SPORTS
Friday, January 13, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3B
NFL
Chargers chasing respect in sports-saturated LA
Bre Priest
gives the
thumbs
down while
wearing
a t-shirt
mocking
the team at
San Diego
Chargers
headquar-
ters after
the team
announced
that it will
move to Los
Angeles on
Thursday in
San Diego.
By GREG BEACHAM
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — The
Chargers were the biggest
story in Los Angeles for
about four hours.
On the same rainy
Thursday that the Chargers
announced their relocation
up the Southern California
coast, the Los Angeles
Rams hired 30-year-old
Sean McVay to become
the youngest head coach in
NFL history.
Welcome to LA, Bolts.
You’re no longer the
greatest show in town.
While their franchise
value soars and their
stadium future becomes
secure,
the
Chargers
realize they face a lengthy
struggle to gather respect,
attention and a durable fan
base among the roughly 19
million people who inhabit
the five counties around
Los Angeles, the nation’s
second-largest city.
Chargers owner Dean
Spanos’
first
public
comments acknowledged
the difficulty of the task
they’ve accepted in leaving
AP Photo/Denis
Poroy
San Diego after 56 years.
“Our entire organiza-
tion knows that we have
a tremendous amount
of work to do,” Spanos
said. “We must earn the
respect and support of LA
football fans. We must get
back to winning. And we
must make a meaningful
contribution, not just on the
field, but off the field as a
leader and champion for the
community. The Chargers
are determined to fight for
LA, and we are excited to
get started.”
Indeed, the Chargers are
entering quite a competi-
tion.
The Chargers relocated
exactly one year to the day
after the NFL’s 21-year
absence from LA ended
with the Rams’ official
move back to town. The
Southland will be home to
two teams apiece in five
professional sports after
Major League Soccer’s
expansion LAFC arrives
downtown next year.
The wildly popular
Lakers and Dodgers rule
their respective calendar
months. The Clippers,
Kings and Anaheim Ducks
are perennial playoff teams.
The Los Angeles Angels
drew 3 million fans last
season while losing 88
games.
There are collegiate
athletics powerhouses at
USC and UCLA, along
with innumerable outdoor
sporting pursuits around
an entertainment-saturated
metropolis that doesn’t get
obsessed with sports in the
first place.
Even among die-hard
NFL fans, the Chargers will
be at least a distant third-
place team in their two-team
market next fall. The Rams
have a generational fan
base that never gave up on
them during 21 years in St.
Louis, and the Raiders are
still wildly popular in Los
Angeles from their 1982-94
run at the Coliseum —
along with that outlaw fran-
chise’s status as a California
lifestyle brand as much as a
sports team.
But
one
intriguing
aspect of the Chargers’
machinations is their choice
to play their next two
seasons at StubHub Center,
the LA Galaxy’s compact
soccer stadium in suburban
Carson. Even with an
expansion in capacity to
30,000 seats, it will be
small by NFL standards —
or even by some Texas high
school football standards.
The Chargers and the
Galaxy’s owners, sports
conglomerate
AEG,
have plans for expansion
and improvement of the
modest facilities around
StubHub. Yet playing in
a small stadium should
protect the Chargers from
the unpleasant optics of
thousands of empty seats
while they attempt to build
a fan base.
The Raiders’ annual
road game against the AFC
West rival Chargers should
be a fascinating sight
this fall, but the Chargers
hope they’ll benefit from
their temporary home by
providing an unusually inti-
mate setting for fans — and
whatever ticket prices the
market will bear.
“I would like to
commend the Chargers
on this bold and innova-
tive decision to move to
StubHub Center,” AEG
President and CEO Dan
Beckerman said. “It is truly
a testament to how strongly
the Chargers feel about the
fan experience and their
willingness to create some-
thing special for people in
Southern California.”
SWIMMING: Teams still on target to compete in first meet this weekend
Continued from 1B
happy that he has had a few
competitions to fall back on
with all the cancellations.
“Being able to go to some
of the PSA swim meets has
helped, and over school
break I was able to swim
mornings and evenings up
here and I think that’s helped
me adjust with no school
meets,” Jennings said.
But even with a few
options away from the team,
Ashton-Williams said she can
sense the anxiety increasing
with every practice.
“The enthusiasm with the
kids goes down because they
want to get in the pool and
race and have lots of fun,”
she said, “so we have to work
really hard in practice to try
and keep it up as much as we
can.”
Hermiston finally got
back into the practice pool
on Thursday after five days
off because of weather,
and Hamblin added that
he believes all the time off
has affected his team more
mentally than competitively.
“Well we were just getting
into a rhythm and getting the
kids into a routine,” he said.
“So once we got back I had
to scale back intensity of
practices to get going again.
But my kids have worked
really, really hard and I think
they’ll be alright.”
