joelbolt
11-09-2006, 01:19 PM
Spanos on the record (http://www.chargers.com/news/headlines/spanos-gives-thumbs.htm)
At the mid-way point of the season, the Chargers are 6-2 and tied for first place in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos. It’s a good start for a team predicted by national media to win no more than nine games and finish no higher than second in the division. Now the Bolts prepare to play the tough second half of their schedule, including two games against the Broncos as well as games in Cincinnati and Seattle.
President-CEO Dean Spanos sat down with Chargers.com and expounded on a variety of topics, including the early performance of his team.
What are your overall thoughts on the team performance in the first half of the season?
It was important for us to get off to a good start. Being 6-2 at the midpoint gives us the opportunity to make a serious run at the playoffs against that tough schedule in the second half of the season.
What do you think of Philip Rivers’ performance?
I think from the organization’s perspective, there were high expectations. We had a lot of confidence in him coming into the season, and I think thus far he’s taken charge of the team and shown that he is really one of the true leaders of the offense. He’s done a great job.
How about the job Marty Schottenheimer and his staff have done?
I think Marty and his staff have done a terrific job. To be 6-2 at the midway point speaks for itself, but I think having to deal with some of the off the field problems has been an issue, and I think the team has done a great job of handling it. This young team has shown it’s resilient. And it’s up to the coach to keep them focused, and that’s one of Marty’s strengths.
The team’s early success is also a reflection of the job A.J. Smith has done, don’t you think?
This gets back to the basic fundamental issue that A.J. has proven … that you build championship teams through the draft. We have a young team with a good foundation now of players. I think we’ve solidified almost half our team under long-term contracts, which puts us through 2010, 2011 with our key players. Once you establish a foundation, you try to maintain continuity. It’s the most important thing that you need to do, and that’s what we’re trying to do right now. Having the same team back next year with just a few changes is really important. A.J. has done a good job of maintaining continuity.
Is there one thing that stands out for you about this season that you’re most proud of?
The biggest thing is being 4-0 at home. Winning all your home games is a must. Marty has been preaching that since the offseason. Last year we didn’t perform well at home. To get to the playoffs, you have to win at home.
Have there been any disappointments?
We’ve had a few off-the-field issues with some of our players. You can’t say they haven’t been a distraction, but I think the most important thing is that this team has shown resiliency and has overcome those issues. They’ve continued on and been successful. We’ll get by these issues, and I think that’s a credit to the leadership among the players and the coaching staff.
What are your thoughts on having next week’s game in Denver moved to the national prime-time Sunday night game (on NBC)?
The flex schedule was put in by the networks and the League so that the more exciting games – the more important games – had a chance to be viewed by bigger audiences in primetime. To be part of that is a compliment to the organization and the team. It’s saying that our games and our team are very important.
People love the Throwback blue uniforms. Any thought to going to them as your main uniform?
We like both uniforms. We think it creates a very special excitement when you can play in your Throwbacks a couple times a year. That’s what we’re trying to do. I’m not saying it’s something we wouldn’t consider visiting in the future, because I never say never, but right now we’re very happy with the overall response to our uniforms. The simple fact is it creates a real excitement and buzz around the country when we wear them. They’re talked about by people around the country. If we were wearing them every game, it wouldn’t have the same impact. The uniqueness and excitement would wear off.
There are still several thousand tickets available for the Raiders game on Nov. 26. In the past, the Chargers-Raiders game has been the first to sell out. Why do you think it hasn’t sold out yet?
It’s hard to say. The Raiders have gotten off to a slow start, but I’m optimistic. I think our fans are going to step up and be there. This is an important game. There’s a great rivalry that goes back many, many years. I think ultimately our fans are going to be there because it’s always a big game and it would be a shame to have the game blacked out.
How are stadium talks with Chula Vista and National City progressing?
Ever since the City of San Diego amended the lease some nine months ago and allowed us to talk to other cities in the county and the county itself, you have to give Chula Vista, National City and the County a lot of credit. They stepped forward. We’ve had a multitude of meetings with them. They show a very concerned interest in trying to get something done, trying to help us find a location so we can build a stadium and stay in the area.
They’ve been very proactive. You have to compliment them for the fact that they’ve sat down and tried to understand the situation from the Chargers’ perspective to see if there is a way that we can mutually come to an agreement in terms of what needs to be done in order to get a stadium deal done. That’s something that’s been missing in the past, and it’s refreshing to have three different entities come to you trying to get something done.
