Chargers Fans Getting Pessimistic About Team’s Future in SD

After Wednesday’s town hall session with NFL executives, Chargers fans probably shouldn't be blamed if they're even more nervous about the team moving to Los Angeles – rather, the city of Carson.

In post-mortem interviews Thursday outside downtown’s Spreckels Theater, where the event was held, San Diegans offered mostly pessimistic words about keeping the team in town.

Expressions of optimism were few and far between.

“It just appears to me that the NFL has already made up their minds they’re going to move the San Diego Chargers to L.A.,” said Paradise Hills resident Larry Brady.

And the closer the NFL gets to its down-and-dirty decision-making process on franchise relocations, a lot of folks here already are getting used to the idea of an outcome that leaves the 'Q' empty next NFL season.

"I think it would be sad, Sundays would be a lot less fun in the fall,” La Jolla resident Michelle Gallegos told NBC 7. “But hopefully we would figure out something else to do in the fall."

So what are the odds of at least keeping the Chargers in town for another year, to redouble efforts to work out a stadium deal?

Never mind that the city’s latest, souped-up vision for a Mission Valley rebuilding venture is dead, dead on arrival as far as the team is concerned.

There's a Plan B floating around that the Bolts actually might buy into – activist attorney Cory Briggs’ voter initiatives that would move the stadium narrative to downtown’s East Village, with a hybrid convention facility attached.

While the city's not on board with that, isn’t all this getting to be an exercise that’s too little, too late for the Chargers and NFL?

"I don't know if I'd say 'too little, too late.' It definitely would've helped if there'd been greater efforts prior to the last year or so,” said Rancho San Diego resident Tim Earl. “But obviously I support the efforts to keep the team, and I'm very hopeful that it will work out."

If the Chargers were to leave next year, they’d be on the hook for $15 million in payments still owing on the bonds that bankrolled the 1996-97 renovation and expansion of Qualcomm Stadium.