San Diego Padres: Fowler “Deeply Disappointed” by Exit of Chargers

The San Diego Padres released a statement after the news broke that the Chargers would be leaving for Los Angeles before the 2017 NFL season.

While it may have seemed inevitable to many San Diego fans, the exit of the city’s beloved football franchise sparks a wide variety of negative emotions.

Now, the San Diego Padres are the only remaining major professional sports organization in town. For fans as passionate as the ones in this unbelievable city, this is a tough pill to swallow.

The sadness and anger fans feel as a result of the news Thursday extended to the Padres’ organization. Owner Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler released a statement Thursday afternoon, reacting to the announcement made by Chargers’ President and CEO Dean Spanos.

Despite the fact that many feel the Padres may benefit from the football team’s exit as an organization, Fowler states that they are “deeply disappointed”. He also refers to the Chargers as a “community treasure”, stating that city is better off with the organization.

Of course, fans expect nothing less from the Padres. San Diego is a tight knit community, one which is supportive of both its college and professional sports teams.

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Fowler most certainly made the right move by releasing this statement, sending the fan base a message that they stand with Chargers fans who are disheartened by this news.

For the city to recover from a sports perspective, the Padres will have to take center stage and continue to be the staple of the city they have become. This will require devotion from the ownership, management, players, and the passionate and loyal fan base.

The Padres are genuinely disappointed at the departure of the Chargers, as the strong language used in their statement verifies. Any thought that they may be pleased to see the football team go is unsubstantiated and naive.

Next: San Diego Padres: The Only Team in Town

With such heart wrenching news, it will be an uphill battle for the city’s sports fans. But as the statement reminded all reeling fans Thursday afternoon, the Padres still exist, and the organization has the city’s best interests in mind.