Realigning the divisions to be more geographically accurate

[93LEAFS]

The per capita of caring about pro sports would actually go down, too. Atlanta is a notoriously bad sports town who just keep building stadiums

The most popular sport/league in Atlanta is SEC football due to all the transplants from local SEC schools. Similar to what the old SWC meant in Dallas and Houston.

 

[93LEAFS]

They signed on to be the other team in LA whose only purpose is to be the second tenant in that stadium. They are the Clippers and Ducks otherwise.

It's funny because the other potential second tenet would have had a rabid fanbase, that would have likely been more popular than the Rams in the Raiders. But, obviously, the NFL isn't doing favors for the Davis's.

 

[DaaaaB's]

It's funny because the other potential second tenet would have had a rabid fanbase, that would have likely been more popular than the Rams in the Raiders. But, obviously, the NFL isn't doing favors for the Davis's.

The Raiders still have a huge fan base in LA. I've heard they're still more popular there then either the Rams or Chargers. Not sure how accurate that is tho.

 

[StreetHawk]

The Raiders still have a huge fan base in LA. I've heard they're still more popular there then either the Rams or Chargers. Not sure how accurate that is tho.

Whether they have more fans or are very close to the Rams in the end, Kronke didn't want them in the same building, thus the Chargers got first choice of joining them in LA.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

The Raiders still have a huge fan base in LA. I've heard they're still more popular there then either the Rams or Chargers. Not sure how accurate that is tho.

Multitudes more fans than the Chargers have. There weren't many Chargers fans in LA before the Chargers moved here and they've made little headway since (and the San Diego contingent obviously wasn't going to trek to LA for the games like that idiot thought they would). Win a little and they'll carve their Clippers-like niche eventually. Raiders or Rams depends on what part of the region you're talking about...funny thing is the most ardent Raiders loyalists are in South Central...where the Rams and Chargers play.

You gotta remember...the Rams were Anaheim's team that last decade and a half, so they're now the hometown team for a lot of people who hated them. The younger or newer you are to LA, the less you're inherently going to care about the Frontiere saga. Before the Rams & Chargers moved here/back I saw 10 Raiders logos for every Rams logo.

I don't care about any of the historical drama because, again, transplanted Steelers fan, but I refuse to root for a team that thinks that thought that re-design was going to appeal to anyone.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Multitudes more fans than the Chargers have. There weren't many Chargers fans in LA before the Chargers moved here and they've made little headway since (and the San Diego contingent obviously wasn't going to trek to LA for the games like that idiot thought they would). Win a little and they'll carve their Clippers-like niche eventually. Raiders or Rams depends on what part of the region you're talking about...funny thing is the most ardent Raiders loyalists are in South Central...where the Rams and Chargers play.

You gotta remember...the Rams were Anaheim's team that last decade and a half, so they're now the hometown team for a lot of people who hated them. The younger or newer you are to LA, the less you're inherently going to care about the Frontiere saga. Before the Rams & Chargers moved here/back I saw 10 Raiders logos for every Rams logo.

I don't care about any of the historical drama because, again, transplanted Steelers fan, but I refuse to root for a team that thinks that thought that re-design was going to appeal to anyone.

The Chargers won their last four after a 3-9 start last season. That could bode well if the team can build off of that momentum.

 

[DaaaaB's]

Multitudes more fans than the Chargers have. There weren't many Chargers fans in LA before the Chargers moved here and they've made little headway since (and the San Diego contingent obviously wasn't going to trek to LA for the games like that idiot thought they would). Win a little and they'll carve their Clippers-like niche eventually. Raiders or Rams depends on what part of the region you're talking about...funny thing is the most ardent Raiders loyalists are in South Central...where the Rams and Chargers play.

You gotta remember...the Rams were Anaheim's team that last decade and a half, so they're now the hometown team for a lot of people who hated them. The younger or newer you are to LA, the less you're inherently going to care about the Frontiere saga. Before the Rams & Chargers moved here/back I saw 10 Raiders logos for every Rams logo.

I don't care about any of the historical drama because, again, transplanted Steelers fan, but I refuse to root for a team that thinks that thought that re-design was going to appeal to anyone.

Thanks for the input. I've always found how popular they are in LA interesting considering they only spent 12 seasons there and have always been a bay area team otherwise until Vegas. I thought typically LA and the Bay area despised each other. The 30 for 30 on the Raiders time in LA and their inclusion in gang culture was interesting. I'd imagine they're still the most popular team in LA's rougher neighborhoods.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Multitudes more fans than the Chargers have. There weren't many Chargers fans in LA before the Chargers moved here and they've made little headway since ...funny thing is the most ardent Raiders loyalists are in South Central...where the Rams and Chargers play.
Before the Rams & Chargers moved here/back I saw 10 Raiders logos for every Rams logo..

Big, agreed, Raiders are much more popular (still) in LA than the Chargers.
I remember about 15 years ago when LA was without any NFL teams, LA media was sort of collaborating/courting to promote the San Diego Chargers as an LA team, & nobody cared.
LA over the last generation really hasn't been big on pro football. Even when the Lakers are struggling they're still the franchise Angelenos care about most..
Only thing I'll say differently from you (in a broad generalization) is that I think the strongest Raider diaspora has more to do with ethnicity than geography. Lot of Mexicans in LA follow the Raiders no matter where they move.. I wouldn't say it's necessarily about neighborhood. But I guess there could still be some guys in South Central w/early 90s Kings starter jackets & standard issue Raider caps. /peace

