After moving from San Diego to Los Angeles ahead of the 2017 season, the southern California-based Chargers have been known for home games that feature more fans of the visiting team than those rooting for the Bolts. The players have come to accept this fact, but the situation took another turn on Sunday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers anthem was played in the Chargers’ stadium.
As the fourth quarter began, the speakers at Dignity Health Sports Park began playing the opening to the Styx song Renegade, which has become an anthem for the Steelers during their home games. This moment came as the visiting team was leading 24-0 and was headed for victory, only adding to the frustration felt by the Chargers players in powder blue uniforms.
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“It was crazy,” Melvin Gordon said, according to the LA Times. “They started playing their theme music. I don’t know what we were doing — that little soundtrack, what they do on their home games. I don’t know why we played that.
“I don’t know what that was. Don’t do that at our own stadium … It already felt like it was their stadium … I don’t understand that.”
As it turns out, this was actually an attempt at a prank by those running the speaker system at Dignity Health Sports Park. Shortly after Renegade began playing, the song was replaced by Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up. This is a move that has been made popular in MLB stadiums, but it didn’t sit particularly well with the Chargers.
“We’re used to not having any fans here,” offensive lineman Forrest Lamp said. “It does suck, though, when they’re playing their music in the fourth quarter. We’re the ones at home. I don’t know who’s in charge of that but they probably should be fired.”
This moment with the music only continued a trend that has been prevalent at the majority of Chargers’ home games. The rowdy Steelers fans essentially took over the stadium and dominated the noise level all game long. The yellow Terrible Towels that have become synonymous with the team were waving throughout the AFC battle.
The Chargers entered the game with hopes of shutting down an undermanned Steelers team that was relying on a third-string undrafted rookie quarterback, but the game did not pan out as expected. The Black and Yellow defense held QB Philip Rivers in check while running back James Conner accounted for two touchdowns.
Losing to a rookie with the nickname of “Duck” was a particularly low moment for a Chargers squad that reached 12-4 in 2018 and had Super Bowl aspirations. Hearing the Steelers’ anthem playing over the home speakers just made the moment even worse.
