Are The Whitecaps Just Giving Lip Service Right Now?

Posted on by

Earlier today, the Vancouver Whitecaps ownership group put out a statement about the #SAVETHECAPS movement that has been going on in the stadium at home and away games, and across social media.

In the statement, they mentioned how they want to keep the city city, and have talked to over 100 different parties over the course of the last sixteen months to keep the team in the city, but there hasn’t been anything viable to keep the team here to this point, and that they want people to step up if they want something done.

The thing is, I think the reason they put out the statement was to appease the people that are upset and protesting the team’s current situation in terms of the possibility of relocation. There’s the possibility that they are viable offers to keep the team in Vancouver, just not the payday that the current owners were hoping for.

The reason I think that it is all lip service from this announcement is for one reason, and one reason only. I think that they still want to be able to sell tickets at BC Place. If they say that there is no possibility that the team will stay in the city, then they could potentially face a protest of fans not buying tickets to games, and that the stadium will be empty on TV, and that is just not a good look for a team that is going to move to a new city.

I think what has actually happened is that the team has received a real offer from a city like Las Vegas to move the team to their city, and that it’s only a matter of time till we see the announcement be made. The city has been linked to the movement of the team if it does happen, along with a handful of other cities in the USA.

The thing to keep in mind is that no matter what, the fans can’t give up. The Whitecaps are a part of Vancouver’s history. They have been here through multiple leagues, multiple eras, and housed many well known faces in the soccer world. They are also one of the few teams that have brought a title to the city as well.

Hopefully a buyer is found locally to keep the team here. Or, if the need arises, the province steps in to prevent the move of the team, and force it to stay here and find a local buyer.