Canada Can’t Stop Copying Grand Rapids’ Sports Teams

It's a good time to be a sports fan in Grand Rapids.

• The Grand Rapids Griffins made a hell of a run through the playoffs,
• The Whitecaps are wrapping up their season currently in second place
• The Grand Rapids Gold are the affiliate team of the 2023 Champs the Golden Nuggets
• Grand Rapids' newest volleyball team the Grand Rapids Rise had a huge first-season turnout.

On top of all that, a soccer stadium is under development to join all these great sports events. There's nothing to complain about here.

But it looks like the country we share a border with may have noticed and decided to take a little inspiration from us for their own sports teams.

Whitecaps vs Rise

Over on the r/GrandRapids Subreddit, a user expressed their grief after making a potentially startling discovery:

Vancouver, British Columbia is Pissing Me Off
byu/genisvel ingrandrapids

As we know, Grand Rapids' newest team is called the Rise, and they have been a big hit. Yesterday, Vancouver announced their newest women's soccer team would be titled The Vancouver Rise. The team claims the name is to "inspire", but I think we all know the real reason.

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The Vancouver Rise will be sharing a stadium with their MLS Soccer counterparts, the Vancouver Whitecaps. Now wait, doesn't that name sound familiar too? The West Michigan Whitecaps baseball team was founded in 1994, while the Vancouver Whitecaps were founded in 2009.

Another coincidence? It's hard to say. There was a Vancouver Whitecaps soccer team in the 1970s, so this current team could be an homage to that team. But I don't think they're fooling anyone.

What do you all think? Coincidence or something more? Let us know on Facebook.