Chargers Drama Stars San Diego Mayor On New York Stage

Our top story on the day addition NFL owners were attentive and inquisitive during Mayor falconers stadium presentation in New York but that was about the only good news. Specifically stadium team got yesterday. When of the orders Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers came out in support of the Chargers plan to move to Carson and the Chargers announced that the CEO of Disney Incorporated was on their side to. Bob Geiger whose Corporation also owns ESPN will head the Carson Stadium project or the Chargers in Oakland Raiders if the site is chosen by the NFL. So where does that leave San Diego? Joining me to try to figure that out our 20 minute lotto consultant to the mayor on stadium issues and owner and CEO of Apex strategies to public affairs firm, Tony, welcome to the program. Thinks revenue. And Jim was a big series sports. NBC San Diego and former Chargers linebacker. Jim, welcome. Enqueue. For Tony probably got an inside track on what happened at the meeting yesterday. To the San Diego stadium team to what needed to? Yeah, absolutely. They feel really good. They walked out of that meeting feeling good about the presentation, feeling good about the questions they receive the feedback he received. They got on the plane back to San Diego last night feeling really good. Now let me as both ecosystem we start with you, Tony, homeport was a meeting?'s binoculars very important. For a long time now the only thing that these owners have been hearing and these owners are not involved in the San Diego stadium issue like we are, they probably check in the sending a stadium issue maybe once, twice every 60 to 90 days. And most the information they are receiving was from the media from the Chargers. And as you know the Chargers have been hostile toward any progress in San Diego. Was really important for the mayor to get for these owners and for supervisor Ron Roberts as well to deliver. This is the person made cynical. This is the plan and you know, they feel that that meeting went really well and there's a lot of good back-and-forth at the end of that meeting. Now Jim, homeport duty is more meeting was? To Mac was important that dialogue and Tony, correct me from wrong but there were some from one mins with the owners AutEx you are correct the[ Indiscernible ] when on virtual but a month ago and met with 45 the owners so they are developing relationships and then for the mayor and Ron to do their thing in front of large group, large refiners epic is worth. Billington of the commitment and you know we've had a dicey history as far as any commitment towards getting original asset like the stadium built and I think the owners need to realize that San Diego would be on that and we are in position to accommodate NFL team in the way they need to be accommodated these days seems. Knows anything said by the owners, Tony, before after the meeting that leads you to believe that they may be siding with keeping the team in San Diego? Any hence? Yeah Kevin a Sever column where he does quote an owner who says of the three presentations we heard, the Raiders presented the Rams presented and the city of Oakland the city of St. Louis city of San Diego, Cindy goes from his presentation. Spends a good sign. And the questions that the mayor and Ron forgetting word about the validity of the plan, they were about timing and how can we guarantee that a stadium will be built in San Diego if you put this to a vote in June? Their response was we can't guarantee any election results. We have favorable poll results and we know that if the Chargers and the city were the county for this coalition get behind this plan, it will pass. It happened at Petco. Right, will apparently the NFL owners as Tony says which to express concern about the idea that voters would have to approve the stadium plan spent Music and playing attention because is quite be difficult matter how ironclad this plan seems to be to those of us were supporting a new regional asset like a stadium like this, it's going to be a tough sell and meet other. Yeah, is it likely that they may not voters in San Diego may not approve a stadium? At the possibility. We could say the strong possibility but they voted for Petco Park world that worked out so I think is a shining example of what can be a college. How big a problem is it that Mayor Feltner cannot go to these NFL owners and site now, we don't have to wait on this vote here go we know that we can make the stadium to happen. How big a problem is that for us Tony Kim XP Mac topic of significant problem your technology info. To does not that far away. The issue is as are going to turn the Chargers from a hostile participant a non-partner into which your leader. So can they make that transition? They want to get the natural NFL that hey were either moving forward with Stan crocking angle worth