San Diego, CA

San Diego FC’s CEO can turn to a past playbook to fix a new fan problem

Published

1 year ago

March 5, 2025

San Diego FC’s CEO can turn to a past playbook to fix a new fan problem

San Diego FC CEO and co-owner Tom Penn remembers where he was when the homophobic chants started on Saturday night. He was standing right next to MLS commissioner Don Garber, who had flown in to witness the club’s inaugural home match.

The chant, which has been present in Mexican soccer for decades, started out quietly enough, with a smattering of fans belting out the Spanish word “p**o,” often considered to be a homophobic slur, during opposing goal kicks. Over the course of the match, played against St. Louis City SC, it grew in intensity. By the second half, it became something Penn and Garber could no longer ignore.

MLS has its own roadmap for dealing with the chant, borrowed from FIFA, global soccer’s governing body, and it was enacted late in the match. Fans were warned via the video board and an in-stadium audio announcement to stop doing the chant on three occasions. The last of those warnings added an additional threat that the match could be abandoned.

Standing next to Garber, Penn now says he was “disappointed but not super surprised” at the presence of the chant. “We certainly knew it was a possibility given the history and where we’re located,” Penn told The Athletic on Tuesday. “But we didn’t know (whether it would actually happen or not).”

MLS commissioner Don Garber, right, takes in San Diego FC’s first home match. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

There’s no confusion anymore. The incidents marred the home debut for San Diego, which played to a 0-0 draw in front of a sellout crowd at Snapdragon Stadium, on the heels of upsetting the defending champion LA Galaxy in their season opener. In many ways, the club cannot be blamed for the presence of the chant, and its head coach and sporting director were both quick in expressing their disgust at the fans who’d taken part in it.

The chants heard toward the end of the match emanated from more than just a small handful of supporters, with large segments of the stadium joining in. After years of pushing Mexican teams to eradicate the chant, it is now MLS’s turn to take another swing at one of Concacaf’s most vexing issues.

“It is a very complicated issue,” Penn said. “It’s very emotional and it’s very divisive. But it’s not a difficult position for us to take. Our position is clear: we want to be a club that’s inclusive for all, one that is a source of entertainment and joy and fun. And this is the opposite of that in that it creates such a wedge and it’s so divisive … (The chant) isn’t us. It’s not part of what we’re going to do. So I think really the first step is us stating that. Now the audience that comes knows that. We didn’t pre-state that before our first match, but now we’re going to be very clear about that message.”

GO DEEPER

San Diego FC fans’ actions put MLS expansion club to immediate test

Penn and others at SDFC are actively working on a plan of action to combat future use of the chant, which he says the club will roll out soon. This won’t be his first rodeo when it comes to dealing with this particular problem. Penn was the president at LAFC in 2018, that club’s debut season, and the parallels continue. LAFC was confronted with the chant in its first match, too. And Penn, along with others at the club, were swift to act.

“We had to circle the wagons around here and try to look at best practices,” Penn told The Athletic in 2019, “and we started to discover that there aren’t any. Nobody had a playbook on this. We determined internally as a club that we were going to be very clear and say this is not us. This is not our club. This is not what we stand for. Therefore this behavior will not be tolerated. What was more impressive was that the 3252 [LAFC’s supporters] leadership felt exactly the same.”

Prior to LAFC’s subsequent match, Penn, alongside club captain Laurent Ciman and a contingent of supporters, appeared on the field. They pleaded with fans to discontinue using the chant. It worked. Though it returned briefly later in the season, LAFC hasn’t had to deal with the issue since.

Other MLS clubs have had mixed results when it comes to combatting the issue. The chant used to be a mainstay at Houston Dynamo games until the club and its supporters mounted an effort to eradicate it. Though it’s used less frequently, the chant does at times persist in Houston, as it does in a handful of other MLS stadiums. LAFC’s crosstown rivals, the Galaxy, had their own brief battle with it.

