Good Friday morning Caps fans. It has been a long week but hopefully you have big plans this weekend.
There is no sugar coating things — it has been a bleak few days in Caps world. Starting on Monday, when word came out that there had been concrete relocation talks among MLS owners, and continuing through Thursday, when an official bid from an ownership group interested in moving the Whitecaps to Las Vegas was tabled, things have just kept getting worse and worse.
Anyone who has been paying attention to this knew that relocating the Whitecaps was a plausible outcome. Nonetheless, it is still astounding to me that we have reached this point. MLS is basically signaling that it is comfortable blowing a key market in Canada (bigger than Las Vegas) over a manufactured crisis. Apparently, current ownership is equally happy to destroy its reputation locally over said manufactured crisis.
This isn’t to excuse the provincial and city governments, which are not without blame. But it is high time for the club to follow Mayor Ken Sim’s call to publicly state what they are seeking from the province to remain at BC Place in the near term. The time for vague posturing over raising the club’s revenue is long gone. It was reported that the club has lost $300 million since the start of its expansion season. Well, I’m going to need some proof of that. The club has received a lot of goodwill over the last year or so, even when the stadium dispute initially boiled over. That goodwill has run its course.
No MLS team has actually been relocated since the San Jose Earthquakes were moved to Houston in 2006 (a story that had a happy ending, with the Quakes 2.0 launching a couple of years later). The hope here is that MLS wants this to look something like what happened with Columbus and Austin: A threat of relocation scares local and regional governments into action and the league can collect a hefty expansion fee to add another team anyway.
I hope this is the case. But after this week, my optimism is starting to flag. The only thing keeping my hopes up has been the impressive mobilization from the Southsiders and the other supporters’ groups, as well as the solidarity from clubs and supporters across the league.
I get being cynical about the impact you can truly have as a fan. But, as I’ve said before, MLS needs to see that moving the club has a cost, both financial and reputational. It might not outweigh a fat relocation fee from a Las Vegas ownership group, but it is something. And local stakeholders need to see that there is a political cost to not playing ball (a message that I think has hit home).
MLS’ vision of itself as a future top 10 league in the world is not compatible with moving the Whitecaps. It is the wrong decision from a financial, moral, and sporting perspective. And, for those reading this from outside Vancouver, if they can move this club, yours can (and potentially will) be next.
Shameless Self Promotion
A look at Pacific’s latest loss in Canadian Premier League play and what to take away from it.
Best of the Rest
Bloomberg is reporting (presumably leaked from ownership) that the club is losing $300 million — a number that has not been reported before.
The latest from the Save the Caps folks with the FIFA Congress in town.
A glimmer of hope? The league, club, and local governments have played it cool in light of the Vegas bid.
Meanwhile, Don Garber claims his account was hacked after a post chiding BC Premier David Eby. Sure man, whatever you say.
In non Caps news, a debate over should be starting for Canada after a trying MLS season for two of its top options.
Let’s deal with a couple of things you say in your article. That CoV and the Province bear some of the blame? Hard to understand the Province in this … CoV perhaps for rejecting early stadium proposals from Kerfoot but that’s arguable. Nothing else can be laid at their feet.
As for the $300 million … agreed, I’d like to see proof. But, any operating losses they claim need to be offset by $80m in expansion fee revenue, the tax advantages to Kerfoot, Mallett, Luczo, and Nash of modest operating losses, and some context for 2017 – 2023 between the “scandal” and it’s impact on ticket sales and the COVID years playing in Portland, Salt Lake, or with attendance restrictions in Vancouver.
as i am the one crying out in the wildeness, i repeat- THE CAPS ARE NOT LEAVING THE VANCOUVER MARKET- prospective new investors (ie San Francisco 49’er owner for one) even took in the great November game vs LAFC – a lot is happening on the positive side behind the scenes- i, for one, will not be led by the media or supporter clubs into panicking
and the Whitecap owners have made well over $100- $200 mill mill on expansion rewards- so i dont believe the $300 mill loss by Bloomberg
what i am most surprised about is the focus on BC Place Stadium as a short and maybe long-term solution- if true, what becomes of the Hastings Park North tract of land?? could there be another stadium being talked about?
and will the Caps new investors want more than just the soccer portfolio in Vancouver?
some of you maybe thought i was crazy since December about the possibility of NBA and MLB franchises coming to Vancouver– now its in the news- not saying they are going to happen, but its being talked about
Salty
TRUMP! and the low Canadian dollar likely a major issue?………Wonder how many MLS Owners are also Trump supporters? …Prospective Vegas investor family are for sure! Return to Swangard or worse Langley!
Done deal according to ESPN! Owners to finance their own stadium and compete with Miami and LA
Billionaire formal bid to relocate Vancouver Whitecaps to Las Vegas accepted in principal. Grant Gustavson has submitted an offer to MLS on behalf of an investment group, spokesperson confirms
its about soccer, not about hating and blaming Trump
and FYI, the US economy is booming- look at the stock markets
This whole sports business in North America is really so demoralizing. It just makes me quite sad that rich (mostly) white guys have no souls and are totally just in it to accumulate as much wealth as possible.
Tamara Hughes Gustavson, daughter of American Homes 4 Rent co-founder Bradley Wayne Hughes, Sr., was identified as a donor to Donald Trump,
As of September she was identified as a Republican donor who contributed to Donald Trump’s efforts even in 2016. Context of Donations:
In 2016, she was listed as a donor at a time when top Republican donors were being tracked for their contributions to Trump’s campaign.