Ottawa RedBlacks.
That is the (still) unofficial nickname for the new Ottawa CFL franchise that will (finally) play in 2014. The RedBlacks name has been floating out there for some time, but the new logo and nickname were reportedly leaked in advance of the official June 8 announcement.
If you are among those CFL fans that forgot Ottawa had a team, you can be forgiven. Ottawa has suffered from long droughts of no football: 1997-2001 and 2006-present. The Renegades were very forgettable in its brief 4-season run. And the Rough Riders had a lost generation of a lack of success on the field.
Ottawa was actually awarded the CFL franchise in 2010 but construction delays in refurbishing Frank Clair Stadium has brought on delays.
Previous coverage:
Ottawa CFL team needs a new name, you can help decide
The RedBlacks (Rouge et Noir en Francaise) fits with the R alliteration of the first two nicknames. When the contest opened to rename the team, we suggested the Rideaus to celebrate Rideau Canal and the Rideau River. Rideau is curtain in French, and the curtain allegory for defense fit really well.
RedBlacks feels more like a soccer team nickname than a football nickname, but RedBlacks is better than Renegades or the Washington Wizards.
While Ottawa has suffered long droughts of no football, the bigger story is the drought the city suffered even with a football team.
How bad was the football in Ottawa?
The last playoff game was in 1994 when the 4-14 Rough Riders lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 26-16. The last playoff win goes back to 1982, a 30-20 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in a season where Ottawa finished 5-11.
Ottawa posted a .500 record in 1992 (9-9) and 1983 (8-8), but last posted a winning record in 1979 with a 8-6-2 record. Joe Clark was prime minister the last time Ottawa finished above .500.
In the four seasons as the Renegades, Ottawa finished 7-11 in 2005 and 2003 with 3rd place finishes, 5-13 in 2004, and 4-14 with 2 overtime losses in 2002.
Getting football back to Ottawa is the first step. Getting them a winner will take much longer.
The best analogy in North America was the drought, on and off the field, for baseball in Washington. The Nationals snapped a 79-year playoff-less streak in 2012 and the city went from 1972-2004 without baseball. Ironically, the Nationals used to be the Montréal Expos.
Photo credit: sportslogos.net