It’s a bad time in the NFL right now – a very bad, very sad time.

Yes, the AFC and NFC divisional playoffs are up this weekend and look to be
good games – except maybe for the Houston Texans’ visit to New England.
Even with all that, though, there can be no smiles, no celebrating.

That’s because the Chargers are on the move, announcing that they are
leaving San Diego, where they’ve been for 56 seasons, and are heading back
to Los Angeles, where they spent their inaugural year of 1960 in the old
AFL.

Yes, I get the business end of this move. I totally get it. The NFL is a
business, and the Chargers think they can make more money in Los Angeles
than they can in San Diego. It’s no more complicated than that. Follow the
trail of money and it will lead you to the answer of just about everything
in life, including franchises moving in the NFL.

But having said that, the NFL is not your typical business. It’s about
entertainment and fan loyalty. The league is built on its fans, who get
ripped off when their team up and moves.

The Chargers don’t belong in Los Angeles. They belong in San Diego, with
John Hadl and Dan Fouts winging passes to Lance Alworth and Kellen Winslow
in weather that always seemed perfect. Then there was that silly fight song
about “the San Diego Super Chargers.” You can bet there won’t be a fight
song – silly or otherwise – for the Chargers in Los Angeles.

Just like the Chargers belong in San Diego, the Colts belong in Baltimore,
not in Indianapolis. Isn’t that in Indiana, the state where basketball is
king?

Just like the Colts belong in Baltimore, the Tennessee Titans belong back
in Houston as the Oilers. Those white “Luv Ya Blue” hankies being waved in
the old Astrodome, which was the loudest stadium in the NFL, and Bum
Phillips in his big cowboy hat. Now, that was cool.

And just like the Titans belong back in Houston as the Oilers, the original
Browns belong back in Cleveland. They never should have left town for
Baltimore to become the Ravens. It was 21 years ago that that was happening
and Cleveland was going through what the Chargers are now. As Browns fans
can attest, that’s the kind of pain you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.

But these switcheroos with the franchises aren’t over in the NFL, and may
never be. The Oakland Raiders, who also had their eyes on Los Angeles at
one time, are now on the verge of moving to Las Vegas, of all places.

And the Buffalo Bills a few years back narrowly avoided moving to Toronto.
He Toronto Bills? Thank goodness that never happened.

If it had, then it would have been a very bad, very sad time in the NFL,
just like it is now.