Chargers Are Seeing Double : Exhibition Schedule Has Them Playing Twice in Three Days
The Chargers will take a whirlwind tour of California in August, playing two exhibition games on the road in three days because of scheduling conflicts, it was announced Tuesday.
The Chargers are scheduled to play the Rams in Anaheim on Monday, Aug. 21, at 8 p.m., then travel to Candlestick Park for a game against the Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 6.
The Chargers will open the exhibition schedule with a nationally televised game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Aug. 13, at noon. The Padres, who originally left Aug. 12 open for a possible football exhibition game, will move their scheduled Aug. 13 game against the Atlanta Braves to the 12th at 7:05.
(Padre ticket-holders for the 13th have three options: Aug. 13 tickets will be honored Aug. 12th on a same-seat basis; Aug. 13 tickets may be exchanged before Aug. 12 for a game of choice, excluding concert dates, or full face value of the tickets will be refunded.)
The Chargers were forced into the unusual near-doubleheader because the Rams and 49ers did not get the same kind of cooperation from the Angels and Giants.
“We were scheduled (by the National Football League) in weekend two to be in Anaheim and weekend three in San Francisco, but both came up unavailable,” said Jack Teele, the Chargers’ director of administration. “So we had to take the dates that were available.”
Teele said that Aug. 17 was open at Anaheim but that the Angels wouldn’t approve the date, exercising a 36-hour clause that prohibits any event from taking place at Anaheim Stadium 36 hours before a scheduled Angel game. He said there was a similar hangup between the Giants and 49ers.
“In a spirit of cooperation, the Chargers and Padres have played within 12 hours (of each other),” Teele said.
Charger Coach Dan Henning was on a scouting trip and could not be reached for comment. Rick Smith, the Chargers’ public relations director, said the team would normally have 60-65 players available for each game at that time of the preseason.
The Chargers will conclude the exhibition schedule against the Phoenix Cardinals Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. It will be the first time since 1980 that the Chargers have had fewer than three exhibition games at home.