Re: Expansion to Vancouver, what? Realistically, I've heard more talks about Montreal after Garber recent visit to the Impact new stadium at their unavailing, I know Vancouver is still having some issues with the city and the Whitecaps owner over the waterfront site for a new soccer stadium. If this is true about Vancouver, it'll be great news for soccer in Western Canada and a great continuation of the Vancouver, Seattle rivalry.
Re: Expansion to Vancouver, what? Man I love this website. Nothing gets past us. That said, I am going to guess that he's being overly optimistic, or his idea of "good news" is that Garber will keep them on the list of cities that they are "looking very closely at".
Re: Expansion to Vancouver, what? Sorta covered in the Vancouver and shifting sands threads... but Vancouver might just be getting it all lined up for 2011...
Re: Expansion to Vancouver, what? In case you missed it, the Whitecaps have announced they are moving into a *completely refurbished* BC Place stadium in downtown Vancouver in 2011. They have agreed to a five year lease while they continue to resolve the issues that are holding back progress on their proposal for a SSS on the northern waterfront. I think this is a good sign that something is on the move behind the scenes in terms of MLS, because the increased operational costs of relocating the club from Swangard to BC Place are astronomical. Yes the Whitecaps owner is a billionaire, but he's no dummy. It doesn't make any sense to make the move unless there's solid chances for snatching up an expansion slot. The recent rumblings from Steve Nash, whose brother Martin plays for the Whitecaps and occasionally for the Canadian nats, lead me to think that something is indeed in the works... perhaps more than Garber is letting on. Now before anyone goes howling about placing another MLS team in an oversized stadium.... BC Place routinely covers up the upper levels during BC Lions games, and the atmosphere is still very very good... it's by far the noisiest venue in the CFL. I also want to highlight the *completely refurbished* part because BC Place will not look a thing like it currently does. Imagine a transformation from "giant blobby marshmallow" to "Space Mountain." For starters, the domed, air supported roof will be replaced with a retractable one similar to what's now in place at the Kommerzbank Arena in Germany. There are also going to be complete overhauls of the seating, corporate boxes, concessions, retail space and washrooms. The club is also being consulted on design changes to improve the sightlines for soccer, so presumably we'll be closer to the pitch. New BC Place renderings here: http://forum.vancouversouthsiders.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2191 Although the current tenants, the BC Lions, play on FieldTurf, we are hopeful that real grass can be put down on top of it for soccer, which is precisely what they did at Qwest in Seattle when Canada played Brazil last month. The pitch looked great and the ball handled very, very well.
Re: Expansion to Vancouver, what? Nash, soccer star Henry among players in charity soccer match The interesting tidbit for readers of the expansion forum:
Re: Expansion to Vancouver, what? An unfortunate compromise - the waterfront stadium would be a dream, but another team playing in an oversized football stadium, with no definite plan for SSS, was a setback. To someone involved in the venture capital space - which I'd guess is a lot like trying to get MLS to invest in a market, this is a familiar tactic. VCs like to call it having 'skin in the game'. This is a logical move move for Kerfoot to emphasize his commitment and to show that there is indeed a Plan B in light of setbacks on the waterfront stadium plan. (Whether MLS can accept a BC Place plan B is the main question here, not whether there is another investor in Steve Nash because money isn't the problem in YVR). Without other major competing tenants for summer operations and the desire by the Crown Company to have consistent usage in the renovated facility, I'm sure the lease terms were favorable. And this is probably a lease that Kerfoot could buy out of - it's not like he bought the place or anything. Conversely, I believe that just staying in Swangard and not taking any sort of action in response to the stadium setback would have been a bigger blow to the MLS options. So all in all, a well advised gamble for someone trying to bring in MLS, but by no means an indication in and of itself. I think that's an obvious reaction to his comment about the all star game, but is no different from an earlier article in the National Post which stated: "The next key date in the process will be July 24 when the MLS gathers in Toronto for the All-Star Game, with expansion talk expected to be on the agenda." http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=590155 So we've known that Nash was interested. We've known that Vancouver, as well as other cities, have been looking at 7/24 for 'good news'. We've also known about the BC Place compromise. So what is really new here?
