Random Blog 1
I've been called a man of no morals, a man of no values. I want to take you back to one of the most scarring days of my life, January 12th, 2017. Before we get into this dreadful day, I would like to take you even further back into 2003. In 2003, my family picked up everything we owned and moved from my hometown of Monterrey, Mexico to San Diego, California. I was just seven years old when my family moved to San Diego and in trying to assimilate myself into the American culture, I quickly realized people love watching and playing sports, specifically Football. Although I couldn't speak English, I quickly picked up the sport of football and used it as a platform to make friends. In addition to playing, I was introduced to the San Diego Chargers and I instantly fell in love.
The Chargers became the way I was able to make friends and to me, the sport and the stadium represented the culture which I was getting myself into. I was lucky enough to grow up watching great Charger teams led by players such as Phillip Rivers, Shawne Merriman, and Ladanian Tomlinson. I was infatuated with the idea that an entire city has this common interest and shared a love for the players representing our city across the United States. As I became a better football player, I became an even bigger fan of the sport. I have attended every home playoff game since living in San Diego and when I think of my happiest childhood memories, I think of Ladanian Tomlinson rushing past the endzone. Football became my religion and it was a bond I had with my friends and my family. Every Sunday I watched every Chargers game with my dad and brothers and hosted my friends for a Super Bowl party every year.
So what happened on January 12th, 2017? That was the day the Chargers announced they were relocating from San Diego to Los Angeles. I was beyond devastated. I had been hearing the rumors for years but I had never imagined it turning into reality. My immediate reaction was anger towards the owner and the voters of San Diego. My friend's turned their anger into bitterness and they are no longer Chargers fans. I decided to sit down with my family to talk about our future as football fans and we all acknowledged that the Chargers have been too big of an aspect of our lives to simply let them go. When I told the news to my friends that I will still be a fan is when they started calling me a man of no morals and values. They made compelling arguments asking if I'm a slave to a logo or to a billionaire owner. Despite their arguments, I had dedicated too much of my life to the Chargers to turn my back on them.
A year later, it has been a tough year having to watch the Chargers play at StubHub Center with Los Angeles engraved in the endzone. However, my friends who are no longer fans have become very bitter and in my opinion, have done so because they wish they could still be fans. What I realized is that there is no need to be bitter and Los Angeles is only a drive away. The Chargers were my first love and I was not ready to give them up when they left San Diego. There have always been ups and downs as a fan and this was the toughest down of them all. Despite the devastating relocation, I am proud to be a Chargers fan and they have given me so many amazing memories. Although they are no longer in San Diego, they are still the Chargers I fell in love with.
The Chargers became the way I was able to make friends and to me, the sport and the stadium represented the culture which I was getting myself into. I was lucky enough to grow up watching great Charger teams led by players such as Phillip Rivers, Shawne Merriman, and Ladanian Tomlinson. I was infatuated with the idea that an entire city has this common interest and shared a love for the players representing our city across the United States. As I became a better football player, I became an even bigger fan of the sport. I have attended every home playoff game since living in San Diego and when I think of my happiest childhood memories, I think of Ladanian Tomlinson rushing past the endzone. Football became my religion and it was a bond I had with my friends and my family. Every Sunday I watched every Chargers game with my dad and brothers and hosted my friends for a Super Bowl party every year.
So what happened on January 12th, 2017? That was the day the Chargers announced they were relocating from San Diego to Los Angeles. I was beyond devastated. I had been hearing the rumors for years but I had never imagined it turning into reality. My immediate reaction was anger towards the owner and the voters of San Diego. My friend's turned their anger into bitterness and they are no longer Chargers fans. I decided to sit down with my family to talk about our future as football fans and we all acknowledged that the Chargers have been too big of an aspect of our lives to simply let them go. When I told the news to my friends that I will still be a fan is when they started calling me a man of no morals and values. They made compelling arguments asking if I'm a slave to a logo or to a billionaire owner. Despite their arguments, I had dedicated too much of my life to the Chargers to turn my back on them.
A year later, it has been a tough year having to watch the Chargers play at StubHub Center with Los Angeles engraved in the endzone. However, my friends who are no longer fans have become very bitter and in my opinion, have done so because they wish they could still be fans. What I realized is that there is no need to be bitter and Los Angeles is only a drive away. The Chargers were my first love and I was not ready to give them up when they left San Diego. There have always been ups and downs as a fan and this was the toughest down of them all. Despite the devastating relocation, I am proud to be a Chargers fan and they have given me so many amazing memories. Although they are no longer in San Diego, they are still the Chargers I fell in love with.
Hi Eric,
ReplyDeleteI've never read such an a amazing fan driven post before. I could really tell that the Chargers are your favorite football team. I was devastated to hear the news about the relocation. But, it was not a very big surprise to see this move since several other teams relocated to other cities within the same period. Its crazy to see other teams making big moves like the Rams relocating to Los Angeles and the Raiders relocating to Las Vegas. I definitely feel your pain when the Chargers left San Diego. They had a big impact in your life, but I'm glad to see that you are still a fan to them.