singling to work out in San Diego. They're not going to come back to the table without some sort of pushed by the NFL And I think the city should imitate the Chargers approached your call anytime there's a major announcement [ Indiscernible ] comes at us probably believes the public was really cripple progressing the city needs to start lining up its supporters and maybe it'd think it's a simplistic solution I know and you can chuckle if you want but there's a list of doing errors. Would start calling around billionaires see who wants to get involved in owning a piece of football team should that part of the Chargers become available and see who's interested in printer on money into a stadium. And Steve Balmer the classic case of the Clippers being purchased for $2 billion bonus and they were worse than a little less than 1 billion there was Steve Balmer's other. He's not the one and only pulling her thoughts of cash who wants to get involved in professional sports. So the city should I think as part of its strategy start calling the billionaires. Roosevelt's person the world? Bill Gates of the Carlos Slim bye Carlos he has a place in Coronado. He's on the driving range sometimes. Wide-eyed hemoglobin idea. Yetis in the backyard. @Debra billionaires. Bitches getting those numbers are hard left back now you brought up Bob Eiger is the Disney CEO that has been per with the Chargers. Bob Eiger is described in the UT as a major Los Angeles power player. What does he bring to the Carson plan Jim? While I think you know, he brings along so much credibility as far as being a business person who is vision to run a corporation like Disney and ESPN. Hyssop is a salary that matches rubber catalpa Commissioner. That both made 46 point dollars recently. Think Eiger made it last year and last time to delve salary and also 2013 at the key made 46 point dollars also. So he has something common with the Commissioner. 21, number two, I think he brings quite a bit. Will, sure, if this is really legit. ICs is just the pure play. I mean the way the time this announcement, there's nothing that guarantees that he will sign on. Visual ironclad agreement. He will sign on if Carson is selected by the leak. Even some owners it's been reported sought a sort of window-dressing a strategic play. To know we sought really is a hell married because the Chargers C momentum in San Diego. They know that the city in the county have been negotiating directly with the leak for a while now. They know that the leak likes the San Diego plan likes the cynical market their building momentum with owners. The treasurer winning this race to LA and San Diego's plane was DOA would be seeing the Disney CEO sign his name onto a potential Carson plan. Review the section is a positive sign percent ago. Jim I've read a lot about how determined Dean Spano of the Chargers and Stan crocking of the Rams are to move to Los Angeles. Have heard as much by the Chargers Carson partner and that is Mark Davis of Oakland. Is there some translation there about whether or not the Oakland team wants to move?'s? Yeah, there seems to be in the supportive factor to. To start determination to move to Los Angeles and Dean's part in Crunk's part, it's an opportunity to increase volume 13 which is moving to a larger market but also there's going to be relocation fee and that gets overlooked a lot. So the readers and Chargers moved to Los Angeles, they're going to pay the other owners of big relocation fee. The popular figure I've been hearing is $300 million. Lately it's been fully the relocation fee could be $1 billion so you know, that's a drawback for an ownership group like the Spanish. Actually. And also if the Oakland Raiders don't go in with the Chargers on this Carson stadium team, new Carson stadium to the Chargers actually will dissolve in Carson by themselves? Will they were to try and put off they would have to sell a record number of PSL's. Never before. And they'd be in a new market were they don't have a strong fan base. Personal seat licenses. Thank you progression stop using echoes. To not spend money in order to have the right buy tickets and prove firstly unpopular here intended was tried after the stadium remodel. And I must say her audience is hurt so much about the stadium lately. We know what [ Indiscernible ] [laughter] So does that seem likely then? I know that this is theoretically possible. Is a practically Poppel -- possible for the Chargers to sell as much PSL as they need to in order to make that Carson stadium happen for them if they do have the Raiders with them? Will who's going to be on the hook? Goldman Sachs is just go to for the loan. Who's going to pickle the document is going to be the city Carson? Is a good Chargers? Jellinek went the lease of the PSL's don't sell and who's responsible? Whose pay is called the back? Right yet attended to be kept in mind there was a reason to teams