where did the san diego chargers originate?
Los Angeles Chargers
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 Some theories about its origin are : 

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 " Origin : 

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 The AFL became a viable alternative to the NFL as it made a concerted effort to attract established talent away from the NFL , signing half of the NFL 's first @-@ round draft choices in 1960 . The AFL worked hard to secure top college players , many from sources virtually untapped by the established league : small colleges and predominantly black colleges . Two of the eight coaches of the Original Eight AFL franchises , Hank Stram ( Texans / Chiefs ) and Sid Gillman ( Chargers ) eventually were inducted to the Hall of Fame . Led by Oakland Raiders owner and AFL commissioner Al Davis , the AFL established a " war chest " to entice top talent with higher pay than they got from the NFL . Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Babe Parilli became a star for the Boston Patriots during the early years of the AFL , and University of Alabama passer Joe Namath rejected the NFL to play for the New York Jets . Namath became the face of the league as it reached its height of popularity in the mid @-@ 1960s . Davis 's methods worked , and in 1966 , the junior league forced a partial merger with the NFL . The two leagues agreed to have a common draft and play in a common season @-@ ending championship game , known as the AFL @-@ NFL World Championship . Two years later , the game 's name was changed to the Super Bowl . AFL teams won the next two Super Bowls , and in 1970 , the two leagues merged to form a new 26 @-@ team league . The resulting newly expanded NFL eventually incorporated some of the innovations that led to the AFL 's success , such as including names on player 's jerseys , official scoreboard clocks , national television contracts ( the addition of Monday Night Football gave the NFL broadcast rights on all of the Big Three television networks ) , and sharing of gate and broadcasting revenues between home and visiting teams . 

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 San Diego 's high hopes for Leaf were soon dashed , as his rookie season was marred by poor behavior . Before the season started , he skipped the final day of a symposium mandatory for all NFL draftees and was fined $ 10 @,@ 000 . 

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 The rival American Football League arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL 's dominance . The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived , with an initial television contract with the ABC network . The AFL 's existence forced the conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league . Meanwhile , the AFL introduced many new features to Professional Football in the United States : official time on the scoreboard clock , rather than on a watch in the referee 's pocket , as the NFL did ; optional two @-@ point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns ; names on the jerseys of players ; and several others , including expansion of the role of minority players , actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL . The AFL also signed several star college players that had also been drafted by NFL teams . Competition for players heated up in 1965 , when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then @-@ record US $ 437 @,@ 000 contract . A five @-@ year , $ 40 million NBC television contract followed , which helped to sustain the young league . The bidding war for players ended in 1966 , when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger , and the two leagues agreed on one that would take full effect in 1970 . This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year , and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league . That game began play at the end of the 1966 season . Once the merger was completed , it was no longer a championship game between two leagues , and reverted to the NFL championship game , which came to be known as the Super Bowl . 
