As the NFL attempts to persuade San Diego to contribute $350 million to build a new stadium, the league is talking up the city as a future Super Bowl host.
At a rally to support the tax increase, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called the new stadium “a home for the Chargers and a perfect place for a Super Bowl,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
LaDainian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers spoke at the rally and drew cheers from a an enthusiastic crowd of an estimated 4,000 Chargers fans. Goodell got some applause but also some boos, but despite the lukewarm reaction the commissioner often gets in public, he said he thinks it’s important for him to participate in the process.
“If I can play a constructive role, I want to be here,” Goodell said. “This is a great day. You see the passion of the fans. You see how important this is to him. It’s our job to go and find a solution for this community and this team.”
We’ll know soon whether the team will remain in the community. If the tax proposal doesn’t pass, the Chargers are likely to leave San Diego, their home of 55 years.
