Whitecaps team captain Jay DeMerit says the power of the mullet is strong in Vancouver, and he plans to keep kickin’ it business in the front and a party in the back until his team breaks into the playoffs.

“The Playoff Hunter” says it’s no coincidence the club has not conceded a goal since his righteous mullet was born Sept. 27, or that after shaving four power-stripers onto the sides of his head the team defeated Chivas U.S.A. 4-0.

“It becomes a superstition once it works for you,” he told Metro. “The more power we started to put towards it the better we did on the field. So the fans resonate with it and all of a sudden it just becomes something much bigger than a haircut.”

Two barbers will be on hand for the ‘Caps Kickoff in Terry Fox Plaza from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday to cut mullets by donation, with all proceeds going to the United Way.

If that’s too much commitment, there will also be more than 100 mullet wigs for sale by donation, and fans are encouraged to wear their own wigs or similar accessories to the game for a chance to win the jersey off DeMerit’s back at the end of the match. Mulleted fans will also get a 10 per cent discount on regularly priced merchandise.

Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi laughed when asked about Jay the Playoff Hunter.

“Jay is a bit of a free spirit, and we love that,” he said, admitting he once wore his hair long and shaggy in the ’70s.

“When I wore it it wasn’t a mullet. It was just a hairstyle.”

Lenarduzzi said it will be a historic moment if the Whitecaps win, becoming the first Canadian team to enter the Major League Soccer playoffs. With the game nearly sold out, the pressure is on.

“We need to make sure that we don’t stray to far from the things that have enabled us to get into this position, and what often happens in situations like this is the anxiety gets the better of you and you don’t perform well, so we need to make sure that we don’t let that happen to us.”

Synonyms for mullet: Ape drape, Norco Neck Warmer, Kentucky Waterfall, 1090 (10 per cent on top, 90 per cent in the back), hockey hair, forbidden hair, shom.

History of the mullet
Some very powerful figures have sported mullets.
Circa 54 AD: The Roman emperor Nero may have had a mullet, according to the ancient biographer Suetonius
7th Century AD: The huns rebell against the Roman Empire whilst rocking the revolutionary ‘do
1970s: David Bowie, Paul and Linda McCartney propel the mullet into the pop culture stratosphere
1980s: Bono’s legendary mullet inspires legions of U2 fans to grow a party in the back
1990s: Jerry Springer contestants and Billy Ray Cyrus carry on the proud tradition
2010: Iran bans the mullet and promotes a new set of Islamic hairstyles to “confront the cultural assault by the West”
2012: Captain Jay DeMerit’s mullet inspires the Whitecaps to become the first Canadian team to reach the MLS playoffs?