University Study: Chargers Fans 11th Most Loyal

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

Houston at 15 is overrated. Fans never embraced the team until they started winning.

[TABF]

The Chargers have every disadvantage you can imagine and are still 11 based on their math... I'm happy w/that.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

How do you figure that they have every disadvantage?

[TABF]

How do you figure that they have every disadvantage?

Well now... We reside in the 2nd oldest NFL stadium, we play in the NFL's largest melting pot, we have a 3rd world country to our south, a very large ocean to our west, very little population to our east until you hit Cardinal country and the largest TV market in our state to our immediate north, and they hate us. Further, we get very little national coverage as ESPN is too busy polishing off Brady and Co. Last but not least, we don't have any shiny Lombardi's to attract the newer fans. Oh the kicker, which I know people hate to hear, but we have year round weather and activities that make it easy not to attend or even watch a game.

Plenty of teams have hurdles... I don't think many have the size and/or quantity of hurdles that we have.

[Mister Hoarse]

Time to hurdle these hurdles like yertle the turtle

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

we play in the NFL's largest melting pot

Pardon?

we have a 3rd world country to our south

You should try visiting a third world country sometime. Your view of Mexico would be dramatically altered.

a very large ocean to our west, very little population to our east until you hit Cardinal country and the largest TV market in our state to our immediate north, and they hate us.

The Padres' mantra doesn't really apply to an NFL team since local TV deals have little impact. Baseball, hockey and basketball are all "local" sports. But the NFL is pretty national given the fewer number of games and national exposure through DirecTV and the ubiquity of TV coverage. LA "hates" the Chargers?

Further, we get very little national coverage as ESPN is too busy polishing off Brady and Co.

True, but wasn't always the case. Just go back a few years ago. Might not have challenged the Pats, but it was pretty extensive back when the team was good and challenging for titles.

Last but not least, we don't have any shiny Lombardi's to attract the newer fans.

What? Are you arguing that the dusty Raider trophy case is attracting newer fans for them????

Oh the kicker, which I know people hate to hear, but we have year round weather and activities that make it easy not to attend or even watch a game.

Please. Stadium's usually filled on Sundays. Sports bars are packed. When I go to out of town games, I see lots of locals traveling with the team...giving up all that weather and activity to go to...Atlanta or wherever.

Plenty of teams have hurdles... I don't think many have the size and/or quantity of hurdles that we have.

Myopic, IMO

[MakoShark]

Well now... We reside in the 2nd oldest NFL stadium, we play in the NFL's largest melting pot, we have a 3rd world country to our south, a very large ocean to our west, very little population to our east until you hit Cardinal country and the largest TV market in our state to our immediate north, and they hate us. Further, we get very little national coverage as ESPN is too busy polishing off Brady and Co. Last but not least, we don't have any shiny Lombardi's to attract the newer fans. Oh the kicker, which I know people hate to hear, but we have year round weather and activities that make it easy not to attend or even watch a game.

Plenty of teams have hurdles... I don't think many have the size and/or quantity of hurdles that we have.

Actually BKR, I think TBF makes some very valid points. And with all that considered, the facts that the stadium is still full (mostly), people travel to see the team on the road and the sports bars are full further go toward his points.

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

Actually BKR, I think TBF makes some very valid points. And with all that considered, the facts that the stadium is still full (mostly), people travel to see the team on the road and the sports bars are full further go toward his points.

His point is that SD has "every disadvantage." That's just untrue in comparison to some other markets, like Jacksonville, St Louis, Buffalo, Minnesota, Cincy and Detroit. Maybe even some others. Heck even Green Bay has to overcome some challenges that are bigger than what SD faces. San Diego has a lot going for it, actually. The stadium, IMO is the biggest problem. The addressable market, IMO, is the least valid concern. The Chargers have the whole of SoCal to themselves. History notwithstanding, aggressive marketing and success could win over a ton of converts in one of the densest population centers in the country. Phoenix to the east is a transient city that has never really bought into the Cardinals, especially since the Cards have been largely non-factors. IMO, he makes a case for the Chargers missing opportunities rather than being the victims of constraints.

