COLUMN: L.A. teams fighting for football relevance

People are sincerely convinced that the boxing bout between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor was the biggest sporting event taking place this past Saturday. Let me tell you, they are sorely deceived.

The biggest fight this past weekend did not take place in a boxing ring. Instead, it took place within the confines of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Thousands upon thousands entered through the Coliseum turnstiles this past Saturday to catch a glimpse of the monumental Week 3 preseason matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams. This was the battle for Los Angeles. And in stunning fashion, a preseason bout between the Chargers and Rams eclipsed the mega-fight between Mayweather and McGregor in the sports universe —

If you haven’t caught the sarcasm by now, let me cut the rhetoric.

There was no dazzling spectacle at the Coliseum this past weekend. There was only a meaningless contest between two competitors who are locked in a stalemate for winning the hearts and attention of the L.A. fanbase.

On Saturday the Rams announced that they “distributed” a total of 58,561 tickets for their game against the Chargers. A quick glance around the Coliseum on Saturday would suggest that was quite the generous figure for fans in attendance. There were several gaping patches of red, empty seats visible during the game. Then again, to be fair, it is preseason football, and it’s a challenge to fill up the Coliseum, which seats up to 93,607.

For the Chargers, playing in front of over 58,000 spectators was a huge change of scenery. Over the first two weeks of the preseason, the Chargers played in front of crowds of 21,054 and 21,197, respectively, at their new home, the StubHub Center.

Again, it is preseason. However, failing to fill StubHub — a 27,000-seat soccer stadium — for two consecutive weeks is not a good look for a newly located franchise. If you’re the Chargers, it’d be nice to at least be in the 24,000-26,000 range for attendance, right? I mean the Galaxy were able to pack over 25,000 fans into StubHub the night before the Chargers’ preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 13.

“I really don’t think that anyone [in Los Angeles] is really salivating at the mouth for professional football,” said Alex Hsiung, a 26-year-old resident of the city who turned down the opportunity to purchase season tickets. “Whatever team does well first is going to gain the biggest following. Whoever wins first will get the bandwagon going for that specific team … a lot will ride on this season.”

The Rams had a fantastic opening season in Los Angeles last year, as far as home attendance goes. Only the Dallas Cowboys drew more fans to their home contests last season.

However, it’s hard to believe that a team coming off of a 4-12 season has stellar projections for fan turnout this fall. For the Rams, losing 11 of their final 12 games isn’t necessarily the best recipe for building up hype for a fanbase in Los Angeles.

The Chargers, who finished last season at 5-11 overall, aren’t necessarily bringing the biggest of hype trains to Los Angeles, either. The Chargers failed to make the playoffs over their final four seasons in San Diego, and with a 35-year-old quarterback, the window is smaller than it is big for the Bolts.

Speaking to people around the city, it’s clear that Angelenos don’t find the Rams’ growing pains and the Chargers’ recent futility very compelling. Many just don’t feel like Los Angeles has a culture for the NFL as both teams struggle to gain a following.

What’s most dangerous for the Chargers and Rams — teams vying to win the loyalty of a competitive L.A. fanbase — is the competition they face throughout in the city. In a sports metropolis like Los Angeles, it can be very easy to become forgettable. In the battle for L.A. sports supremacy, the Chargers and Rams must be wary of finding themselves on the undercard.

It’s easy to imagine that if the Los Angeles Dodgers make a push for the World Series, they will dominate the L.A. sports market from an exposure standpoint. If USC goes on to realize its national championship expectations, you’d also have to think they’d steal some of the spotlight from Los Angeles’ pro football franchises. And if Lonzo-mania sparks at the Staples Center, forget it. A pair of mediocre NFL teams very well may find themselves on the back-burner of L.A. sports fandom.

After all, how can the Rams and Chargers dominate the sports spotlight when USC may be making a national championship run this season? The NFL teams’ local competition goes beyond just football, too. The Dodgers and Lakers could both have strong seasons, meaning the Rams and Chargers would play their entire regular seasons under those other teams’ headlines. It would become playoffs-or-bust for the Rams and Bolts — a mentality neither team is well-equipped for.

The Chargers’ widely promoted slogan for this season has been “Fight for L.A.” It’s safe to say that in the battle between Bolts and Horns, everything will come down to one factor: winning. The first franchise to deliver Los Angeles a slice of NFL glory will gain the allegiance of many title-hungry Angelenos.

Angel Viscarra is a junior studying broadcast and digital journalism. His column, Viscarra’s Vice, runs on Tuesdays.