2024 Non-Champions (i.e. Other Teams’) News Thread—Streaming Now on BigSoccer +

It would be the best thing for all concerned.

Kerfoot got the team with a fraudulent promise to build a soccer stadium and then threw in with the CFL team in cavernous BC Place, a horrible place to watch soccer played on plastic where they get zero revenue from anything but a cut of tickets and merch. Parking, concessions, etc. all goes to.the government.

It's the worst deal in the league and they wouldnt.be allowed to build something else even if somebody had the money. Which they don't.

So even if some.billionaire wanted to buy the thing, it's almost impossible to make any money. The team has been lobbying the league for increased revenue sharing and a luxury tax on high spending teams in order to try and break even.

Reportedly, the Caps have the lowest club valuation in all of MLS. Making things worse, the crushing Canafian tax system means they have to pay 25% more for players to net the same amount as they'd make at a comparable US team.

And the road trips are long and expensive.

Like I said.it.would. be better for everyone if they moved. It's a no win situation.

 

I mean, they had their choice of two guys and chose Issa over the dude that left and went to Montreal, so they must like something about him. I’m sure he’s also been recommended by Bez and Nancy.

 

In other words, whichever government (Vancouver or BC) that owns BC Place wants everything (the revenue windfall from 17+ extra dates at BC Place) or nothing (no MLS team bringing in tax and ancillary revenue) rather than allow a second major league rectangular stadium in Vancouver?

Also, might the Whitecaps moving to the US be the excuse FIFA and/or CONCACAF is looking for to force TFC and whatever the Impact are calling themselves these days to the CPL?

 

BC Place is owned and operated by what is called a Crown Corporation, which is an entity wholly owned by the provincial government, like the lottery or the liquor stores or the electric company.

In order to build another stadium you'd need to get provincial approval, meaning that BC would be giving up one of their two primary tenants which provide the income used to pay off the bonds.

 

Since BC Place will be used for the World Cup, FIFA might not be pleased if there's no top division team there.

 

Aren't there more tha a few WC stadia already that don't have that status? Dallas, Houston, KC, Miami, and so on...

 

It is a toxic situation up there, but after what we went through less than a decade ago it would be pretty hypocritical to support them moving away for money reasons. Their club's history dates back two decades before the Crew came into existence. There are a lot of bad stadiums in this league. Hell, Audi Field has only been open for six years and it's just a soulless post-modern version of the dump in Colorado. I'd prefer to see all the billionaires get behind an effort against the Canadian government to give them a fairer stadium deal or the ability to move out and build something new.

 

Their cities have a team.

 

This is 100% correct. Issa is good and was always going to be the one to step into Bez’s shoes. However, Bez held more clout with Jimmy et al. Perfect example is that Bez and Dr Pete were able to talk Jimmy out of cutting academy spending. I’m not sure if that’d happen now. Hopefully, Issa will find more of a voice as he ages and grows in experience. The flip side is that I can also see Jimmy pushing more the longer he owns the team.

 

You still believe that lie? Damn it Bez knew damn well what the rules were. It was to calm down the fan base from freaking out about selling a club legend in LZ. Gullible I tell ya

 

I still wager that Bez was trying to do an NFL style extension for Nagbe where you lower his cap for that season and spread out the budget cost over more seasons. MLS isn't going to allow such a skirt of its roster rules, especially in a league where the cap hardly goes up.

 

What lie? Of course he knew what the rules were. He presumably asked a league known for tweaking them on occasion to do so again in this case, and he was told to go pound sand. I don’t doubt he asked the league for help. I also don’t see why that would have had any effect of fan opinion. It didn’t make him look any better, imho. A bit like how the club shouldn’t have been so casual about its keeper call-up situation last season, or maybe should have anticipated the risks involved with signing a backup keeper who’d be away on national team duty regularly.

 

Like you, I instantly thought of Black Knight/Vegas when I heard about the Vancouver sale. There is now whispering from an MLS source of potential movement in regards to Vegas possibly getting a team. No specific mention of Vancouver, but it’s quite a coincidence…

 

Schedule incoming.



Crewsmas when?

 

Will they announce Thursday that the Miami game will be in Cleveland

 

Will they also announce the Austin away match in Columbus???

 

...as far "away" from Columbus as they can make it....

 

I think they are under the gun trying to get the schedule out before the NCAA playoffs. College football expansion has wrecked MLS's early December window of relevancy. The next 10 weeks will be devoted to American football in the sports media landscape.

SD already had several of their games released. Side note, their stadium grass field was a mess this past year. It's a nice stadium but it needs a canopy, a drainage system (it has none), and a hybrid field.

 

I guess I will not be buying NWSL season tickets for a Cleveland franchise in the near future.

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2024/12/cleveland-loses-nwsl-expansion-bid-to-denver.html

 

Wonder if the Crew will play in Denver this year - might have to make the trek for that one! I don't think I've ever attended a game as a non-home fan.