moved out of Los Angeles the first place. And Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis were involved in the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in August and I remember reading. I kept the newspaper article that quoted both of them think we played in front of a lot of empty seats. One play for the Rams one play for the Rangers when the Raiders call Los Angeles home and that's a fact. I mean were not making this up. Football to be a tough sell Los Angeles and of the three teams, I think the Chargers are probably the least popular team in LA. Now, just as you are making the .20 that a lot of people looked at the top Eiger pulling out top Eiger as a promotional stunt during this conference in New York, there are people that think their falconer is going through the motions, going through these presentations just to save face in the San Diego leaders know that the chance of keeping the Chargers here are some non-. How would you realistically assess San Diego's chances? For Jim and I were talking up as before the show and we see it as a shovel and don't speak for Jim but I see as 40 4020. 40% chance that Stan crocking in his Inglewood project get the green light. 40% chance that these owners punt and don't do anything in January except by Martine. And we started to get a little indication of that yesterday with some of the owners were speaking to reporters after the meeting that they just collect their rushing into decision here. They want more info and then 20% chance I think that the Chargers and Deputy bring in Carson are Inglewood. Actually think that San Diego is in a really good position. The mayor's wildly popular. Is a 67% approval rating doesn't have an opponent for his reelection next year. This is not about politics to him. This is about saving something that there's only handful things that ring syndicates together picker this is been San Diego for more than 50 years. He doesn't want to see that go quietly into the night. And just to correct you, the mayor does have one challenger. Am sorry [laughter] Enqueue, gently. Engine connects the necklace not discount the sport Bettina should has gotten over the years. That the attendance figures just a Sears 68 66,000 fans and yeah sure some of them are trusted dealer fans and some of them are just as raider fans but their football fans. Become to Mission Valley because they like professional football in the second peak lost in other NFL numbers and should be lost [ Indiscernible ] they're selling a lot of tickets and the team is important to this region. Why would you want to face the uncertainty of everything LA has? Okay maybe for a lot more money in the value of the team you also have to pay that relocation fee. There's no guarantee that LA is going to work that a new stadium will get held on time and you're going to be able to sell the tickets and are going to be a raging success. You got something solid here and send a card you got 55 years of history. 55 years of people buying tickets watching TV and making a team now worth overbilling dollars. There is no argument though that the Chargers and all other actions have shown us that want to be your. Bid wanted stay here. Solicit the NFL owners choose only the St. Louis Rams to moved Inglewood in the Chargers have to stay here. Okay. Isn't there an inherent problem with that? You have the charger owners being forced to stay where they don't want to be in the city has to deal with the cranking your ticket football team down the line? Is that a problem for San Diego? Sure [laughter] But it's not a problem that can't be solved, can be resolved. If you decide that okay pictures are good workout for me in LA and he publicly turns the chapter, turns the page on your chapter and says all that is behind us. My sons and I now are taking over turning the page were going to make this work in San Diego and fans would embrace him and his sons immediately. One thing I noticed is they've turned on Mark the stadium spokesman Mark Fabiani because of his the children's criticism and his try to undermine just about any progress San Diego but they haven't turned on the team. You saw that of town hall meeting last month. 60, 70,000 tickets being sold still. Have internal team and I'll think they're going to you. Speak up [ Indiscernible ] and if this does turn were going to see a 360 from him. He's going to Spencer quickly and also he will be charming us. And honestly, that would be the scenario. And so I hope to see that happen. What's the next step in the soccer? Some basically now were just a holding pattern. We can see if going to make a decision in January or if they're going to punt and by some wartime in January. All right then. Thank you both are really appreciated. Of space with Mayor Faulkner Stadium consultant Tenney met a lot of Jim last of the sports director and NBC cynical. Think you are much. Enqueue. Thank you.