CHARGER NOTEBOOK : Spanos Talks to Colleagues About San Diego’s Super Bowl Bid

Charger owner Alex Spanos said he is lobbying NFL owners this week on behalf of San Diego’s bid to play host to the 1993 Super Bowl.

“I plan to contact every owner,” Spanos said Thursday. “Because of the success we had in having in the 1988 Super Bowl, I know the NFL was very happy with San Diego.”

San Diego is one of three cities vying for the game, to be played Jan. 31, 1993. Phoenix and Pasadena are the others. The site is to be determined by a vote of the 28 league owners on March 13, during the league’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Spanos said San Diego’s efforts received a boost Thursday when Edward DeBartolo Jr., the San Francisco 49ers owner, called and pledged his support. DeBartolo had backed a San Francisco-area bid, but Bay Area officials said Thursday they had dropped out because of a lack of hotel space.

Spanos said he thought San Diego’s chances of being awarded the game were “50-50.” Members of the San Diego Super Bowl Task Force said even before San Francisco withdrew that they thought the competition would come down to San Diego and Pasadena.

San Diego officials have said one of their greatest worries is the difference in seating capacity between the Rose Bowl (approximately 103,000) and San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium (73,477 when enlarged for a Super Bowl).

But Norman Braman, the Philadelphia Eagles’ owner and chairman of the site selection committee, said they should not be overly concerned.

“There is a lot more to it than size of the stadium,” he said. “If that were the case, we would have it in the Coliseum or Rose Bowl every year.”

Braman said he was impressed by the presentations of all three cities during a committee meeting Tuesday in New York.

“One thing about San Diego,” he said. “Everything was letter perfect.”

But he also said he was encouraged by the Los Angeles area’s unified effort behind the Rose Bowl. And David Simon, president of the Los Angeles Sports Council, which is coordinating that bid, said his group has been encouraged in its dealings with Braman.

“I believe Norman Braman is the most influential of the owners,” Simon said. “We have spent many months working with him and his committee, and they have been very favorable toward us.”

Bobby Beathard, the Chargers’ general manager, elaborated his position on the status of kicker Chris Bahr, who was left unprotected by the team under Plan B free agency.

Beathard said that he still is willing to invite Bahr to training camp but only if the team does not find another kicker.

“I don’t know if he would want to come under those circumstances,” Beathard said.

Beathard said the Chargers remain interested in Rams kicker Mike Lansford, a Plan B free agent who visited with the team last week. But Beathard said he is not sure Lansford wants to change.

The Chargers also are looking for a new punter, and Beathard said they have made an offer to John Kidd, a Plan B free agent from Buffalo. But Beathard said Kidd is happy with the Bills and that the cost of signing him might be too high.

Kidd, a six-year veteran from Northwestern, averaged 39.4 yards last season. Hank Ilesic, left unprotected by the Chargers under Plan B, averaged 40.1.

The Chargers are interested in improving their running game through Plan B, but their opportunities might depend on the future of holdout Gary Anderson.

Joe Mickles, a 12th-round Washington Redskins draft pick out of Mississippi last year, will sign today, his agent said. Mickles, 5-feet-10, 210 pounds, has agreed to a series of two one-year contracts, according to agent Mike Merkow.

Mickles was on injured reserve twice last year with knee injuries, playing mostly on special teams when he was able to.

The Chargers are pursuing two higher-profile Plan B backs--Ronnie Harmon of Buffalo and Thomas Sanders of Chicago--but both have indicated their interest might depend on Anderson’s status, Beathard said.

Both would be more interested in joining the Chargers if Anderson, the team’s 1988 most valuable player, does not return. Beathard has tentative plans to meet with Anderson and his agent, Peter Johnson, next week in Anderson’s hometown of Tampa, Fla.

Beathard said he will be looking for a sign that Anderson wants to play for the Chargers after sitting out 1989 in a contract dispute.

Other players the Chargers remain interested in include running back Undra Johnson (Atlanta), Houston tight end Chris Verhulst, offensive guards Tom Toth (Miami) and Ralph Tamm (Washington) and linebackers Ken Rose (Jets) and Joe Cain (Seattle).