San Diego Chargers
In 1959, the team began as the Los Angeles Chargers when they entered the American Football League. Barron Hilton, the son of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels corporation, became the first owner. Lamar Hunt asked Gene Mako for a suggestion to start a team in Los Angeles and he recommended Hilton. Hunt visited Hilton for less than an hour and Hilton immediately agreed to start a team. Barron Hilton held a contest to find a name for his team with a prize of a trip to Mexico. A man from Hollywood named Gerald Courtney submitted the name Chargers and won. The team's first general manager was Frank Leahy, a former University of Notre Dame football coach. The team's first head coach was Sid Gillman from the Los Angeles Rams. His strength lay in offense innovation and he was later honoured in the Hall of Fame. Gillman signed a contract with the team for three years. When Frank Leahy resigned due to poor health, Gillman became the general manager in addition to his coaching role. The Chargers originally planned to play at the Rose Bowl but instead signed a lease to play at the Los Angeles Coliseum. In December 1960, reports surfaced that the Chargers were considering relocation offers from San Diego, Atlanta and Seattle. Greg Gregston of the San Diego Union reported that the Chargers have learned in one season that Los Angeles has been saturated beyond sensible proportions with sports. In January 1961, the team announced the move to Balboa Stadium in San Diego's Balboa Park. Hilton was reported to have lost $900,000 in the first season. San Diego would spend $250,000 to increase stadium seating from 22,000 to 30,000. The Junior Chamber Commerce reported that there were 10,000 firm commitments for season tickets.
In 1978, San Diego hired head coach Don Coryell who would coach the team until 1986. Coryell developed a pass-heavy offensive scheme and philosophy called Air Coryell. With Dan Fouts as quarterback, the San Diego Chargers' offense was among the greatest and most exciting passing offenses in National Football League history. The Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL record six consecutive years from 1978 to 1983. They also led the league in total yards in offense in each of those seasons. Under the tutelage of Coryell, Dan Fouts, wide receiver Charlie Joiner, and tight end Kellen Winslow blossomed on the field and would all be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Chargers earned four consecutive playoff appearances from 1979 to 1982 during the Air Coryell era including three AFC West division titles from 1979 to 1981. In 1979, The Sporting News named the Chargers' team general manager Johnny Sanders the NFL Executive of the Year. Fouts set an NFL record by playing four consecutive 300-yard passing games. His achievement was established in a game in which he threw over 303 yards against the Oakland Raiders. The Chargers defeated the New Orleans Saints 35, 0 and proceeded to the playoffs for the first time in fourteen years. On the 17th of December 1979, the Chargers won their first AFC West division title by defeating the Denver Broncos 17, 7 before a national Monday Night Football television audience.
In the 1981 playoffs divisional round, the Chargers defeated the Miami Dolphins 41, 38 at the Miami Orange Bowl where the temperature on a humid day was high. The game became known as The Epic in Miami. ESPN journalists named the epic the best game in NFL history. Both teams showed strong offense. The Chargers were led by Fouts who made an NFL single season record of 4,802 yards and 33 touchdowns. This game set records for the most points scored in a playoff game with 79 points. It also recorded the greatest total yards by both teams at 1,036 yards and the most passing yards by both teams at 809 yards. The Chargers placekicker Rolf Benirschke kicked the winning 29-yard field goal after 13 minutes and 52 seconds overtime. The tight end Kellen Winslow made 13 receptions for 166 yards, a touchdown and one blocked field goal. He became exhausted and was assisted from the field by his teammates. At the AFC Championship game in Cincinnati, the Bengals defeated the Chargers 27, 7. The game became known as the Freezer Bowl. The temperature was a record low with a wind-chill factor of extreme cold. In the 1994 season, the Chargers won 11, 5. Quarterback Stan Humphries and wide receiver Tony Martin worked together to make a 99-yard touchdown completion. The players contributing to the Chargers' 1994 AFC West Division championship included linebacker Junior Seau, defensive tackles Reuben Davis and Shawn Lee and defensive end Leslie O'Neal. In the playoffs, the Chargers unexpectedly defeated the Dolphins 22, 21 in the divisional round and the Steelers 17, 13 in the AFC Championship Game. The Chargers were defeated by the 49ers 49, 26 in Super Bowl XXIX.
