Goodbye To The Murph...

[CivilBolt]

And if the old stadium was already having issues with their UG piping, it would be next to impossible to fix since the soil underneath was contaminated. It would be too costly to excavate, export contaminated soil, and import new soil. Better off building a new one and raise the invert elevation of the UG piping so they don’t run into the same issue when it floods.

[JOJAX85]

Sadly, I never got to see a game in there. I had a chance once in 2003, but the wildfires changed all of that. I couldn't even go by to see the stadium, because that's where the evacuation center was set up. I'm not complaining on that end, because so many people lost everything. 40+ years as a fan. No connections to San Diego. But I really hate that I never got to go. I have absolutely no desire to go to LA.

[ghost]

Stadium story: I was at the dedication of the new stadium in Brookings, SD and the Jackrabbit alum who donated to the stadium was a former football player, who gave a private address to the players. I was brought in as a producer to coordinate the event and I hired a film crew to capture it for posterity.

This alum challenged the players in that room, to tear down the stadium he had just spent $65 million dollars to build, that bears his name. He said do it in 40 years. He told them that that should be their goal, achieve enough success in their lives to tear the building down, and replace what he'd built. Seated in front of me was TE Dallas Goedert, who will have the means in 40 years, to do just that.

Changed my way of thinking about stadiums.

[Boltnut]

I don't know if anyone has had the chance to explore the Mission Valley Site plan I posted on page 1... but here's their vision for the stadium... I can't wait!

https://missionvalley.sdsu.edu/explore/stadium

[Bolt4Knob]

They did a cost-benefit analysis on a renovation, and found that a new stadium would have cost about the same. Yes, they did consider it, per Jim Steeg, who was once the COO. The problem was just like an older car, you could only defer maintenance so much...and the city was way behind on that. Concrete does deteriorate, massive chunks could fall on people. Remember, that stadium was built as multi-purpose, so the sidelines were farther back than the endzone,

Just remember... we don't discuss the politics of the move on this site, so lets drop that. I'll miss that place, not just for football, but also for baseball. But I do look forward to the new "Aztec Warrior" stadium

Jim Steegs name! Every time I see I get a little ticked at Dean-o

To this day - if Dean had paid Steeg the same money he paid Fabby baby - the Chargers would be in San Diego,

Loved the Murph!

[La Costa Boy]

I remember my first Padres game, my first Chargers game, the Sockers, Aztecs, the first Holiday bowl, the Super Bowl, AFC Championship game, the NLCS and World Series, concerts, the Sky show.......

So much of my life is intertwined with that place. At one point I had it in my will to scatter part of my ashes in right field where Tony prowled. Some changes are not for the better IMHO.......

[Maniaque 6]

I remember the field. It was ugly sometimes.
A friend of mine called it a cow field ! He was a cowboys fan.

[Boltnut]

I remember the field. It was ugly sometimes.
A friend of mine called it a cow field ! He was a cowboys fan.

LOL! Like I said earlier, my HS football team got to take pictures on that grass... it was pristine. What would a Cowboys fan know about real grass...?

[SBbound]

Sadly, I never got to see a game in there. I had a chance once in 2003, but the wildfires changed all of that. I couldn't even go by to see the stadium, because that's where the evacuation center was set up. I'm not complaining on that end, because so many people lost everything. 40+ years as a fan. No connections to San Diego. But I really hate that I never got to go. I have absolutely no desire to go to LA.

Man, you have to go to a game in person, the vibe is different in LA of course and we all wish the Chargers could've worked out a deal for a new stadium in SD but it is what it is.
StubHub/Dignity was cool but SoFi is going to be an amazing. You cannot beat the atmosphere and overall feeling walking into the stadium and seeing your Chargers in person at a home game. You have got to go! You won't regret it. Charger fans are so hospitable.

[Boltjolt]

Man, you have to go to a game in person, the vibe is different in LA of course and we all wish the Chargers could've worked out a deal for a new stadium in SD but it is what it is.
StubHub/Dignity was cool but SoFi is going to be an amazing. You cannot beat the atmosphere and overall feeling walking into the stadium and seeing your Chargers in person at a home game. You have got to go! You won't regret it. Charger fans are so hospitable.

Best thing is you can walk up to the ticket window(SoFi) before kickoff and still get a great seat since there will be about 20,000 there.

[Guest]

Sad news - they demolished the Murph. I watched them build that place - we lived on a hill overlooking the stadium and I watched them dig that deep hole and saw it go up, little by little. I never would have expected to see them tear it down someday. I took my seven year old son down there a few teams to see it up close. The Chargers had a kind of mini-bus that you could ride down from the ElCortez Hotel, down Texas Street and into the construction area. George Gross (an OL) drove us down there and my son thought he was the best guy ever. Many great memories at the Murph

Yeah, it is sad for me too. I went to my first Padres and Chargers games there in the 1970s as a boy with my father. Then, much later, I had the chance to be a Chargers season ticket holder for 5 years beginning with the great 2006 team, which also provided some lasting memories.

I remember my boyhood idol, Dave Winfield, hitting a grand slam to dead center when the wall was still at 420 feet and high. I remember being at the game when the bat broke and flew and stuck deep in Steve Yeager's neck when he was in the on deck circle. I remember Mercury Morris running for the game winning TD in OT against SF in 1976. I remember LT breaking the TD record. I remember us intercepting Peyton Manning 6 times. I remember the Hochuli revenge blowout to end the 2008 regular season followed just a few days later by the Sproles/Scifres OT victory against the Colts in the playoffs. I remember being there for all of it and more.

I have been to Petco and I like it as a stadium and SoFi looks spectacular and I definitely want to go there as soon as this Covid-19 business is under control, but I strongly suspect that I will not like anything as much as the stadium of my childhood.

[Pointyearedog]

Chargers, Padres, All Star game in the 70's, concerts...Can't recall my last time there but I'm sure it was a Padres game.

The real sad thing is since they are building only a 35, 000 seat Stadium for the Aztecs, that tells you there will never be another NFL team in San Diego.

The city will not build another one unless a new owner pays for it. Best they can get is a XFL team.... If that survives when it comes back.

I do believe that the builders of the new stadium were given a provision to install or put into place certain elements of the stadium structure so that if someone else should decide to put some money into adding more seating, the design will allow building additions to accommodate another 15,000 - 20,000 seats.