Sports and Recreation

San Diego's spectator sports are many and varied. Outdoor sports draw nearly as many visitors to the city as the sightseeing attractions. Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Rd. in Mission Valley, is the home to the major league football team the San Diego Chargers; ipayOne Center at the Sports Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., plays host to special sports events.

The San Diego Padres seem to have bounced back from the glory days of 1984 (when they were in the World Series) to again become a contender. With help from standouts like seven-time National League batting champion Tony Gwynn and third baseman Ken Caminiti, the Padres won the National League West Division Championship in both 1996 and 1998. They play April through September at PETCO Park, which opened downtown in 2004; phone (877) 374-2784.

The NFL's San Diego Chargers were an immediate hit when they relocated from Los Angeles in 1961. The Chargers have come back strong since the mid-1990s. They made it to Super Bowl XXIX in 1995, losing to the San Francisco 49ers, and were the 2004 AFC Western Division Champions. College football fans support the SDSU Aztecs. Both the Chargers and the Aztecs play at Qualcomm Stadium in the fall; phone (619) 280-2121