Can L.T.'s number retirement help save Chargers?
PostPosted:9 years 7 months ago
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/new ... elebrated/
Can L.T.'s number retirement help save Chargers?
by Kevin Acee
Lorenzo Neal could hardly be heard as he introduced LaDainian Tomlinson.
The chants began even before Neal called for them.
“L-T, L-T, L-T”
A full minute later, Tomlinson lifted a head that had been bowed and wiped at his cheeks. As he began to speak, cheers were still overwhelming his words coming across the public address system.
For just a few minutes during halftime of Sunday’s 33-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, we were taken back to a better time in Chargers history.
“You inspired us to make this place special,” Tomlinson told the fans in closing his brief but emotionally charged remarks. “We won a lot of games because of you. Thank you San Diego, I love you.”
More cheers, more chants.
A “21” banner was raised atop the north side of the stadium’s upper ring between the “55” banner honoring Junior Seau and one listing the five AFC West titles won during Tomlinson’s nine seasons as a Charger.
I hope the whole thing made Dean Spanos cry.
I think it might have.
And, believe it or not, this could play a role in the Chargers ultimately remaining in San Diego – if Spanos is as human as I suspect.
This could be the day the Chargers chairman was reminded why he should stay in San Diego, why he tried for so long and why he should try harder for longer.
Spanos watched from his suite looking down on midfield. His sons, A.G. and John, were on the dais with Tomlinson’s family.
It was the right thing for Dean to stay away at this point, though it’s too bad it reached this point.
L.T. was one of Spanos’ favorite players. He stepped in to hasten the running back’s contract negotiations in 2004 and worked to make sure Tomlinson was brought back into the franchise’s fold in 2012.
But his choice to not detract from L.T.’s moment was shown to be correct. Tomlinson had the foresight to not even mention the Spanos name when thanking “the organization,” but vociferous boos rained down anyway.
It hurt the elder Spanos. It had to.
Dean plays the heavy, says he has thick skin. He doesn’t.
I’ve seen his eyes well up and his face get red and seen him pull himself back before he spills over with emotion. He cares about how he’s perceived.
It’s been a quarter-century for me, spending time in formal and informal situations talking with people so I can tell stories. I’ve been snowed enough and had people lie to me enough to know most times it happens.
I believe this about Spanos: He is frustrated beyond words about what he hasn’t been able to achieve in San Diego. He gave up at least a year ago. But Deno doesn’t want to leave San Diego. He just believes no stadium will ever get built here.
That can change, with some help.
The NFL will eventually appeal to/compel at least one of the three disgruntled team owners looking to bail to Los Angeles to remain in their home market. The league has to do so. Even Los Angeles doesn’t have room for two stadiums and three teams.
And a large faction of owners and NFL decision makers love San Diego as an NFL market.
There seems an air of inevitability that Spanos and St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke will be made to discuss their dueling stadium projects in Los Angeles, with the thinking being they would formulate some sort of merger wherein their teams would play in Inglewood.
But Kroenke, according to multiple people familiar with his maneuvers and proposals, is willing to help the Chargers and/or Raiders stay where they are. That could also be the outcome of a brokered deal that averts war over L.A. and allows Spanos to say he chose to give it another go in San Diego.
The NFL, in fact, may well appeal to the owners’ humanity as it works for a universal solution. Look, no one is going bankrupt in a new stadium in any of the markets. We’re not going to pretend money isn’t important. But everyone has some level of desire to be liked. Often, the bigger the ego, the bigger that desire.
It makes sense that Spanos would be the one to be coerced into being the hero.
Whatever you think about Spanos, he is a teddy bear next to St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke. Whatever you believe regarding how diligently the Chargers tried to get a stadium done over 14 years in San Diego, what Spanos has done here is the book of Exodus in comparison to Kroenke’s stadium efforts in St. Louis.
Spanos’ sons live in San Diego and manage the Chargers on a daily basis. Kroenke’s son lives in Denver, where he runs the family’s NBA and NHL teams.
I’m not predicting a successful ballot measure here. I’m simply saying we can try and may get the chance.
This makes sense. It does to some in the NFL. It can to Spanos.
He is full-go to Los Angeles. Believe that. But life is not black and white. He knows he might not be able to move in 2016 and has at least put into motion contingency plans for that possibility.
I’ve seen Spanos light up talking about those years last decade when the Chargers were among the league’s winningest teams. I know back then he believe his legacy would be having gotten a stadium built and then moving onto greener fairways, having left the running of the team to his sons.
That legacy is still possible.