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Big, agreed, Raiders are much more popular (still) in LA than the Chargers.
I remember about 15 years ago when LA was without any NFL teams, LA media was sort of collaborating/courting to promote the San Diego Chargers as an LA team, & nobody cared.
LA over the last generation really hasn't been big on pro football. Even when the Lakers are struggling they're still the franchise Angelenos care about most..
Only thing I'll say differently from you (in a broad generalization) is that I think the strongest Raider diaspora has more to do with ethnicity than geography. Lot of Mexicans in LA follow the Raiders no matter where they move.. I wouldn't say it's necessarily about neighborhood. But I guess there could still be some guys in South Central w/early 90s Kings starter jackets & standard issue Raider caps. /peace

Fair. As I said I'm a transplant, so I can only offer one set of experiences that dates all the way back to the halcyon days of...erm...2012. When I lived in the shadows of where the '92 riots took place and was commuting to Carson a lot I was seeing a hell of a lot more Raiders gear than I do in the San Gabriel Valley (one of the most diverse regions in the US...which extends to sports fandoms).

 

[zombie kopitar]

The Chargers clearly shouldn't be in LA, it's embarrassing to them, their fans, and the league for what a blunder it's become. They could go to Albuquerque and have a better market ffs.
Other than that this thread is stupid AF, which seems to be the glaringly obvious consensus in here anyway

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

The Chargers just need a few good seasons to endear themselves to LA, that 4-game winning streak to close last season was a start

 

[GKJ]

The Chargers just need a few good seasons to endear themselves to LA, that 4-game winning streak to close last season was a start

That 4 game winning streak is nothing. The NFL is not a year-to-year league

 

[Babe Ruth]

The Chargers clearly shouldn't be in LA, it's embarrassing to them, their fans, and the league for what a blunder it's become. They could go to Albuquerque and have a better market ffs.
Other than that this thread is stupid AF..

It feels like the NFL (as a collective institution) wanted football back in LA, no matter how ill-conceived.
I lived in LA thru many NFL-less years, and it seemed like nobody cared about it's absence. LA is Lakers all the time (winning or losing), and Angelenos can go watch 'SC play if they have an appetite for football.. Rams, Raiders, and AFL Chargers have come & gone & come back, and will probably leave again. The NFL will be upset when teams leave again.. most of LA probably won't care.
As far as the thread being 'stupid', it's March what else are NFL fans gonna talk about..

 

[GKJ]

They just built the stadium for 2 teams, neither one will leave until they need a new stadium in LA and don’t get it. So that’s, like, 30 years out or so.

 

[StreetHawk]

They just built the stadium for 2 teams, neither one will leave until they need a new stadium in LA and don’t get it. So that’s, like, 30 years out or so.

It was a privately funded stadium so only the chargers who are tenants could leave in the time frame you suggested. Rams would have to continue to spend money to renovate the stadium as the years go on.

 

[GKJ]

It was a privately funded stadium so only the chargers who are tenants could leave in the time frame you suggested. Rams would have to continue to spend money to renovate the stadium as the years go on.

The same actually applies for the Jets too I believe. They can get out if they want.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Furthermore, if my alignment were in place for 2021, Dallas would be playing at Miami for each team's 17th game, which would happen to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cowboys' first Super Bowl win, which was over Miami.

Dallas' 6-10 record would have been good for third place in the NFC South, and Miami's 10-6 record would have placed them third in the AFC South, using my alignment.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

And the Chargers might have a solution years down the road for a new stadium.

Angel Stadium of Anaheim, despite renovations since 1997, is in its 56th season of operation, a lot of sports venues built in the 60s didn't make it to 50 years old.

I could see the Chargers and Angels teaming up to build a stadium complex somewhere in Orange County, preferably Anaheim, but in any event I could see a name change to Orange County Chargers to make them the OC's team.

As far as the Jets, they jointly own and operate MetLife Stadium with the Giants. Those teams are scheduled to meet next in 2023, and they could be prepared to offer ABC incentive to televise their meeting as one of the three MNF games that will be exclusive to that network - WCBS (CBS), WNBC (NBC), and WNYW (Fox) have all aired Giants-Jets games, but WABC (ABC) has not.

 

[GKJ]

Chargers aren’t moving out of that stadium just to do it. The Dodgers haven’t even had a new stadium and they most certainly have the power and money to do it. If they’re not, the Angels won’t either. And no one cares about Orange County, the Angels tried twice to disassociate themselves as being a Los Angeles team and guess what, they’re went back to being the Los Angeles Angels because the money is being Los Angeles.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

I get your point about Orange County, but still, the Chargers will want at some point to play in a stadium they have control over.

 

[Centrum Hockey]

The chargers had a real dedicated fanbase in San Diego there should have been a better effort on the NFL's part to keep them their.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

The chargers had a real dedicated fanbase in San Diego there should have been a better effort on the NFL's part to keep them their.

There are still probably people in San Diego who support the Chargers. Remember LA isn't that far away, and SD has never been part of the NBA long-term, nor has it ever had an NHL team. People in SD are content with rooting for the LA area teams in the NBA and NHL.

 

[GKJ]

I get your point about Orange County, but still, the Chargers will want at some point to play in a stadium they have control over.

Why though? The NFL is basically paying them to be the second tenant in SoFi. Their lease is $1.00 per year. Literally 4 quarters. And locked in at that for 20 years.

 

[Unholy Diver]

Why though? The NFL is basically paying them to be the second tenant in SoFi. Their lease is $1.00 per year. Literally 4 quarters. And locked in at that for 20 years.

Yeah but why do that when you can potentially spend hundreds of millions on a new stadium

 

[nilan30]

The NFL plays once a week. They don’t need geographical divisions.

I think this is basically all that really needs to be said on the topic. I guess if they wanted they could use non-geographical names to fix the issue. But even that isn't really necessary