Qualcomm Stadium

As a sooty dusk fell over San Diego on Sunday, the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium, designated an evacuation center, resembled a makeshift neighborhood, complete with barking dogs, chirping car alarms and parked RVs. About 5,000 evacuees, along with hundreds of pets, settled themselves into the stadium parking lot, some leaning against their cars with food in hand, others calling friends on their cell phones to find out if their homes were still there.

The Chargers are staying in San Diego for at least another season. Owner Dean Spanos said Monday that the franchise will not exercise its right to move for at least another year, allowing more time for efforts to build a downtown stadium. Spanos and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said in a joint statement that they will work closely to try to make that happen. "The City of San Diego and the Chargers continue to work closely together to explore publicly acceptable ways to build a Super Bowl-quality stadium on the bus maintenance yard site in the East Village of downtown San Diego," the statement reads.

SAN DIEGO -- Just inside the stadium gate Monday, a young bleached-blond woman offered a drink: "Would you care for a Red Bull, sir?" Another hundred feet on, a woman walked by carrying a sign: "Anyone distressed?" She gave directions to a crisis counseling center down the way. There was more food than could be eaten. More help than could be used. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders guessed there were as many volunteers as victims.

From San Diego -- It's been so long, I almost forgot what a scam this is. Here it is NFL opening Sunday, and a fine day it is. The grass is green, the seats an eye-catching blue with banners and flags waving everywhere in this picturesque stadium. This appears to be the ideal home eight or nine days a year for any football team and its loyal following, but then this is the National Football League. Remember what that was like 17 years ago? Now as you know, the folks who work in the National Football League never say "NFL," lest someone think the National Football League really isn't something special.

Police made 54 arrests and ejected 66 rowdy fans when the Oakland Raiders played the San Diego Chargers in Qualcomm Stadium in the final game of the season Sunday. Police said many arrests involved public intoxication, but a few involved battery and selling unlicensed NFL merchandise.

YANKEES' ANDY PETTITTE (16-11, 1-1) vs. PADRES' KEVIN BROWN (18-7, 2-1) Site--Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego Time--5:20 p.m., Channel 11 * Update--Pettitte has 55 victories in the past three seasons--the most in the American League during that span--but he struggled at the end of the regular season, going 4-6 with a 6.27 earned-run average in his last 12 starts. Brown, who has experienced flu-like symptoms the past few days, is pitching on three days' rest for the third time in the postseason.

Other major league baseball stadiums and the year of the first game played: AMERICAN LEAGUE *--* Angels Edison Field 1966 Baltimore Oriole Park at Camden Yards 1992 Boston Fenway Park 1912 Chicago Comiskey Park 1991 Cleveland Jacobs Field 1994 Detroit Comerica Park 2000 Kansas City Kauffman Stadium 1973 Minnesota Hubert H.

2005 Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla....$600, $500 2004 Reliant Stadium, Houston...$500 2003 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego...$500, $400 2002 Superdome, New Orleans...$400 2001 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla....$325 2000 Georgia Dome, Atlanta...$325 1999 Pro Player Stadium, Miami...$325 1998 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego...$275 1997 Superdome, New Orleans...$275 1996 Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz....$350, $250, $200 1995 Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami...$200 1994 Georgia Dome, Atlanta...

On a day when city officials showed up at Qualcomm Stadium to push for voter passage of a measure that would fund a new stadium downtown, Towers admitted he would push for it other ways. He said he felt he needs to sign at least one of the club's four big-name free agents--Kevin Brown, Ken Caminiti, Steve Finley and Wally Joyner--before the Nov. 3 election. "You want to show voters, 'This guy is coming back, we are still going to be good,' " Towers said.

Although it's too soon to determine what effect the surprise resignation of San Diego's mayor will have on the Chargers' bid for a new stadium, a team spokesman said Monday that recent turmoil in city government has complicated efforts to find a development partner. "In such extremely uncertain circumstances, it's a real challenge to persuade investors to put their money in San Diego," said Mark Fabiani, Charger point man for the stadium effort.

Reporting from San Diego ? The San Diego Chargers, with their season hanging in the balance, played well enough Thursday to try a variation of their West Coast offense. The Just Coast. And the centerpiece of that scheme was Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson, a player who insists he wasn't coasting this fall when he missed the first 10 games mostly because of a contract dispute. He caught a career-high three touchdown passes ? and just missed on a fourth ? in a 34-7 dismantling of the San Francisco 49ers at Qualcomm Stadium.

On a weekend when snowbound travelers on the East Coast were prevented from getting to their destinations, the San Diego Chargers used a very reliable way to get from Point A to Point B: The foot of Nate Kaeding. He kicked a 52-yard field goal with three seconds to play Sunday, lifting the Chargers to a 27-24 victory over Cincinnati at Qualcomm Stadium. "There was a lot of adrenaline in that kind of situation, coming down to the wire and going for the win," said Kaeding, whose team has won nine games in a row. "Once it came off my foot, I knew it was good, and mayhem ensued from there."

What was good news Thursday for people who want to bring pro football back to Los Angeles could wind up being even better news for those California cities that already have NFL teams. Here's the bottom line: After years of resistance, this state is at long last willing to hop through hoops for the country's No. 1 sports league. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that will make it easier to build a 75,000-seat football stadium in the city of Industry, by exempting the venue from state environmental laws.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will decide today whether the San Diego Chargers can play their scheduled Sunday home game against the Houston Texans at Qualcomm Stadium, which is a wildfire evacuation site. Among the options is playing the game at Qualcomm on Monday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "If San Diego says it would put less pressure on their public safety, we would move it to Monday," Goodell said at league meetings in Philadelphia.

SAN DIEGO -- Just inside the stadium gate Monday, a young bleached-blond woman offered a drink: "Would you care for a Red Bull, sir?" Another hundred feet on, a woman walked by carrying a sign: "Anyone distressed?" She gave directions to a crisis counseling center down the way. There was more food than could be eaten. More help than could be used. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders guessed there were as many volunteers as victims.

The Chargers have dropped plans to put a stadium proposal on the November ballot, casting doubt on whether the NFL franchise will stay in San Diego. A major stumbling block, the Chargers say, has been finding a development partner, essential to building a privately financed stadium. Team officials say a chaotic political climate in San Diego and the city's budget crisis have scared away prospective investors.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will decide today whether the San Diego Chargers can play their scheduled Sunday home game against the Houston Texans at Qualcomm Stadium, which is a wildfire evacuation site. Among the options is playing the game at Qualcomm on Monday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "If San Diego says it would put less pressure on their public safety, we would move it to Monday," Goodell said at league meetings in Philadelphia.

The Chargers have dropped plans to put a stadium proposal on the November ballot, casting doubt on whether the NFL franchise will stay in San Diego. A major stumbling block, the Chargers say, has been finding a development partner, essential to building a privately financed stadium. Team officials say a chaotic political climate in San Diego and the city's budget crisis have scared away prospective investors.

Despite their completed plan for a Super Bowl-quality football stadium, public park and urban village, the San Diego Chargers are finding it "extremely difficult" to attract development partners willing to make an investment in the project because of the city's political uncertainty, a team spokesman said Monday. "There are a lot of people interested, but the problem is the situation downtown is so chaotic," said Mark Fabiani, point man for the Charger stadium proposal.

Although it's too soon to determine what effect the surprise resignation of San Diego's mayor will have on the Chargers' bid for a new stadium, a team spokesman said Monday that recent turmoil in city government has complicated efforts to find a development partner. "In such extremely uncertain circumstances, it's a real challenge to persuade investors to put their money in San Diego," said Mark Fabiani, Charger point man for the stadium effort.