Turner colleague Dave Wanndstedt. Williams was a four-year letterman at the University of North Carolina and attended training camp with the Chicago Bears in 1998. Chargers Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera was a Bears assistant at the time.

Williams has also spent time at Arkansas Tech University, DuPage College and Arizona State. He played professionally in NFL Europe, the XFL and the Arena Football League.

With four hires in the last two days, Turner still has two open positions on his coaching staff. He’s in the process of hiring a tight ends coach and an assistant offensive line coach.

City of San Diego suing the Chargers?

Source: Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP)—The city of San Diego expects to quickly settle a breach-of-contract suit it filed against the Chargers, which claims the team owes the city more than $170,000 for use of Qualcomm Stadium in 2004.

City attorney Jan Goldsmith, who was elected in November, said the suit was filed just days before the four-year statute of limitations expired. Goldsmith said the matter should have been handled years ago.

“The Chargers sent over a lot of information a long time ago and the city should have gone through it and talked about it,” Goldsmith said Wednesday. “We should have talked about this years ago. The fact that we didn’t, it’s not the end of the world. We’ll sit down, we’ll deal with it. We haven’t even served the complaint. It will be resolved, no doubt about it.”

According to the lawsuit, the team underpaid the city by $125,795 in 2004 as a result of the Chargers claiming skybox rent credits that were previously disallowed by the city for the 1996 through 2000 seasons. The city is also seeking more than $44,000 in accrued interest.

We love you LT!!!!

Written by: J.D. Harrison

Ladainian Tomlinson wrote on his blog that he wanted to stay with Chargers, and the Charger fan base couldn't agree more. I think I speak on the behalf of Charger fans world wide, when I say that if LT were to leave the team it would be the worst decision in the history of the Charger franchise. Though LT has been struggling lately, he has ALREADY proven himself. He is one of the greatest football players to ever play the game and to think that the Spanos family would even consider letting LT go, just because of some salary cap and a couple of bad breaks, is just plain outrageous! The thought of LT wearing any color other than the yellow and blue, is almost unbearable. Hopefully the Spanos family comes to there senses soon and grabs LT for the rest of his career.

Chargers unveil code of conduct for fans

SAN DIEGO – A stricter code of conduct for Chargers fans was unveiled Wednesday in an effort to prevent obnoxious behavior and alcohol-fueled fights at Qualcomm Stadium this season.
The rules, which go into effect at Saturday's preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys, will extend to all events that are held at the stadium year-round.“There's a very small percentage of folks who come to events and create problems for those who want to enjoy the game,” said stadium manager Mike McSweeney during a news conference Wednesday.
The fan code of conduct was first started in 2006 and has expanded with stricter policies on alcohol and tailgating.
Some new policies for the upcoming season are:
Fans will be limited to two drinks per purchase until the start of the third quarter. After that, a one-drink limit per transaction goes into effect. No alcohol will be sold in the fourth quarter.
Alcohol sales during the Dec. 4 Oakland Raiders game will cease after the first half.
Fans without pre-paid parking permits will be allowed into the parking lot four hours before kickoff. Those with permits will still have access five hours before the start of the game.
Fans will be able to use cell phones to text security officers for assistance during the game if they encounter problems. Details of the text system will be released when it becomes available.
Alcohol management teams will monitor fans inside the stadium and kick people out who they deem are drunk.
San Diego police Lt. Dan Christman said fans can also expect a greater police presence in the parking lot before games and at stadium gates.
More DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols are planned in the area on game days.
Last year, an average of 15 people were arrested per home game, Christman said, and another 45 were asked to leave the stadium by police for breaking the rules.
Officials warned that those who misbehave also risk losing their season tickets.
Over the last two years, the Chargers revoked the season tickets of about 700 fans for violating the code of conduct. Those offenders also lost privileges to buy future season tickets, said Jim Steeg, the team's chief operating officer.
“The fans asked us to take action against the small portion who continue to be inconsiderate to others,” Steeg said.
Officials plan to educate the public about the new behavior policies through JumboTron messages, fliers and on stadium signs. The new rules have also been outlined in letters mailed to about 62,000 season ticket holders this week.