You’ve had several encouraging meetings recently, particularly concerning a possible site in Chula Vista. How have they gone?
We’ve had several encouraging meetings over the past several days. And although we still have a great many hurdles to overcome, we remain hard at work. We recently met with the owners of the land on the east side of Chula Vista: Home Fed Corp. We were impressed with the quality and sophistication of the Home Fed executives. They are people who know how to make a deal. Although we have a long way to go, we all agreed to keep working on the possibilities at that site.
How about your meeting with Chula Vista Deputy Mayor and Councilman John McCann?
The Chula Vista City officials are extremely impressive, and they are determined to try to strike a deal that works for the taxpayers, the city and the team. It is too early to say if we can get something done, but because we have people like John McCann and the other Chula Vista officials working on this issue, we’re off to a good start.
Chula Vista was the first city to step up. You have to give Mayor Padilla and Councilman John McCann a lot of credit. They didn’t waste any time once the City of San Diego amended the lease. They were over here and met with us within the first week or two. We had follow up meetings and took a tour of several different prospective sites within the city. We’ve had several subsequent meetings with them. They continue to keep the dialogue going. It’s because of the tremendous job by those two individuals and their support staff. You have to commend them for the effort that they’ve put forth.
You’ve met with San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. How did that go?
Mayor Sanders definitely understands the situation the city is in more than anybody. He has offered his full support for the efforts of Chula Vista and National City. Mayor Sanders recognizes, as we do, that it simply will not be possible to complete an ambitious stadium and development project on the existing Qualcomm site while the City remains tied down by its fiscal problems. So we both agreed that our focus must be on Chula Vista and National City.
Do you anticipate other cities in the County getting involved?
I’m optimistic that there may be one or two more cities that may want to get involved after the elections. We’re looking forward to that. If that happens, we will eagerly examine them to see if they work for the public and the team. We look forward to working with the new leaders around the County who came into office on Tuesday.
January 1 is approaching quickly (when the team can talk to cities outside the County of San Diego). What do you hope to see happen before January 1?
Our goal is that by January 1 we will have one or two sites in San Diego County that seem viable for us and for the public. That’s our singular focus at this point. On January 1 and for months afterwards, we hope to be continuing work on one or more sites in the County.
At the mid-way point of the season, the Chargers are 6-2 and tied for first place in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos. It’s a good start for a team predicted by national media to win no more than nine games and finish no higher than second in the division. Now the Bolts prepare to play the tough second half of their schedule, including two games against the Broncos as well as games in Cincinnati and Seattle.
President-CEO Dean Spanos sat down with Chargers.com and expounded on a variety of topics, including the early performance of his team.
What are your overall thoughts on the team performance in the first half of the season?
It was important for us to get off to a good start. Being 6-2 at the midpoint gives us the opportunity to make a serious run at the playoffs against that tough schedule in the second half of the season.
What do you think of Philip Rivers’ performance?
I think from the organization’s perspective, there were high expectations. We had a lot of confidence in him coming into the season, and I think thus far he’s taken charge of the team and shown that he is really one of the true leaders of the offense. He’s done a great job.
How about the job Marty Schottenheimer and his staff have done?
I think Marty and his staff have done a terrific job. To be 6-2 at the midway point speaks for itself, but I think having to deal with some of the off the field problems has been an issue, and I think the team has done a great job of handling it. This young team has shown it’s resilient. And it’s up to the coach to keep them focused, and that’s one of Marty’s strengths.
The team’s early success is also a reflection of the job A.J. Smith has done, don’t you think?
This gets back to the basic fundamental issue that A.J. has proven … that you build championship teams through the draft. We have a young team with a good foundation now of players. I think we’ve solidified almost half our team under long-term contracts, which puts us through 2010, 2011 with our key players. Once you establish a foundation, you try to maintain continuity. It’s the most important thing that you need to do, and that’s what we’re trying to do right now. Having the same team back next year with just a few changes is really important. A.J. has done a good job of maintaining continuity.
Is there one thing that stands out for you about this season that you’re most proud of?
The biggest thing is being 4-0 at home. Winning all your home games is a must. Marty has been preaching that since the offseason. Last year we didn’t perform well at home. To get to the playoffs, you have to win at home.
Have there been any disappointments?
