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Chargers players upset Steelers' theme song played at home game

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Los Angeles Chargers don't enjoy the same home-field advantage that other teams do, as they rank last in attendance while playing in a sparsely populated 30,000-seat Dignity Health Sports Park.

Making matters worse, Sunday night's home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers felt like a road contest for L.A., as Steelers fans packed the soccer-specific stadium. The Chargers' game-operations staff added to that feeling by playing the Steelers' unofficial theme song, "Renegade" by Styx, over the PA system with Pittsburgh leading late in the game.

"It was crazy. They started playing their theme music. I don't know what we were doing - that little soundtrack, what they do on their home games. I don't know why we played that," Chargers running back Melvin Gordon said afterward to Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times.

"I don't know what that was. Don't do that at our own stadium. ... It already felt like it was their stadium. ... I don't understand that."

The Chargers played only a snippet of the song before replacing it with "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley, but the damage had already been done, as the Steelers faithful rose in volume upon hearing the first notes of their song.

"We're used to not have any fans here. It does suck, though, when they're playing their music in the fourth quarter," Chargers tackle Forrest Lamp said. "I don't know who's in charge of that but they probably should be fired."

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