Chargers leaving San Diego

Los Angeles, the second biggest city in the country, has an issue with the most popular sport in the country. It's strange, isn't it? Even if you aren't into sports it is interesting to ponder that. After all, you would think that a city that big would be able to support at least one football team.

The San Diego Chargers have left their home base of over 50 years to move up the road to Los Angeles. It's a horrible idea for them. The St. Louis Rams were once the Los Angeles Rams and they moved from St. Louis back "home" to Los Angeles and it's been terrible so far. After the initial homecoming very few people have been going to the games. Los Angeles is a very tough spots town. Unless you win, people don't care. Even if you win, you better do so in a flashy, attractive way or people won't care. In Boston, New York, Philadelphia or Chicago people will care about their teams win or lose. Why is Los Angeles so different?

I don't have actual demographics for this but I don't think Los Angeles has a high number of natives in the actual city. I assume it's like New York City in the fact that a large number of it's citizens are not born in the city. I don't think it's a majority-but the percentage might be high. If you care about sports and aren't from Los Angeles you are more likely to root for your home town team, even if you don't like your home town. That might be one reason why Los Angeles teams struggle a bit. Sports partially relies on history-it's not uncommon for several generations to like the same sports teams. Los Angeles might not have that either.

You also have the west coast lifestyle, which is vastly different from the east coast.  The east coast is much more intense and passionate about everything than the laid back and relaxed west coast. I'm not saying that's good or bad it's just my observations. A majority of Bostonians may not follow the Red Sox intensely but they surely know someone who does. Can the citizens of Los Angeles say the same thing? Probably not. Entertainment is king over there, not sports.

Obviously, the Chargers weren't making money in San Diego anymore or else they would have stayed there. In the world of sports winning is second only to money. Sadly, it seems like San Diego divorced their first wife to run off with the secretary. They will quickly find out that the grass isn't greener.