Re: Expansion to Vancouver, what? I thought the same thing while reading your responses. Seriously. On the other hand, even if the 'news' seems light, this is still the same kind of trickling of information that preceded Seattle's entry into the league last November. 1. Public interest stated on both sides. 2. Initial mention of possible place(s) to play. 3. Interested owners begin making small public comments. Multiple possible owners surface. 4. Possible dates, subject to much change, begin being mentioned. Now, this same list could apply to many cities in waiting, I suppose, but the fact they are *also* happening in Vancouver is encouraging for folks who want a club to eventually come there. The fact that some small tidbit seems to arrive almost weekly now is also of note.
Re: Expansion to Vancouver, what? Eh. Who knows? I think that's really reaching, reading way too much into a quote from an article about a pickup game in New York that essentially repeated something stated in an earlier article. If non-news, or regularly regurgitated information qualified as proof that something was actually happening behind the scenes, NY2 would be a lock for an announcement during the all star game. We'll have to see. In general, I think Vancouver is in good shape, but an admittedly optimistic but passing statement by Steve Nash doesn't make me think Vancouver is any more or less likely.
Except that both Steve and Martin Nash have commented on Steve's interest in MLS in about three different articles in the past week or so. Certainly, one story could feed into another... ...but I'll again raise the point about Garber's news release re: the BC Place stadium refurbishment announcement that was posted on the MLS website late in the evening before details were actually released the following morning. That seems to suggest that Garber and the Whitecaps are collaborating to a certain degree in terms of media relations.
What I've heard out of this thread is a bit more convincing as far as entry than in the StL threads. I hope Vancouver gets in before all for the rivalry against Seattle.
Can't recall where, but someone seemingly in the know about PR addressed this point previously. Nothing noteworthy about the timing of the press releases was the gist of it. Do MLS and candidate investors communicate and coordinate? Of course they do. Don't you think MLS wants to help every group get their stuff together to maximize competion for expansion slots? Hell yeah. Could a press release from MLS about one market finding a stadium solution be primarily intended to send a message to other candidate cities? Sure. Again, not to say Vancouver is not in a good spot with Kerfoot and all, but the Nash comment and BC Place press are not the indicators that reaching a solution on the waterfront stadium would be. I do think Garber likes the general Canadian opportunity though. I wonder if it makes more sense to do a Vancouver + Montreal move right now while the Canadian dollar is relatively strong. Just not sure if that matters to people like Gillette and Kerfoot who are probably in all kinds of currencies. Thoughts?
Says the guy who's team also plays in a football stadium. Have a look here. http://www.myfoxstl.com/myfox/pages...n=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1
If you want rivalry with Seattle, why push for Vancouver over Portland? The relationship between the Caps and Sounders supporters groups is outright chummy; nothing like what a Seattle-Portland darby would bring. I'd figure the caps would be more concerned with TFC anyway. While only 100 miles apart, Seattle and Vancouver are worlds away from eachother and in that there's not a lot of interaction between their respective denizens due to the whole national boundary thing as well as increased restriction and hassle with cross-boarder traffic. Portland and Seattle have a distaste for each other that one only sees between siblings that is magnitudes beyond the the third-cousin twice-removed-type relationship between Seattle and Vancouver.
Might a Portland rivalry have marginally more bitterness than one with Vancouver? Perhaps. But that's only a small piece of the thing. And personally, as a Whitecaps season-ticket holder, I'd view a rivalry with Seattle with much more importance than one with that city three time zones away. And the border doesn't have to be that big a deal, both BC and Washington have enhanced driver's license programs that mean people don't need passports to cross the border. The border doesn't keep me from having season tickets. I think any rivalry is merely a bonus. Its all the other factors that matter.
Portland fans don't know what they'll do when they can't hate on Seattle 24/7. At least as far as league play is concerned. In the end, MLS will take whoever ponies up the cash and convinces them that they can MAKE $$$$$$ for the league. Personally, I'd like to see both Vancouver and Portland in the league. I think Vancouver will happen first but it's all speculation at this point. Hell, even St. Louis is still speculation.
