The Chargers played a game for San Diego. And nobody else. It was as though they were singing an intimate love song for the city they’ve called home for 55 years.

Not for Los Angeles or Carson or Inglewood or Hollywoodland, but for San Diego, in a Qualcomm Stadium nearly full — and not, this time, with Miami fans, who don’t even go to games in South Florida — for their faithful, hundreds of whom remained an hour after Sunday’s game, chanting “Save Our Bolts!” to no one in particular, outside of themselves.

Complete coverage: Chargers 30, Dolphins 14

They were there because they care. It was at once sad and exhilarating, proud fans desperately trying to swat away the last, still-imaginary straw.

How ironic that, immediately following their dominating, 30-14 hooking of the Dolphins, the loudspeakers blared out a covered version of Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs’ “Stay (Just a Little Bit Longer),” a ditty released in 1960, when the Bolts were born in L.A., a year before Barron Hilton moved them here and changed our sporting diapers into dress pants.


It’s hard to imagine club ownership, suffering from wanderlu$t, was either advised or approved the carol being played at such an appropriate time when everything it does seems so inappropriate.

But, damn, it was moving. It was there for the touch.

“It was a phenomenal moment,” splendid tight end Antonio Gates, who had himself a nice day, would say. “Hopefully we’ll be back … It was hard for me to keep it together.”

× Long time loyal Chargers fans talk about the love they have for their home town team while contemplating the possibility of this being the last Charger game in San Diego. Video by David Brooks.


Maybe it was their final game here. But I still honestly believe we’re all jumping the gun on shots thus far fired only across our bow.

The team, now 4-10, has but a few more outings left in this dismal 2015. Maybe stardust saw to it that they had a rare laugher. This one never was in doubt.

With the game in hand, coach Mike McCoy removed Gates, quarterback Philip Rivers and receiver Malcom Floyd, later pulling safety Eric Weddle, to be honored by the fans. The very veterans. Rivers, Weddle, Gates and Floyd went back out and signed autographs.

It was a local snapshot none of us have had the sad opportunity to capture. We can’t say the Spanos family felt it, but you had to be dry-iced and anesthetized not to, although this was like going to a wake when the coroner had yet to confirm a death.


Rivers, who may be more emotional than any athlete in America under normal circumstances, had tears in his eyes as he addressed the media following his three- touchdown (all to tailback Danny Woodhead, who also would run for a score), 311-yard day. If this was his final game in Mission Valley — and like everyone else he has no way of knowing for certain — he will leave in no worse than a tie with Dan Fouts as the greatest quarterback this city has known.

“The whole day was special,” Rivers said. “I know it was one of those … we still don’t know … maybe we’ll get to trot back out there and play again. But it was the only way to treat it, as if it was the last time. I was back and forth the whole day, as far as my emotions getting the best of me. I let my mind wander to, really, people, memories and games and just things you’d look around … the National Anthem.”

Rivers, as he is wont to do, went on and on about it, but when he got to his teammates he choked up.

SAN DIEGO, CA-DECEMBER 20, 2015: . .Chargers Philip Rivers holding his head up high after playing possibly the team last home game in San Diego and beating the Miami Dolphins 30-14 at Qualcomm Stadium...(Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Nelvin C. Cepeda)


“If it is the last one … that was kind of what I told the guys before the game,” he said. “They’ve been playing football in this town before any of us were born. There are going to be people at the game today that were coming to games before we were born.”

Rivers said at one point, with Miami backed up, the crowd loud, Gates came over to him and said: “This is how it used to be.” It really had that feel to it. Saying “how it used to be” is not being negative. That’s when we really were good, too, and winning a bunch of games.”

Philip Rivers gets it. He’s always gotten it. I’m not so sure McCoy does or has.

When asked about the emotions of the day, the coach coldly said. “I was going for the win.”


But not even NFL chill could freeze the warmth of this day.