I hope – if he could hear himself think through all the adulation – that Spanos thought about that Sunday.
Can L.T.'s number retirement help save Chargers?
by Kevin Acee
Lorenzo Neal could hardly be heard as he introduced LaDainian Tomlinson.
The chants began even before Neal called for them.
“L-T, L-T, L-T”
A full minute later, Tomlinson lifted a head that had been bowed and wiped at his cheeks. As he began to speak, cheers were still overwhelming his words coming across the public address system.
For just a few minutes during halftime of Sunday’s 33-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, we were taken back to a better time in Chargers history.
“You inspired us to make this place special,” Tomlinson told the fans in closing his brief but emotionally charged remarks. “We won a lot of games because of you. Thank you San Diego, I love you.”
More cheers, more chants.
A “21” banner was raised atop the north side of the stadium’s upper ring between the “55” banner honoring Junior Seau and one listing the five AFC West titles won during Tomlinson’s nine seasons as a Charger.
I hope the whole thing made Dean Spanos cry.
I think it might have.
And, believe it or not, this could play a role in the Chargers ultimately remaining in San Diego – if Spanos is as human as I suspect.
This could be the day the Chargers chairman was reminded why he should stay in San Diego, why he tried for so long and why he should try harder for longer.
Spanos watched from his suite looking down on midfield. His sons, A.G. and John, were on the dais with Tomlinson’s family.
It was the right thing for Dean to stay away at this point, though it’s too bad it reached this point.
L.T. was one of Spanos’ favorite players. He stepped in to hasten the running back’s contract negotiations in 2004 and worked to make sure Tomlinson was brought back into the franchise’s fold in 2012.
But his choice to not detract from L.T.’s moment was shown to be correct. Tomlinson had the foresight to not even mention the Spanos name when thanking “the organization,” but vociferous boos rained down anyway.
It hurt the elder Spanos. It had to.
Dean plays the heavy, says he has thick skin. He doesn’t.
I’ve seen his eyes well up and his face get red and seen him pull himself back before he spills over with emotion. He cares about how he’s perceived.
It’s been a quarter-century for me, spending time in formal and informal situations talking with people so I can tell stories. I’ve been snowed enough and had people lie to me enough to know most times it happens.
I believe this about Spanos: He is frustrated beyond words about what he hasn’t been able to achieve in San Diego. He gave up at least a year ago. But Deno doesn’t want to leave San Diego. He just believes no stadium will ever get built here.
That can change, with some help.
The NFL will eventually appeal to/compel at least one of the three disgruntled team owners looking to bail to Los Angeles to remain in their home market. The league has to do so. Even Los Angeles doesn’t have room for two stadiums and three teams.
And a large faction of owners and NFL decision makers love San Diego as an NFL market.
There seems an air of inevitability that Spanos and St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke will be made to discuss their dueling stadium projects in Los Angeles, with the thinking being they would formulate some sort of merger wherein their teams would play in Inglewood.
But Kroenke, according to multiple people familiar with his maneuvers and proposals, is willing to help the Chargers and/or Raiders stay where they are. That could also be the outcome of a brokered deal that averts war over L.A. and allows Spanos to say he chose to give it another go in San Diego.
The NFL, in fact, may well appeal to the owners’ humanity as it works for a universal solution. Look, no one is going bankrupt in a new stadium in any of the markets. We’re not going to pretend money isn’t important. But everyone has some level of desire to be liked. Often, the bigger the ego, the bigger that desire.
It makes sense that Spanos would be the one to be coerced into being the hero.
Whatever you think about Spanos, he is a teddy bear next to St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke. Whatever you believe regarding how diligently the Chargers tried to get a stadium done over 14 years in San Diego, what Spanos has done here is the book of Exodus in comparison to Kroenke’s stadium efforts in St. Louis.
Spanos’ sons live in San Diego and manage the Chargers on a daily basis. Kroenke’s son lives in Denver, where he runs the family’s NBA and NHL teams.
I’m not predicting a successful ballot measure here. I’m simply saying we can try and may get the chance.
This makes sense. It does to some in the NFL. It can to Spanos.
He is full-go to Los Angeles. Believe that. But life is not black and white. He knows he might not be able to move in 2016 and has at least put into motion contingency plans for that possibility.
I’ve seen Spanos light up talking about those years last decade when the Chargers were among the league’s winningest teams. I know back then he believe his legacy would be having gotten a stadium built and then moving onto greener fairways, having left the running of the team to his sons.
That legacy is still possible.
I hope – if he could hear himself think through all the adulation – that Spanos thought about that Sunday.