Los Angeles hasn’t had its own NFL football team since the Rams left in 1995 for St. Louis Missouri. But L.A. is a very desirable market for an organization due to the population and money flow throughout the city. In 2016, the city’s wish came true when the Rams moved back to L.A. and again in 2017 when the Chargers uprooted from San Diego. This made Los Angeles a two-team city.
Ah, finally. The Rams have come back home. Imagine growing up as a kid in the ‘70s and ‘80s: The Rams are your team — but then they announce that they will be moving to St. Louis, a state with no homegrown Rams fans. The move was tough, but 2016 marked a homecoming for the ages.
Missouri-born Rams owner, Stanley Kroenke told Sports Illustrated, “that the move was ‘extremely hard,’ but ‘when you look at the rational, economic side, what was expected of us made no sense.’” The disunity between the city of St. Louis and the Rams organization made it an easier move for the owner.
And then came 2017 when the San Diego Chargers announced they, too, would be moving to L.A. It seemed like a risky move for the Chargers to run away from the city they called home for so many years.
In San Diego, the Chargers only had one Super Bowl appearance in the 1994-95 season; they lost and have not been able to bounce back since. The Chargers’ front office felt the need to inject new life into the organization. Owner Dean Spanos proposed dozens of new stadium ideas to the city of San Diego, but due to zero political backing, and troubles with public financing and site issues, the organization decided to do what was best for them and move to L.A.
The Rams and Chargers are now both based in the Greater Los Angeles Area. But how is it sharing a city? Luckily, L.A. has a population close to 4 million, which means there are more than enough fans to go around.
As an organization, The Rams also increased their value from $1.4 billion to $2.9 billion when they moved to L.A., according to Forbes. And from an L.A. Times article, “John Vrooman, a sports economist at Vanderbilt who studies the NFL, estimates the Chargers would bring in $75 million more in annual local revenue by playing in L.A.”
Did the moves pay off? For the Rams, definitely. In St. Louis, they were an average team through much of the 2000s. But with the hiring of Sean McVay at the start of the Rams’ second year in L.A., the organization bounced back. McVay took the team to the Super Bowl just two years later. The Rams are now a dominant team in the NFL. Crazy what a new city can do for a team.
Los Angeles has not only been a terrific move for the Rams but also for the Chargers … mostly. At first, the move looked dreary. Fans in San Diego started burning Chargers gear when the move was announced. They totally disowned their team, and unlike the Rams who had a previous fan-following in L.A., the Chargers had no one.
The Chargers also moved to a smaller stadium venue, the StubHub Center. The stadium only holds 30,000 people compared to other NFL stadiums that hold upward of 60,000 people. This, combined with the worry of a potential lack of fanbase, made the move a controversial one.
Beyond these initial doubts, the Chargers have proven the move successful. Last year marked one of the best seasons for the Chargers in years, ending with a 12-4 record and making it to the second round of playoffs. Unfortunately, they lost to the New England Patriots who went on to win the Super Bowl that same year. The last time the Chargers made the playoffs was in 2013, and before that, 2009. The move to L.A. can be credited for crafting a new identity for the Chargers, helping them create a winning culture like never before.
Los Angeles is now home to two neighboring teams who are both succeeding since their moves. The teams will also be moving to the new $5 billion SoFi Stadium in 2020 in Inglewood, Calif.
These two winning teams will share the newest, most advanced stadium with a capacity of more than 100,000 people. The stadium and winning cultures of the teams will mark a new era for the NFL and Los Angeles as the new football capital of the world.