Ottawa CFL team needs a new name, you can help decide

Ottawa Rough Riders. Ottawa Renegades. Ottawa ???

Assuming the Ottawa CFL franchise is coming in 2014, the team needs a nickname and you can be part of the decision-making process.

Since they do want your info, the form leans heavily toward Canadian participation. You do have to supply basic info, what your nickname would be, and why you think the Ottawa team should have that nickname.

Submit your info to the link to submit your entry in English and you can also submit in French. Deadline is December 16.

There is no requirement that the nickname start with a R; the alliteration of Rough Riders and Renegades scream for that, but Renegades never went over well.

Ottawa is the nation's capital and sits on the Ontario-Quebec border so some element of that setting should inspire a selection.

Senators would make the best choice, but the NHL beat them to the idea. MPs has a nice ring, but isn't really practical. Rideaus would fit in well with the R theme and celebrates the Rideau Canal and Rideau River. Rideau means curtain in French, curtain being a good theme for the defense.

You should stay away from Stallions (Baltimore), Barracudas (Birmingham), Posse (Las Vegas), Mad Dogs (Memphis), Manatees (Miami — never played), Gold Miners (Sacramento), Texans (San Antonio), and Pirates (Shreveport).

The Washington Bullets took submissions to change its nickname. The team had fans submit names. The 5 names were chosen by people selected by the team: Sea Dogs, Express, Stallions, Dragons, and Wizards.

The Washington Post ran a poll with the team's five choices:  "None of the Above" was the winner. The five suggested choices combined drew about 15% of the vote ("Bullets" did better than the choices on the ballot).

The good news for Ottawa fans is they can't rebel against a current nickname. Almost anything would be better than Renegades or Wizards.

Comments

[Tim]

Mounties? Ministers? Beefeaters?

[Chad]

Mounties fits. Ministers would be pretty funny. Good submissions.

[CQ]

I still cringe at the NBA Toronto Raptors' naming contest of the mid 1990s. A tacky marketing name meaning nothing to its locale, crappy colours of purple with red (now, more red with a bit of purple), and an continuing eyesore arena built too close to the large Lake Ontario (for maintaining decent playoff season ice conditions).

Ottawa Reformers would be a neat choice. Or as Ottawa Liberal MP David McGuinty said last month, western MPs "should go back to Alberta".

[Chad]

Hey, CQ. Glad you brought up the Raptors. What a horrible mess. I hadn't considered the location of the ACC to Lake Ontario. Then again, when are we going to see the Maple Leafs in the playoffs? (Sorry.) Reformers keep the R theme going; make them sound like they work in prison. Tough works well in football.

[susan]

I would like the name OTTAWA SPHERES as they are strong and together they are like a sprere in the universe coming in strong for the HIT.

[Chad]

Spheres would be fun to incorporate as a mascot.