Qualcomm Is Old, But Very Patriotic During Opener (Video)

The San Diego Chargers have aggressively sought funding for a brand new stadium in San Diego, or perhaps somewhere else, for much of the last several years. One trip through Qualcomm Stadium, located in the Mission Valley section of the city, absolutely demonstrates the team's desire to massively upgrade.

The 44-year-old facility shows its age most prominently in the exterior and concourse areas. The building's exterior is a series of outdated looking ramps and escalators. The concourses are dark, narrow and generally very crowded, with the venue's 52 concession stands placed sporadically throughout the hallways, with seemingly no rhyme or reason as to where they are located. The general layout of the concourses can be difficult to navigate for fans not intricately familiar with their surroundings.

Below is a video clip displaying Qualcomm's outer façade, mass transit center and parking lot. The lot was loaded with tailgaters, many of them arriving several hours prior to Sunday's kickoff of the game between the Vikings and Chargers.

Upon arriving in one's seat, Qualcomm quickly transforms into a very nice place to watch a football game. Despite the obvious age of the scoreboard and stadium seats, the football sightlines are solid. Each of the 70,561 seats appear to offer a quality view of the action.  

After the Padres moved to downtown San Diego for the 2004 baseball season, Qualcomm became a football only facility.   

Sunday's opener of course coincided with the tenth anniversary of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001. The pregame festivities included skydivers landing on the midfield logo. Checkout one of the impressive dives per the below video.

Singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat performed the “Star Spangled Banner” alongside an American flag the size of the entire football field. The flag was held by players from both teams and numerous members of the armed forces.

At the National Anthem's conclusion, Challenger the bald eagle flew above the massive flag. This event was followed by the sight of four Osprey helicopters passing above the stadium. Not surprisingly, the crowd of Chargers and Vikings fans erupted in a united display of patriotism during this occurrence. Take a look at the scene via the below video.