The Chargers are moving to Los Angeles because the city chose to put its own needs before those of a sports franchise and its wealthy backersSooner or later the public welfare office for sports billionaires is going to close. American cities will look at the more than $7bn of taxpayer money spent in the last 20 years on football stadiums alone and say: “Enough!”On Thursday, the San Diego Chargers announced they will be leaving the city where they have played for the last 56 years, and will move to Los Angeles. They are doing this because the politicians and voters in San Diego did not give Chargers owner Dean Spanos the same golden gift Atlanta and Seattle and all the...
A report shows the highest rate of game-day arrests at NFL stadiums isn’t in Philly or Oakland but, contrary to reputation, in sunny San Diego. Can it be true?The scene at Qualcomm Stadium is loud and booze-soaked, but you’d be hard-pressed to guess you were at the NFL’s most belligerent stadium for its most belligerent affair of the year.Earlier this year, the Washington Post for the first time compiled game-day arrest records from across the NFL. It arrived at a surprising conclusion: more people are arrested at San Diego Chargers games than anywhere else. Related: Beware the walking dead: the San Diego Chargers' $10m farewell tour Related: Why the Oakland Raiders' stunning turnaround could be bittersweet for fans Continue reading...
The Broncos look to continue their flawless title defense, while the Falcons look to soar in the Superdome. Plus, take part in our tipping contestWhat a week it has been in the NFL. First we learned that the Vikings might not have been crazy to trade for Sam Bradford, then that Matt Forte does an alarmingly good Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. I would ask who could ever have predicted such a thing, but in fact I already know the answer - grafhamboy - the one and only person to call every game correctly in week two. Related: Patriots make light of Brady and Garoppolo absences to beat Texans Continue reading...