Ticket Guarantee Cost City $6.1 Million In 2002
Deal With Chargers Has Cost $31.4M Since 1997
POSTED: 1:54 p.m. PST January 6, 2003
UPDATED: 2:27 p.m. PST January 6, 2003
SAN DIEGO -- The city shelled out $6.1 million for Chargers tickets this season, bringing to $31.4 million the amount spent since a controversial ticket guarantee went into effect in 1997, a city official said Monday.
For the last game of the season, Dec. 29 against Seattle, the city bought 8,501 tickets at a total cost of $476,152, according to Carl Nettleton, the city's director of public and media affairs.
Under a clause in the Chargers contract, the city guarantees the team ticket sales of 60,000 per game. The original agreement called for a rent credit for the unsold seats up to 60,000, but the city saves some money by buying tickets before a game.
The team got off to a promising start this season, but finished with an 8-8 record, the seventh straight season without a winning record.
The Chargers and the city are locked in controversy, as a window opened in December in the team's 1995 contract allowing it to possibly be shopped to another city.
In coming weeks, the City Council is expected to consider an extension of that 60-day trigger period.
Previous Stories:
- December 24, 2002: Task Force Recommends Chargers Contract Extension
- December 23, 2002: Task Force To Consider Extending Chargers' 'Escape' Period
- December 16, 2002: Chargers Will Extend Contract 'Trigger'
- December 16, 2002: Bills Beat Chargers, 20-13
- December 11, 2002: City Council Vetoes Chargers' Lease Talks
- December 6, 2002: Sports Council Presents New Stadium Plan
- December 5, 2002: Chargers' Stadium Lease Talks Begin
- December 2, 2002: Mayor Doesn't Want Chargers Negotiating During Super Bowl
- November 22, 2002: City, Chargers Rhetoric Heats Up
- November 21, 2002: Ticket Guarantee Makes City Pay For Phantom Seats
- November 12, 2002: Lawyers: City Can Keep Chargers Without New Stadium
- October 31, 2002: City Won't Pay Chargers After Stadium Sign Snafu
- October 25, 2002: Report: Chargers Cannot Escape Contract
- October 22, 2002: City Wants Money Back From 'Sellout' Chargers Game
- October 1, 2002: City Spent $102,083 On Chargers-Patriots Game
- September 27, 2002: Chargers Task Force Scraps Denver Trip
- September 24, 2002: Councilman Troubled By Chargers Task Force
- September 18, 2002: Game Against Texans Cost Taxpayers $992,413
- August 21, 2002: Chargers-Seahawks Game Cost City $1.69M
- July 29, 2002: Ethics Code Approved For Chargers Task Force
- July 23, 2002: City Confirms Chargers Task Force
- July 12, 2002: Murphy Names Chargers Task Force Picks
- June 18, 2002: Task Force To Address Chargers Issue
- June 7, 2002: Mayor: City Faces 'Conundrum' Over Chargers
- June 5, 2002: City Asks LA Stadium Group Not To 'Interfere'
- June 4, 2002: Aguirre Says He Has Plan To Keep Chargers
- May 30, 2002: Aguirre: Recall Mayor Over Chargers Issue
- May 29, 2002: Chargers Get Call From LA Stadium Group
- May 28, 2002: Mayor Feels 'Obligation' To Keep Chargers
- May 24, 2002: Lawsuit Filed Against City Over Bolts Dealings
- May 16, 2002: LA Stadium Plans Revealed
- May 13, 2002: LA Officials: Stadium Not In Works
- May 9, 2002: Mayor Not Concerned By Chargers' Move North
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