The league itself has led efforts to combat the use of offensive language. It successfully eradicated another goal-kick chant that had become customary — one where supporters belted out “You suck, a**hole!” — some years back.

Globally, successful efforts to end the use of the word used Saturday night typically center around engaging with supporters directly, as Penn and others did at LAFC. In San Diego, Penn says the club’s front office has a strong relationship with its fan groups. The club’s head coach, Mikey Varas, was quick to mention on Saturday that none of the chants had originated with the club’s officially sanctioned supporters groups, which is something Penn eagerly reiterated.

San Diego FC supporters at the club’s inaugural home match. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

“We were 100 percent engaged with our supporters’ leaders both before, during and after the match,” Penn said. “We talked to them in advance of this match, we know 100 percent that it did not come from the supporters. They are exactly aligned with us on this issue and they would like to not have this be part of our experience. It’s not part of our club, it’s not part of us.”

So much of the issue with policing the use of the chant at games is how unpredictable its use is and how difficult it can be to identify individual fans who participate in it. Mexico’s football federation, alongside U.S. Soccer, has poured resources and manpower into combatting the issue, with mixed results. The Mexican federation has gone as far as instituting a “Fan ID” system in recent years, one that is capable of using facial recognition to catch fans in the act.

That sort of technology isn’t actively used in MLS stadiums, though some of the league’s clubs have dabbled in facial recognition in some form or another. Speaking on Tuesday, Penn was clear enough in suggesting that the club would absolutely remove any fan who can be clearly identified as having participated in the chant.

“We’re not gonna reinvent the wheel here, we may very well learn from (LAFC’s) success,” Penn said. “We’re considering the specific steps we can take and then the specific communication — the first part is just the communication of what the expectation is. But I would say we will absolutely be enforcing it and we will eject those that are clearly (using discriminatory language). We’ll see how all those action steps that we take in our next match work, and then we’ll modify from there.”

Penn and many others are hoping that San Diego can mirror LAFC’s success. Hopefully it’s as easy as having an impassioned conversation with the club’s fanbase. For now, though, a problem so frequently viewed as one that encompasses only Mexican teams once again belongs to an American one.

“Our first match was so magnificent in so many ways,” Penn said. “And we’re establishing ourselves as a new product in this market. It was 99 good things, but this is the one thing everybody likes to talk about in the moment.”

(Top image: Illustration by Dan Goldfarb/The Athletic; Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for LA84 Foundation)

Source link

Click to comment

San Diego, CA

3 San Diego State players who won’t be on the roster in the 2026–27 season

Published

6 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

3 San Diego State players who won’t be on the roster in the 2026–27 season

The San Diego State Aztecs are bracing for some possible serious turnover this offseason and it’s not all going to be via the transfer portal.

Leading scorer Reese Dixon-Waters is out of eligibility, as are Jeremiah Oden and Sean Newman Jr. Newman can petition for another season based on his junior college years, but it’s anyone’s guess if he’d get it.

Obviously, San Diego State’s roster movement is far from complete and the transfer portal doesn’t even open until April 7, the day after the national championship game.

The Aztecs’ once-promising season ended when they were left out of the NCAA Tournament following their loss to Utah State in the Mountain West Tournament championship game.

There are some players we know will not be on the squad next season, which will be the Aztecs’ first in the new-look Pac-12:

Guard Reese Dixon-Waters

San Diego State Aztecs guard Reese Dixon-Waters (39). | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After missing all of the 2024-25 season with a broken foot, Dixon-Waters returned for his final season of eligibility and led the Aztecs in scoring at 13.1 points per game. He was a second-team All-Mountain West pick. He scored his 1,000th career point at UNLV on Jan. 24 and finished his career with 1,220 points.

Dixon-Waters played his first three seasons at USC before transferring to SDSU, where he started 23 of 37 games in 2023-24. He was a preseason All-Mountain West pick the next season before breaking a foot. He was so highly regarded that, despite missing all of last season, he was named to the preseason All-MW team in October.

