Chargers, Rams vie to be top dog in LA
City rivals face off for bragging rights
They can chalk up another milestone for the history of pro football in Los Angeles this weekend, when the Rams and Chargers clash Saturday at L.A. Coliseum. It will be the first game in 23 years, preseason or otherwise, matching two NFL franchises representing L.A.
To the winner goes temporary bragging rights.
Sure, it’s just an exhibition. But in the race to capture the hearts of L.A. fans, optics are to be claimed. Fight for L.A.? That’s the marketing slogan the newest entrant to the nation’s second-largest market, the Chargers, have adopted upon their transplant from San Diego. And it could be interpreted as an in-yourface affront to the Rams, who staked a claim upon returning to L.A. last year.
Naturally, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn, like his Rams counterpart, Sean McVay, downplays any competition against the Rams. No matter. There’s competition, whether they want to admit it or not. Competition that extends beyond the actual fights that occurred this month when the teams practiced together.
“We need to put a good product on the field,” Chargers chairman Dean Spanos told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s a major portion of what we need to do.”
The Chargers, rebuilding with a new coach, were 5-11 last season. The same for the Rams, rebuilding with a new coach after a 4-12 finish.
As if trying to win over fans with one floundering franchise wasn’t enough. The NFL has doubled down and given the L.A. market two rebuilding projects.
OK, it’s a long-term proposition, which will get a boost from the stadium that Rams owner Stan Kroenke is constructing in Inglewood, set to open in 2020. The Chargers (0-2 in preseason) might be better equipped at the moment, bolstered by a proven quarterback, Philip Rivers. The Rams (2-0) are building with Jared Goff, the quarterback drafted No. 1 overall last year.
“To succeed here, you’ve got to win,” Jim Hill, the legendary sports anchor for KCBS-TV, said. “Al Davis said it best. Just win, baby.”
Hill knows. It’s a crowded market. Besides the many non-sports attractions competing for attention and entertainment dollars, there are two MLB, two NBA and two NHL franchises in tow. And two colleges, UCLA and Southern California, generating pro-level buzz and revenue.
It’s striking that Hill mentioned Davis, the late Raiders icon, whose franchise spent 13 years in Los Angeles until moving back to Oakland in 1995. The Raiders still have such a strong foothold in the market that Davis’ son, Mark, now owning the franchise poised for a move to Las Vegas, wasn’t completely kidding when he trolled the Rams and Chargers this week and contended that they are jockeying to become the second-most popular NFL franchise in L.A. Ouch.
No, the Rams and Chargers can hardly view the other as their biggest rival.
“Usually, you’re relocating to a market that’s underrepresented and it welcomes you with open arms,” sports consultant Marc Ganis told USA TODAY Sports. “This is a different situation.”
Ganis contends that the NFL can ultimately be successful in L.A., pointing to the palace that Kroenke is building as a game-changer. “It will have ‘wow factor’ oozing out of every slab of concrete,” he says.
Then there are the Summer Games, awarded to L.A. for 2028.
While the Olympics add juice and stature, Ganis realizes that in this case they will also compete against the NFL entities for sponsorships, media coverage and the public’s attention.
“It’s not a zero-sum game,” Ganis said of NFL prospects, “but it’s a limited-sum game.”
In the meantime, the Rams and Chargers are pressed to inspire a new generation of fans that never knew football in L.A. while reclaiming older fans.
“There’s plenty of fans to go around for every team here,” Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said.
Demoff maintains that even without teams in the market, L.A. didn’t lose all of its passion for the NFL.
But a large portion of those fans follow other teams and have become used to getting the best games offered on TV each weekend. Now they’ll be saturated with the Rams and Chargers.
“The bottom line is that we have to establish an emotional connection.” Demoff said.
Which is precisely why winning consistently is so crucial in settling the battle for L.A.