In 2001, Mike Riley chose Norv Turner as his offensive coordinator. Turner proposed an offense method which he had employed at the Dallas Cowboys. The Chargers signed former Buffalo Bills quarterback Doug Flutie and also traded the team's first overall selection in the 2001 NFL draft to the Atlanta Falcons. They used those selections in the 2001 draft to select Texas Christian University running back LaDainian Tomlinson and Purdue University quarterback Drew Brees. In 2006, the Chargers finished the season 14, 2, their best record ever. Their only losses came against the Ravens and Chiefs. The team lost Drew Brees in free agency to the New Orleans Saints setting the stage for 2004 draft pick Philip Rivers to take over at quarterback. They were seeded first in the AFC playoffs. In the divisional round, the Chargers were defeated by the Patriots 24, 21. After the season, Schottenheimer left and Norv Turner became the head coach. In 2007, the Chargers went 11, 5 and defeated the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts in the first two playoff rounds before being defeated by the Patriots in the AFC championship game. LaDainian Tomlinson accumulated 195 total yards from scrimmage in a late season game against the Packers to raise his season total to 2,011. He became the first Charger and the eighth player in NFL history to record consecutive 2,000-yard seasons.
The owner of the Chargers Dean Spanos advocated for many years for the city of San Diego to build a new stadium with no success. With no success, the Chargers in association with the Raiders planned to construct a new stadium in Carson California. Immediately after the conclusion of the 2016 season, the Chargers Rams and Raiders all filed applications to relocate to Los Angeles. On the 12th of January 2016, the NFL owners voted 30, 2 to allow the Rams to return to Los Angeles approving their Inglewood stadium project. The Chargers however were given an approval to relocate in one year's time under the condition they negotiate a lease or partnership agreement with the Rams. The Chargers registered the trademark Los Angeles Chargers. They submitted to the City of Santa Ana the grading and landscape plans for a five-acre parcel of land which would serve as an interim headquarters and training facility. The Chargers and Rams came to an agreement in principle on sharing the planned City of Champions Stadium to commence on the 29th of January 2016. Both teams would contribute a $200 million stadium loan from the NFL and personal seat license fees to the construction costs and would pay $1 per year in rent to the facility's controlling entity StadCo LA LLC. On the 8th of November 2016, the proposal failed to receive support at public ballot with 57 percent against and 43 percent for.
The Chargers Hall of Fame was founded in 1976. Eligible candidates must have been retired for at least four seasons. Selections for admission to the Hall of Fame are made by a five-member committee chaired by Spanos. The Chargers in 2012 allowed fans to vote for the newest member. In 2009, the Chargers announced their 50th Anniversary Team honoring the top players and coaches in the team's history. The team included 53 players and coaches selected from 103 nominees. Online voting accounted for fifty percent or 400,000 votes of the results. The remainder were from members of the Chargers Hall of Fame and five members of the local media. Dan Fouts and LaDainian Tomlinson were the most popular players. The resulting team included seven members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and eleven players from the 2009 Chargers' team. Lance Alworth won the AFL Player of the Year honors in 1965 alongside Paul Lowe who finished first. Ron Mix became the second AFL player and second Charger to be nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame during the half-time of the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl. Junior Seau received the Emil Karas Award for the team's Most Inspirational Player before leaving for the Dolphins.
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Common questions
Who founded the Los Angeles Chargers in 1959?
Barron Hilton, the son of Conrad Hilton founder of the Hilton Hotels corporation became the first owner of the team. Lamar Hunt asked Gene Mako for a suggestion to start a team and he recommended Hilton.
When did the San Diego Chargers move from Los Angeles to Balboa Stadium?
The team announced the move to Balboa Stadium in San Diego's Balboa Park in January 1961. Reports surfaced in December 1960 that the Chargers were considering relocation offers from San Diego Atlanta and Seattle.
What is Air Coryell and when did it operate under Don Coryell?
Air Coryell was a pass-heavy offensive scheme developed by head coach Don Coryell who coached the team until 1986. The Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL record six consecutive years from 1978 to 1983 during this era.
Which game is known as The Epic in Miami and what records did it set?
The 1981 playoffs divisional round game between the Chargers and Miami Dolphins became known as The Epic in Miami. It set records for the most points scored in a playoff game with 79 points and the greatest total yards by both teams at 1,036 yards.
Why did the San Diego Chargers relocate to Los Angeles after the 2016 season?
Owner Dean Spanos advocated for many years for the city of San Diego to build a new stadium with no success. On the 8th of November 2016 the proposal to share a planned City of Champions Stadium failed to receive support at public ballot with 57 percent against and 43 percent for.