One of his notable accomplishments was attempting more free throws (43) without a miss to start the 2023-24 season than any player in the country.

Forward Jeremiah Oden

San Diego State Aztecs forward Jeremiah Oden (25). | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Oden started 15 games and played in 30 of 33 games in his final season of eligibility after transferring from Charlotte, where he redshirted in 2024-25. He averaged 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 13.8 minutes.

Oden scored his 1,000th career point on Feb. 3 against Wyoming, where he played his first three college seasons. He finished his career with 1,024 points and 495 rebounds.

Oden didn’t play at all in a blowout home win against Utah State on Feb. 25, when Dutcher shortened his rotation from 11 to nine players. He had started the previous nine games.

Oden also played one season at DePaul.

Guard Sean Newman Jr.

San Diego State Aztecs guard Sean Newman Jr. (4). | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The transfer from Louisiana Tech played in all 33 games and made four starts, including Senior Night in the regular-season finale against UNLV and all three games in the MW tournament, when freshman Elzie Harrington was out with an injury.

Newman averaged 3.3 points, 2.4 assists and 15.4 minutes.

Source link

San Diego, CA

The Streamline: Concerns raised over future of Tecolote Canyon Golf Course

Published

18 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

The Streamline: Concerns raised over future of Tecolote Canyon Golf Course

Here is what you need to know in the March 25, 2026, Streamline newsletter:

This morning, we’re tracking San Diego Unified School District’s decision to rename Cesar Chavez Elementary School in the wake of serious allegations against the civil rights icon.

We’re also following the City of San Diego’s search for a new operator to reopen Tecolote Canyon Golf Course — and the neighbors pushing to safeguard and restore the surrounding natural space.

Plus, consumer reporter Marie Coronel shows why brand loyalty might be costing you more on your cell phone bill.

THE STREAMLINE

WATCH — ABC 10News brings you The Streamline for Wednesday, March 25 — everything you need to know in under 10 minutes:

The Streamline: Wednesday, March 25

TOP STORY

The San Diego Unified School District board voted Tuesday night to begin renaming Cesar Chavez Elementary School following allegations of sexual abuse against the labor leader.

The process will start with school leaders meeting with parents, teachers, students, and community members to select a new name.

While renaming a school typically takes several months, district officials said the timeline could be expedited in this case.

San Diego Unified usually limits itself to one school name change per year — in February, Clairemont High School’s mascot was changed from the Chieftains to the Captains.

However, board members said they would make an exception for this situation.

San Diego Unified initiates renaming process for Cesar Chavez Elementary over abuse allegations

RELATED COVERAGE:

MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS

Coasts

Inland

Mountains

Deserts

BREAKING OVERNIGHT

(AP) — Iran received a 15-point proposal from the U.S. to reach a ceasefire in the war, two Pakistani officials said Wednesday.

The Pakistani officials described the proposal broadly as touching on sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, missile limits and access for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

The Trump administration reportedly offered the plan to Iran as the U.S. appears to seek an end to the war even while more troops head to the Middle East.

The plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from the government of Pakistan, which has offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, a person briefed on the plan’s contours but who was not authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The U.S. military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three people with knowledge of the move who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Any talks between the U.S. and Iran would face monumental challenges. Many of Washington’s shifting objectives, particularly over Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, remain difficult to achieve, and it is not clear who in Iran’s government has the authority or would be willing to negotiate.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s office said he has been discussing the war this week with several counterparts, but Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament, denied Trump’s claim of direct talks and an Iranian military spokesperson declared that the fighting would go on.

Alluding to progress in talks, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Iran shared an oil- and gas-related “present,” a day after telling reporters that the Middle Eastern nation is eager for a deal to end the war.

Story by The Associated Press

CONSUMER

While loyalty is usually a good thing, it’s possible it could be costing you money when it comes to your cell phone bill.

