Somehow, It's Fitting

Fifty years of Chargers football has come and gone. NFL Legends have stepped onto the field at what was once Jack Murphy Stadium, now Qualcomm, and with poise and presence have donned the blue and yellow. Who could ever forget the vertical offense of Air Coryell, Ladainian Tomlinson's tenacious legs, or Junior Seau's brute force.

Fifty years, nine AFC west championships, one AFC Championship, one Super Bowl berth, zero Super Bowl wins. It is the last item on that list that has plagued the Chargers since the AFL-NFL merger. Historically, the Chargers have always been a solid contender for the post-season (*notice* i disregard the turn of the millennium era Chargers organization when Peyton Manning was taken from us by the flip of a coin, and we were given one of the worst quarterbacks in the history of the game). The issue is that they just can never seem to win the big one.

One thing that the Chargers organization has carried throughout the years has been the stigma of their fan base. Since the inception of their tenure in fandom, Chargers fans have been called fickle by almost every other organization in the NFL, including at times, the Chargers themselves. There are those, certainly, probably more than I would like, who will jump on the bandwagon when the Chargers go 14-2 in the regular season, watch the one playoff game that they lose, and then return to supporting the Colts, Steelers, or Patriots, any team that will actually win. I, myself, was raised by my parents to be a Chargers fan through thick and thin, and one thing is for sure, we're masters at handling defeat. These people that fall off the bandwagon, only do it because they can't handle the defeat. They need the Steelers six Super Bowl wins to assure them that everything is going to be okay. If the Chargers had six Super Bowl rings I can guarantee that they would have a much stronger national following and fan base than they do, but that is not the case.

Any fan base is going to lose hope in a team when they don't win. That is why I thank god that I wasn't born a Lions fan. But when you come so close, so many times, it tends to take an emotional toll in the fans. They can handle a 7-9 season where a team won't make the post-season, but they can't handle a 14-2 season where you lose the your first playoff game. It's like climbing to the top of the mountain, and when you're almost at the top, someone runs out of nowhere and pushes you off the side. It's frustrating.

And now, after frustrating the fan base to no end, the Charger's fiftieth anniversary celebration, set to take place Sunday, November 29th, where members of the "Greatest Chargers Roster" will be in attendance could possibly be blacked out for local audiences. You've got to be kidding me. This is one giant smack in the face to anyone who has ever called themselves a Charger fan. The fiftieth anniversary is set to not only honor players, but also anyone connected to the franchise. If the majority of the fan base isn't at the game, what's the point. The fault lies with whoever had the bright idea of scheduling the fiftieth anniversary during a game where they play the Chiefs. Currently, there are 7,300 seats left and there is no word of any company planning on making a big purchase. I feel like the Chargers organization should buy whatever tickets remain in order to lift the blackout.

I can't speak for all Charger fans, but I have been supportive all the way from the 1-15 season in 2000 and also the Super Bowl berth in 1994, and I deserve to be honored for my loyal service. I'm going to be greedy and say that now I want the little credit thats due to me.

It is just so fitting that a team who never comes up big when it needs to in game situations, also fails to come up big in regards to their fans.