Both teams have their
fingers crossed that the
weather stays clear enough to
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Senior Olivia Broker swims the breast stroke during
practice on Thursday in Pendleton.
travel to Madras on Saturday
morning for what would now
be the first meet of the year.
“Yes! We’re finally going
to be able to go hopefully,”
Jennings said emphatically.
“We’re all anxious to get into
the pool for a meet, espe-
cially the girls who haven’t
swam yet.”
Hamblin said that he’s just
ready to see his team swim
against people other than
themselves for once.
“I’m excited to see my
returners and how well they
can do because they’ve all
been practicing so well,” he
said. “And my beginners
have done really well but
they still have no idea what
they’re up against because of
no meets. Ninety-five percent
of my kids have no times yet,
which is really unique.”
BUCKAROO BALLERS
GETTING RUSTY, TOO
The Pendleton girls and
boys basketball teams have
felt the wrath of the winter
storms as well, though they
have seen competition, albeit
minimal. As of Thursday, both
Pendleton teams have played
just seven games — the
fewest in Class 5A. In total,
the Pendleton boys have had
a net of five games canceled
to this point, while the girls
have had four wiped out, and
both teams have played just
four games in the past month.
The boys’ game sched-
uled for Friday at Sunset was
called off on Thursday night
due to road conditions in
Portland.
————
Contact Eric at esinger@
eastoregonian.com or (541)
966-0839. Follow him on
Twitter @ByEricSinger.
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CLASSIFIED INDEX
003 First Look
600 Recreational Vehicles
515 Musical
450 Round-Up
302 Statewide Classified
155 Out of Area Property for Sale
740 Trailers
485 Miscellaneous
330 Child/ Adult Care
705 Automobiles
100 Homes For Sale
Special Notices
10
ALL ABOARD - - Last chance to
join the April escorted tour to
Australia. Relax and enjoy Reef
to Outback as you are guided
throughout the 15 days... All you
need is your passport. Call Kerry
541-378-6855
TURN HERE REALTY &
TRAVEL
(521) 377-6855
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20
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125 Homes with Acreage
004 Bargain Bin!
005 Lost & Found
530 Garage Sales- Pendleton
415 Livestock
310 Business Opportunities
015 Holiday Happenings
545 Garage Sales- Athena/ Weston
430 Lawn and Garden
445 Pets
505 Wanted to Buy
Homes for Sale
100
245 Storage Units
135 Lots & Acreage
140 Commerical Property
710 Auto Parts
470 Auctions
420 Feed and Seed
200 Rentals
800 Business/ Service Directory
490 Household Items
335 Employment
100 Homes For Sale
Homes for Sale
100
BLUE
JEANS
REALTY.
Residential,
Commercial,
Mountain properties. Call us
today to sell your home or buy
your new property.
“Our office is wherever you are”
Rocky Mikesell
Blue Jeans Realty
521-379-8690
CALL THE “Weekend & After
Hours Realtor” to view homes
at a convenient time for you.
Available on Short Notice,
Special
Financing
Program
Information! Call Matt Vogler,
541.377.9470
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(521) 377-9270
CURRENT LOW Inventory is
providing a good time to sell! Call
Matt Vogler (The Weekend and
After Hours Realtor) to receive a
Free
Comparative
Market
Analysis specific to your home.
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(521) 377-9270
ATHENA - $126,000
Athena home! 1440 sf(m/l), 1
level home with 3bedrooms, 2
baths. User friendly kitchen. F/A
heating and cooling. Fenced
backyard, quiet neighborhood.
Jerry
541-969-6378cell
#16364082
Coldwell Banker Whitney
(521) 276-0021
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BUY IT! SELL IT!
FIND IT!
East Oregonian Classified
1-800-962-2819
MILTON-FREEWATER-$112,900
2BDM home w/great country
feel! New roof, flooring, paint.
Storage shed, greenhouse, and
oversized garage/shop features
a large bonus room above. Molly
541-969-4188 #16074283
Coldwell Banker Whitney
(521) 276-0021
Homes for Sale
340 Summer Youth Jobs
255 Roommates Wanted
260 Want to Rent
010 Special Notices
535 Garage Sales- Pilot Rock
475 Fuel and Heating
325 Education/ Schools
020 Personals
555 Garage Sales- Other
500 Antiques
100
PENDLETON - $137,500
Office Building in busy location.
Lots of upgrades. Call Cathy for
more
info,
541-215-0103.
#16363913
Garton &
Associates
(521) 276-0931
PENDLETON - $125,000
Clean and Ready! 2 bed, 1bath,
w/new carpet and fresh paint
inside. Easy maintenance yard
w/garden
space.