[MakoShark]

Yes, those other markets have challenges of their own, but I feel SD has to overcome more and has to overcome bigger. I cannot for the life of me see how GB is anywhere close to SD in this regard.

1st. I would agree that SD is the NFL's largest "melting pot". SD is also the NFL's largest "military" city and that contributes to the melting pot in a huge way. All 5 branches of the Armed Forces are represented in SD in a big way and this not only means SD locals get shipped out, but the influx from all over the country is immense. Combine this with the close proximity to Mexico (who's residents are dying to get into this country for a hand out) and TDF's "melting pot" point is accurate. This influx of people is a market that the Chargers have to find a way to tap into. Problem is that most of this influx either doesn't care about American Football or shows up with a preconcieved loyalty to another team.

Your comments on Pheonix could also apply to LA, IMO. I don't think LA hates SD so to speak, but they don't view the city in a positive light either. I think LA looks at SD as its annoying little step-sibling and they carry an aire of superiority among themselves when it comes to how they view SD. If LA were such a viable market, then the Chargers surely would have tapped into it by now or, at least, tried to tap into it. I think they feel that the ROI in targeting that market is too low and therefor not cost effective.

In the media there is an east coast bias. We all know that. The whole country know that. Even when we had LT lighting it up and we were contenders I felt our coverage was minimal. I'm east of the Mississippi so I say this with complete fairness. ESPN has never annointed us or any player for us as one of their poster children like they have with Brady, the Mannings, Favre and even Vick.

We have a crap stadium, no Lombardi's and a history of bad ownership. A legacy that consists of the "Air Coryell" days, 1 trip to the SB, and one of the biggest draft busts in history. How do you reel in new fans with that?

[Steve]

I kinda question the whole thing. They are looking at the "fan base" over the last 3 years. Nice as an academic exercise, but the real base are the people who root no matter what, and in that regard, I always felt our warped little community was pretty strong. I mean, how many times can you have your hopes and dreams crushed (really crushed) and still line up to be first in line at the nose punching contest, and yet here we are, year after year.

Looking at the teams in front of us, almost all of them have been better then us in recent memory, so is it really talking about the fan base, or the number of fair weather fans? Not that I have any idea how you can seperate the two in an objective sense.

[TABF]

His point is that SD has "every disadvantage." That's just untrue in comparison to some other markets, like Jacksonville, St Louis, Buffalo, Minnesota, Cincy and Detroit. Maybe even some others. Heck even Green Bay has to overcome some challenges that are bigger than what SD faces. San Diego has a lot going for it, actually. The stadium, IMO is the biggest problem. The addressable market, IMO, is the least valid concern. The Chargers have the whole of SoCal to themselves. History notwithstanding, aggressive marketing and success could win over a ton of converts in one of the densest population centers in the country. Phoenix to the east is a transient city that has never really bought into the Cardinals, especially since the Cards have been largely non-factors. IMO, he makes a case for the Chargers missing opportunities rather than being the victims of constraints.

Sure there are missed opportunities but we still have enormous disadvantages that most if not all NFL teams don't have...

• Mexico is an underdeveloped crime, poverty and corruption laden country that does not support American Football to any level that it is in the U.S. or Canada. Sure they have American football in Mexico and sure some of the residents are good hard working people and love American Football... But do they provide support to boost a fan base? I don't think so. If we had a non NFL U.S. major city to our south I think we would glean much more support from that. Lastly, I know a ton about Mexico.
• Show me an NFL city that has a larger melting pot fan base, 'Pardon' doesn't do that.
• Do you really not think that the SB history of the team has anything to do with a fan base?
• The stadium is filled most Sundays, but not filled to the brim and take a look at the amount of "black outs" we have or have to avert last minute.

[Steve]

The SB thing was all the Raiders fans used to talk about, even though recently I don't think there are too many Raiders fans who have been out on parole long enough to remember the last time they won one.