Pats might not be the most despised team in the NFL anymore based on a recent report about the NFL being livid the Chargers decided to move to LA.
Turns out the NFL never actually wanted 2 teams to be in LA this quickly even though it was implied they did during the talks involving the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers. Might have been a huge reason why the Chargers/Raiders shared stadium never had strong support with the owners as an option. Also gave them the most money to stay out of the 3 teams even though it wasn't close to bridging the gap of money needed.
Rams struggling in their first season in LA in terms of support was a huge reason why things quickly went sour for the league.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by CBS Sports
It looks like fans in San Diego aren't the only ones upset with the Chargers after the team made the decision to move to Los Angeles last week.
According to ESPN.com, pretty much everyone in the NFL hates the idea of the Chargers in L.A. One source told ESPN that many of the league's 32 owners are "upset with the Chargers for moving."
It's not just the owners, either. The league office is "beside itself" over the Chargers' move.
In what might be the most surprising part of the report, the NFL actually wants the Chargers to move back to San Diego, although the league doesn't actually think that's a realistic possibility.
Chargers owner Dean Spanos is probably going to be horrified when he hears this news, because he used to be one of the league's most beloved owners (among the other owners). Instead, he's now viewed as a villain in San Diego, no one seems to care for him in Los Angeles, and it seems that he's lost the backing of his fellow owners. That's a trifecta of ugliness that's going to be difficult to recover from.
The fact that the league was completely against the Chargers' move shouldn't come as a surprise. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear on several occasions that he wanted the Chargers to remain in San Diego.
Not only did Goodell say that keeping the Chargers in San Diego was a priority, but he also promised to give the city a Super Bowl if it could figure out a way to build a new stadium.
As for the owners, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora can explain why they're upset. As La Canfora reported in early January, several owners had "grave concerns" about putting a second team in L.A. so soon.
After 21 years without a team, the league didn't want to rush into L.A. The owners and the league also didn't want to put a second team in the market with the Rams still trying to win fans over after a rough season. If the NFL starts to struggle in L.A., the owners are going to blame Spanos.
|