Still Fine

Like roughly half the married couples around the country, my parents divorced when I was seven years old. I can’t say it affected me in a negative way; when my Mom broke the news to me I was actually relieved to know my dad would not be living with us again. In fact, their divorce seemed like a natural thing to do; when he was around, everyone was on edge and most definitely not happy and as far as I could tell, things were pretty good when he wasn’t around. For the record, around four years later I was stricken with the news David Lee Roth had left Van Halen. My little fifth grade heart was crushed, life as I knew it was over. Mom and Dad divorce, oh well; one of the greatest rock bands ever break up, Oh the humanity! Go figure.

I was blessed that in spite of the hardships my Mom endured as a single mother of three, our home life was much better than other cases I’ve heard of and witnessed on the aftermath of an acrimonious divorce. In many cases, the children suffer more than anyone and the effects can last well into adulthood.

On something of a lighter note, the pending “Divorce” between the City of San Diego and the Chargers has left thousands of children (read: lifelong Charger fans) at a loss for (nice) words for all parties involved. Upon reading the news earlier tonight, I was saddened just as many other fans were. Even more, I was disgusted to know that they would be moving in with the Raiders. “What a terrible PR move” I initially thought to myself. But they’re leaving, so they wouldn’t care too much about their PR in San Diego.

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be subjected to plenty of hemming and hawing over who did what, who should have done what and who is to blame. But like a divorce, the ones who suffer most will be the fans; the ones who truly put their hearts and souls into the team and have little to no say over where the team goes. Personally, I think they’re as good as gone. We San Diegans cannot expect any help from the NFL; they’ve wanted a team in LA for over twenty years and if it takes making America’s Finest City NFL orphans to make it happen, they’d gladly do it. Chargers (dis)Ownership stands to make more money than ever with an LA move and when it gets down to it, football is a business to them, not a game.

Saddened as I will be, I’d say good riddance to an Ownership who contrary to public image is not known as the best local corporation to work for. This from people who have worked many years within the local professional sports community. A few weeks back, I made a halfhearted suggestion that one side of the deal; either the team or the city, would be wise to hire none other than Larry Lucchino as a consultant. If you don’t know Lucchino’s track record, look him up. The man gets things done.

As I was mulling over the possibility of the San Diego Chargers being a thing of the past, I thought of that post and something struck me; not ONE person hired by either side has any experience in getting a ballpark built. Plenty of experience in lawsuits, injunctions and accusations but not one has “Stadium Building” anywhere on the resume. So maybe any feasible stadium deal was doomed from the start. After all, I wouldn’t hire a plumber to fix my car and it makes even less sense (especially on the Chargers end) to hire a lawyer whose past accomplishments include defending one of the biggest liars in Our Nation’s history.

One of the things team ownerships “sell” in the push for a new stadium is the “Identity” the team brings to a community. Yet San Diego has had things which have been part of the local fabric, the very essence of this sleepy little Navy town since long before Barron Hilton brought the Chargers to Balboa Stadium.

The San Diego Zoo is staying put, and its intensive work is inspiring the next generation of biologists around the world; ensuring the vital work of wildlife preservation will live on long after the goalposts are torn down. The cutting-edge research being conducted at the Salk Institute will continue to improve the health of people the world over and who knows, maybe even find a cure for cancer long after the polluted soil below the Murph is finally cleaned up. And even long after the final concrete light standard is hauled out of Mission Valley, the white granite stones at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery will continue their silent vigil; keeping watch over all of us as we enjoy the freedoms given to us by those who are laid to rest there.

Yes, it would be a sad day indeed when we open the sports page to read about the Los Angeles Chargers. But after reading that last paragraph, can you really convince yourself it matters that much? After all, NFL or no NFL; we’ll still be a damn fine city…