Storage
shed(s), gazebo. Dawn 541-310-
9563cell #16259277
Coldwell Banker Whitney
(521) 276-0021
PENDLETON - $169,900
NEW! Nice 1,1816 sf(m/l) home
on .36 acre. Large country
kitchen, family room. Cozy living
room w/pellet stove & fireplace. 2
(possibly 3) bdrooms, 2 baths.
Great shop, overhead door. RV
parking,
garden
area.
#16430009 Call Marge Lapp
Pendleton
Southgate Realty
(521) 276-1957
PENDLETON - $129,000
Bring an Offer! 3 bdrm, 1 bath
Victorian home with small rental
home. Lots of improvements
have been made to this home.
Additional lot can be purchased
for $17,000 directly behind
home. Call Cathy for more info
541-215-0103 RMLS #16032038
Garton &
Associates
(521) 276-0931
eastoregonrealestate.com
PENDLETON - $115,000
Adorable 2 bedroom Cottage in
Sherwood. Featuring updated
windows, doors, trim, laminate
floors. LED recessed lighting and
more! RV parking on large corner
lot. MLS 16402108 Call Matt
Vogler 541-377-9470
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(521) 377-9270
PENDLETON - $149,900
Invest in the Weat! Triplex! Well
established Two 1 bedroom units
& One 2-3 possible bedrooms on
large main floor. Small deck.
Private yard w/garden area &
patio. Off street parking. MLS#
15428504 Call Marge Lapp
Pendleton
Southgate Realty
(521) 276-1957
For Sale
100
MEACHAM - $159,950
64231 Main St. Newer triple wide
with 3 bdrm, 2bath, beautiful
decks, lots of storage. Call Kal
RMLS #15074859
Garton &
Associates
(521) 276-0931
PENDLETON - $139,900
UNIQUE - This home has 2,288
sf (m/l) & is located on approx
0.38 ac. Huge “gourmet-type”
kitchen, sunken living room &
“stage” for all those entertainers.
Hardwood floors, carpet. Large
garage, lots of parking for RVs,
boats, etc.. MLS# 15033690 Call
Marge Lapp
Pendleton
Southgate Realty
(521) 276-1957
OVER 1200 Homes
Homes for Sale
435 Good Things to Eat
350 Wanted Employment
400 Horse and Tack
150 Real Estate Wanted
720 Trucks
540 Garage Sales- Hermiston
425 Farm Equipment
240 Office Space Available
900 Legal Notices
012 Round-Up
PENDLETON - $219,000
Beautifully updated 4 bed, 3
bath. Updated kitchen refinished
hardwood floors, newer windows,
remodeled bathrooms. Storage
Deluxe
including
office/craft
room, basement pantry, bonus
room and workshop. Sharp! Call
Matt Vogler MLS 16267013
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(521) 377-9270
PENDLETON - $219,000
WOW! SO MANY EXTRAS -
3bd, 2ba home, private sun
room/BBQ, central intercom and
VAC, RV area, close to park,
fireplace+pellet+central
heat.
Call for your tour today..
#16054514
TURN HERE REALTY &
TRAVEL
(521) 377-6855
PENDLETON - $239,000
Fabulous
4 bed, 3 bath
townhome with top of North Main
views.
Featuring
high-end
finishes, satin nickel fixtures,
granite countertops, solid doors
vaulted
ceilings,
detailed
molding. Call Matt Vogler MLS
16221871
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(521) 377-9270
Homes for Sale
100
PENDLETON - $259,000
1902 Craftsman. 2060sf(m/l),
4bed, 2bath home w/new A/C
system upstairs, updated floors,
paint. Double lot, detached
garage. Kevin 541-969-8243cell
to view this home. #16633964
Coldwell Banker Whitney
(521) 276-0021
PENDLETON - $99,500
NEW LISTING 3 bdrm, 2ba
manufactured home on nice
North Hill lot. Garden spot, deck,
carport, open floor plan. Come
take a look! RMLS #16573723
Call Kal for more info 541-969-
7358
Garton &
Associates
(521) 276-0931
PENDLETON - $99,900
Move in 2+ bed Cozy Turnkey.
Fenced, new roof, forced air heat
and cool, hardwood, BBQ patio,
garage,
offstreet
parking.
#16562807 Call Kerry 541-377-
6855
TURN HERE REALTY &
TRAVEL
(521) 377-6855
Pendleton
Price Reduced Again, Now
$194,900, Almost 2,800sf, 4
bedroom, 3 bath in Popular
Southgate location. Large deck
and backyard, fireplace, great
family home. Call Matt Vogler
541-377-9470 MLS #15512901
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(521) 377-9270
PENDLETON-REDUCED
$76,767
3 or possible 4 bedroom 2
bathhome. Has fireplace, needs
work. RMLS #16048730 Call
Cathy for more info 541-215-
0103
Garton &
Associates
(521) 276-0931