Written by Eric Edholm at YahooSports.com
The Bolts are bolting, it would appear.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the San Diego Chargers are planning to announce this week, and as early as Thursday, that they are moving to Los Angeles. The Chargers had been in San Diego since the AFL days starting in 1961, moving from L.A. following the franchise’s inaugural season of 1960.
The report says that Chargers have told NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other NFL owners of their intent to move for the 2017 season, but Chargers chairman Dean Spanos has yet to send a formal relocation letter to the NFL. Spanos also hasn’t formally informed public officials in either city of the team’s plans, so there’s a chance — albeit remote — that he could change his course last minute.
But given that Spanos and the franchise have been seeking a new stadium for parts of two frustrating decades, all signs strongly point to a move.
Even amid all the talk for more than a year that the team could leave San Diego, the timing is surprising considering that the NFL did not want to have a team relocation occur during the divisional playoff weekend. That’s why the league pushed back the franchise’s deadline to move from this Sunday to next Tuesday, following Monday’s national holiday for Martin Luther King Day.
The NFL owners who make up the league’s stadium and finance committees met in New York City on Wednesday, and it was notable that the Chargers did not attend the meeting, nor did the owners spend much of the 3.5-hour meeting discussing the situation. Most of the time was spent by the committees discussing the Oakland Raiders and their possible move to Las Vegas, which might have indicated that the NFL knew what was coming from Spanos.
Despite the extension that was granted the team apparently will make its intentions known soon. It likely will come prior to San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer giving his State of the City address Thursday night.
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