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May 10
2009
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A New Season and a New Sense of Stadium Urgency
By Veronica Pacheco
With the 2009 NFL Draft finally over, all of us Charger fans, can celebrate that we are that much closer to the start of what looks like another exciting season.
Next, we'll have training camps, then preseason, and before you know it, Game 1 versus those silver and black wearing guys to the north. It's only 130 days, 3142 hours, 188558 minutes, or 11313514 seconds until opening day kick-off, give or take a few depending on when you're reading this! We picked up some serious talent in the Draft and our squad is healthy and looking more mean and determined than ever before.
However, what will all of this mean if the Chargers aren't here next year or the year after? Will we ever get to see players like Larry English develop into the next Reggie White or Michael Strahan? Will the signing of Shawne Merriman and an uncapped 2010 be a key distraction from the bigger issues of the day such as whether the Chargers stay or leave San Diego?
One thing is for sure; we all have our roles to play. The players' focus needs to be making it to the big game and hoisting that Lombardi trophy in the air. Management needs to focus on player contracts, negotiations, etc, and we the fans need to make sure that we're doing everything we can to support our home team. There's no more meaningful way to show your support than helping the Chargers get a new stadium built in San Diego and remain competitive in a league full of new stadiums. With other teams in the league leveraging their state of the art stadiums to gain a financial advantage by paying bigger bonuses and offering key personnel larger contracts, it goes without saying that 2009 will be a make or break year for the Chargers' future in San Diego County.
In an ideal situation, the 2009 Chargers will go on to win the first Superbowl Championship this city has ever seen and build a new stadium as citizens throughout the County rally around the team during this post-win high (See the 1998 San Diego Padres). However, things don't always work out the way they should so we have to be realists.
It's time for all of us to step up to the goal line and rush for the future of this team. You can make a huge difference that is why the San Diego Stadium Coalition needs your help. Hand out SDSC flyers at Chargers games. Email your friends and family about the stadium issue. Write your local publication or politician. Attend special events and gatherings about the Chargers stadium effort. Let's get this done! Are you game?