We’ve had a few off-the-field issues with some of our players. You can’t say they haven’t been a distraction, but I think the most important thing is that this team has shown resiliency and has overcome those issues. They’ve continued on and been successful. We’ll get by these issues, and I think that’s a credit to the leadership among the players and the coaching staff.
What are your thoughts on having next week’s game in Denver moved to the national prime-time Sunday night game (on NBC)?
The flex schedule was put in by the networks and the League so that the more exciting games – the more important games – had a chance to be viewed by bigger audiences in primetime. To be part of that is a compliment to the organization and the team. It’s saying that our games and our team are very important.
People love the Throwback blue uniforms. Any thought to going to them as your main uniform?
We like both uniforms. We think it creates a very special excitement when you can play in your Throwbacks a couple times a year. That’s what we’re trying to do. I’m not saying it’s something we wouldn’t consider visiting in the future, because I never say never, but right now we’re very happy with the overall response to our uniforms. The simple fact is it creates a real excitement and buzz around the country when we wear them. They’re talked about by people around the country. If we were wearing them every game, it wouldn’t have the same impact. The uniqueness and excitement would wear off.
There are still several thousand tickets available for the Raiders game on Nov. 26. In the past, the Chargers-Raiders game has been the first to sell out. Why do you think it hasn’t sold out yet?
It’s hard to say. The Raiders have gotten off to a slow start, but I’m optimistic. I think our fans are going to step up and be there. This is an important game. There’s a great rivalry that goes back many, many years. I think ultimately our fans are going to be there because it’s always a big game and it would be a shame to have the game blacked out.
How are stadium talks with Chula Vista and National City progressing?
Ever since the City of San Diego amended the lease some nine months ago and allowed us to talk to other cities in the county and the county itself, you have to give Chula Vista, National City and the County a lot of credit. They stepped forward. We’ve had a multitude of meetings with them. They show a very concerned interest in trying to get something done, trying to help us find a location so we can build a stadium and stay in the area.
They’ve been very proactive. You have to compliment them for the fact that they’ve sat down and tried to understand the situation from the Chargers’ perspective to see if there is a way that we can mutually come to an agreement in terms of what needs to be done in order to get a stadium deal done. That’s something that’s been missing in the past, and it’s refreshing to have three different entities come to you trying to get something done.
You’ve had several encouraging meetings recently, particularly concerning a possible site in Chula Vista. How have they gone?
We’ve had several encouraging meetings over the past several days. And although we still have a great many hurdles to overcome, we remain hard at work. We recently met with the owners of the land on the east side of Chula Vista: Home Fed Corp. We were impressed with the quality and sophistication of the Home Fed executives. They are people who know how to make a deal. Although we have a long way to go, we all agreed to keep working on the possibilities at that site.
How about your meeting with Chula Vista Deputy Mayor and Councilman John McCann?
The Chula Vista City officials are extremely impressive, and they are determined to try to strike a deal that works for the taxpayers, the city and the team. It is too early to say if we can get something done, but because we have people like John McCann and the other Chula Vista officials working on this issue, we’re off to a good start.
Chula Vista was the first city to step up. You have to give Mayor Padilla and Councilman John McCann a lot of credit. They didn’t waste any time once the City of San Diego amended the lease. They were over here and met with us within the first week or two. We had follow up meetings and took a tour of several different prospective sites within the city. We’ve had several subsequent meetings with them. They continue to keep the dialogue going. It’s because of the tremendous job by those two individuals and their support staff. You have to commend them for the effort that they’ve put forth.
You’ve met with San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. How did that go?
Mayor Sanders definitely understands the situation the city is in more than anybody. He has offered his full support for the efforts of Chula Vista and National City. Mayor Sanders recognizes, as we do, that it simply will not be possible to complete an ambitious stadium and development project on the existing Qualcomm site while the City remains tied down by its fiscal problems. So we both agreed that our focus must be on Chula Vista and National City.
Do you anticipate other cities in the County getting involved?
I’m optimistic that there may be one or two more cities that may want to get involved after the elections. We’re looking forward to that. If that happens, we will eagerly examine them to see if they work for the public and the team. We look forward to working with the new leaders around the County who came into office on Tuesday.
January 1 is approaching quickly (when the team can talk to cities outside the County of San Diego). What do you hope to see happen before January 1?
Our goal is that by January 1 we will have one or two sites in San Diego County that seem viable for us and for the public. That’s our singular focus at this point. On January 1 and for months afterwards, we hope to be continuing work on one or more sites in the County.