As a Western grad and someone with family in Bellingham, I can understand your situation. When I was back there, 'hamsters took a lot of pride in not being lumped in with Seattle. Just generalizing on what I experienced there, I'd guess your stance is more an extension of that rebelliousness of Bellingham than a sense of belonging to Vancouver. But Bellingham is funky that way and I can't imagine you are representative of caps season ticket holders by any measure. I also wouldn't expect you to feel the same about TFC that a Canadian from Vancouver would. And don't try to sell me on the idea that the boarder isn't a big deal. When you have to worry that some boarder guard is going to rip out your passenger airbag or at least you are going to be delayed 2+ hours when driving 45 miles to or from a soccer game, I'd call that a big deal. Incidentally, did you make it down to Portland to see your Mackem side play the Timbers? There is some kind of reciprocal relationship between the fan groups and the Sunderland group even adopted Timber Jim or something like that. http://timbers.soccercityusa.com/travelogue2006.htm
Don't kid yourself about Vancouver - Seattle. We hate those buggers much more than Toronto or Montreal, and there's 30 years of history to back that up. That said, yes the fans of both cities are quite civil to one another, and that's how it should be. In fact, I'd say we bonded over a mutual distaste for the Timbers Army, whose antics used to include provoking fights, vandalism, lighting flares under parked vehicles, throwing projectiles, etc. There's no need to act like uncivilized douchebags in order for the rivalry to be "real". That's not passion, that's idiocy. I get the sense that most of those guys have been turfed out of the TA or reigned in, so credit goes to the TA for sorting that out. I'm sure that if the Southsiders or ECS were anywhere near the same size as the TA, we'd have our share of idiots as well. Now on to other things. Didn't see it myself, but Fox Sportsworld apparently reported last night that Steve Nash will indeed be making a Vancouver MLS announcement at the All Star game.
No, they just mentioned the same news everyone else has been reading, not that there would be a Vancouver MLS announcement. It was the last thirty seconds of the program. If it had been actual news, I don't think they would have waited until the end.
Hmm, not for long friend. And while you stress on wondering if Vancouver goes in before you, our two time champions will be hosting FC Dallas Thursday in that stadium.
There is a certain anti-Seattle thing here, but Bellingham still sits within a Seattle sports orbit. I know a fair number of people who are buying season tickets for MLS, when there was an NBA team in each city, there were a few Grizzlies fans, but more stayed focused south. As for me understanding the Toronto rivalry, I lived in Calgary for three years, I can play the anti-Centre of the Universe card with the best of them. But the Lynx never drew anywhere near the hatred the Sounders (or Timbers) do, and I gather the same was true of the NASL-era teams. The border? Sure, it does turn some away, and I groan at how needlessly difficult it sometimes is, especially coming south. But you'll only see two hours on holiday weekends. I waited less than 10 minutes to get across going north tonight, a bit over 10 minutes on Sunday. I can't recall a wait of more than 45 minutes other than on holidays. Avoid the holidays, it shouldn't be a problem, although the lines are longer during the summer than otherwise, so perhaps scheduling the games early and late in the season would help a bit more. Yep, did make the trip to Portland, as part of a group of 18 of us, about half of them who had come over from England. Watched the Vancouver and Seattle games, too. Somehow, the Sun'lun fans hit it off with the Timbers Army in a way they didn't with the other groups. A bunch of Portland fans have made trips over to the Stadium of Light, and I think there's still a Sunderland forum on their message board.
Don't know how much it means but Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi was interviewed on CBC's broadcast of the Montreal vs. Vancouver Canadian Championship match and was talking as though MLS to Vancouver was already a done deal. At one point he mentioned the team would be using the refurbished BC Place for MLS and there was no "if we are granted a team" caveat.
Nothing too new here, but just wanted to post this fairly recent news article (below) from June 25: http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=613492 ______________
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/player/ MLS on CBC - Complete Games - Montreal v. Vancouver 77th minute (on player not the game) Bob Lenaduzzi said they were moving into BC place in hopes of getting "back in the game" with regards to MLS. They are still pursuing an agreement with port authority to get their stadium built but will move to BC place in 2011 as a temporary stadium. BY NO MEANS is it a done deal...I wish....but have a listen.