WATCH — Consumer reporter Marie Coronel goes over the simple checks you can do right now to make sure you’re not overpaying:

Comparing cell phone plans to save money on your bill

WE FOLLOW THROUGH

The City of San Diego is seeking proposals from companies to lease and reopen the Tecolote Canyon Golf Course. While golfers welcome the move, some nearby residents argue it could harm the environment.

WATCH — Reporter Dani Miskell spoke to some neighbors about their expectations for whoever comes in to run the golf course:

Concerns grow over future of Tecolote Canyon Golf Course

RELATED COVERAGE:

Thanks for waking up with us! If you have a story you want ABC 10News to follow through on, fill out the form below:

We Follow Through

Want us to continue to follow through on a story? Let us know.

Source link

San Diego, CA

San Diego neighborhoods push back against massive housing developments under Complete Communities plan

Published

1 day ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

San Diego neighborhoods push back against massive housing developments under Complete Communities plan

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego leaders have been working to bring more affordable housing to the city through the Complete Communities plan, but several neighborhoods are pushing back against massive developments they say will change their communities’ character.

The Complete Communities plan provides incentives for developers to build more housing units. However, residents in Mission Hills, Golden Hill, Encanto, and Hillcrest are fighting proposed projects.

I first started looking into this a week ago when the president of Preserve Golden Hill told me about their fight against massive developments being brought to their neighborhood. A judge recently paused an apartment from being built in Golden Hill after the community filed a lawsuit.

That conversation eventually led me to Mission Hills, where residents are fighting a similar battle.

A proposed 12-story development could be built on the corner of Goldfinch and Ft Stockton Drive if the development meets all the permit requirements under the city’s Complete Communities plan.

Doug Poole has lived in Mission Hills for 15 years. He and his dog find peace in their daily walks, but he worries the proposed building will disrupt the neighborhood.

“Everything that we do is, is right here,” Poole said.

“I have a dog I take to the park up here, uh, every day,” Poole said.

“It’s only gonna be 5 ft from that building behind me, and it would completely block all of the views from, from, uh, that window,” Poole said.

Poole is concerned that the housing will be priced above market rate and that the Complete Communities plan does not require developers to include parking in transit priority areas.

“I wanna make it clear that we’re not against development. Uh, what we’re against is development that completely changes the character of a neighborhood,” Poole said.

“Some people are going to have cars, and right now it’s already crowded, so I don’t know where they would go,” Poole said.

Margaret Virissimo is the founder of San Diego United Communities, a group that has helped multiple neighborhoods stop massive developments through lawsuits. Like Poole, Virissimo said the group isn’t against housing developments, but they want them to fit the neighborhood’s characteristics and be affordable.

“Since Complete Communities passed and SB 79 came our way, things have changed in, uh, San Diego and it is now becoming a, uh, concrete juggle without any community input or conversations,” Virissimo said.

“We’re losing a lot of that historical, um, housing, uh, for the future for the future generation to be able to purchase,” Virissimo said.

While walking the neighborhood with Poole, he showed me a letter the Mission Hills Community Review Council’s attorney sent to the city in December. The letter outlines four major areas where the proposed development violates Complete Communities’ height restrictions.

Poole said they have not received a response.

I took their concerns to the city Tuesday morning.

The city said in a statement:

“Like many cities throughout California and the nation, San Diego faces a housing shortage and affordability crisis. This stems in part from decades of insufficient new home construction to keep pace with demand. Over the past three years, the City has permitted an average of 8,700 homes. New homes are being built near jobs, schools and transit, which provides people with opportunities to live in places where it is quicker to get to work, school and services. The City is continuing its work to help increase the housing supply and affordability across all neighborhoods and for people of all incomes. Removing barriers to new home construction while having clear rules in place to ensure that new development enhances neighborhoods is a key goal in the City’s efforts. This means that San Diego’s younger generations can stay in San Diego, raise a family and overall contribute to a growing economy that benefits everyone.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Source link