Ottawa RedBlacks to Return CFL to Canadian Capital City

[nas1787]

Would be cool if they went with a capital theme where they are the nation's capital city. Just make the helmets black with a red leaf on them?

I'd much prefer no maple leaf whatsoever. It's very overdone in Canadian design, and really not necessary for an all-Canadian league. As has been mentioned in this thread, other Canadian symbols such as the beaver would be better, IMO.

Are we back to this dumb crap again? Name me one other CFL team that uses a maple leaf as part of it's logo...

In the history of the leagueonly 1 has done it.

It was the Renegades. I don't think it would be overkill for 1 team to do it.

I'm not saying its overdone in the CFL, but in Canadian design in general. I just think all options should be considered before falling back on a maple leaf.

[IceCap]

Would be cool if they went with a capital theme where they are the nation's capital city. Just make the helmets black with a red leaf on them?

I'd much prefer no maple leaf whatsoever. It's very overdone in Canadian design, and really not necessary for an all-Canadian league. As has been mentioned in this thread, other Canadian symbols such as the beaver would be better, IMO.

Are we back to this dumb crap again? Name me one other CFL team that uses a maple leaf as part of it's logo...

In the history of the leagueonly 1 has done it.

It was the Renegades. I don't think it would be overkill for 1 team to do it.

I'm not saying its overdone in the CFL, but in Canadian design in general. I just think all options should be considered before falling back on a maple leaf.

I did a brief overview of Canadian hockey logos and I found the percentage of teams using the leaf much smaller then you might expect.

As for the CFL? Seeing as the league is Canadian there's no pressing need for any one team to use a leaf or leaves, but if any team can get away with it it'll probably be the team in the national capital.

[Jer15]

Would be cool if they went with a capital theme where they are the nation's capital city. Just make the helmets black with a red leaf on them?

I'd much prefer no maple leaf whatsoever. It's very overdone in Canadian design, and really not necessary for an all-Canadian league. As has been mentioned in this thread, other Canadian symbols such as the beaver would be better, IMO.

Are we back to this dumb crap again? Name me one other CFL team that uses a maple leaf as part of it's logo...

In the history of the leagueonly 1 has done it.

It was the Renegades. I don't think it would be overkill for 1 team to do it.

I'm not saying its overdone in the CFL, but in Canadian design in general. I just think all options should be considered before falling back on a maple leaf.

I did a brief overview of Canadian hockey logos and I found the percentage of teams using the leaf much smaller then you might expect.

As for the CFL? Seeing as the league is Canadian there's no pressing need for any one team to use a leaf or leaves, but if any team can get away with it it'll probably be the team in the national capital.

So really, it's just TFC, the Blue Jays and, to some extent the Raptors that are using the leaf....well and the Maple Leafs but it's not red. So really it's Toronto that over does it.

[BigBubba]

So really, it's just TFC, the Blue Jays and, to some extent the Raptors that are using the leaf....well and the Maple Leafs but it's not red. So really it's Toronto that over does it.

However, since no team in the CFL currently incorporates a maple leaf into their identity, I wouldn't mind Ottawa doing so. Though I'd think it would be pretty unnecessary, given that it's the CFL.

[Jer15]

So really, it's just TFC, the Blue Jays and, to some extent the Raptors that are using the leaf....well and the Maple Leafs but it's not red. So really it's Toronto that over does it.

However, since no team in the CFL currently incorporates a maple leaf into their identity, I wouldn't mind Ottawa doing so. Though I'd think it would be pretty unnecessary, given that it's the CFL.

Ok, I meant in the top teir of professional sports, but touche. Though 4 of those are Toronto teams

[Brian in Boston]

According to a CBC Sports report, Ottawa's new CFL franchise has narrowed the field of possible team names to a "shortlist" of five candidates.

"The team's official shortlist includes, the Red Blacks, the Nationals, the Raftsmen, the Voyageurs and the Rush."

http://www.cbc.ca/sp...list-names.html

[BigBubba]

I'd say "Red Blacks" is the best of the bunch. "Nationals" and "Voyageurs" are OK, "Rush" is terrible, and I think "Raftsmen" would be weird for a team whose provincial rival is nicknamed the "Boatmen".

[Mac the Knife]

According to a CBC Sports report, Ottawa's new CFL franchise has narrowed the field of possible team names to a "shortlist" of five candidates.

"The team's official shortlist includes, the Red Blacks, the Nationals, the Raftsmen, the Voyageurs and the Rush."

http://www.cbc.ca/sp...list-names.html

Count me among those who think "Nationals" or "Voyageurs" would be good, but it'll be the Rush or RedBlacks.

[TruColor]

I think "Red Blacks" would be even better if they chose Blue and Green as their official colors.

[GeorgesL]

Why is so many people dislike the name Renegades? Just because the last franchise failed? Montreal has had what 2 franchises of Alouettes that went belly up, yet they keep coming back with that nickname for a team? A nickname shouldn't be based on how successful a franchise is or was, but the decision upon the owner of the team.

On the contrary, the Alouettes' name was brought back in 1996, when the Baltimore franchise moved there, simply because the nickname is "connected" with the history of football in Montreal. Even with the success of the franchise, or lack there of, the name still resonates with the city today.

Ottawa Hargonauts

No, the Hargonauts would have to play in Quebec.

Precisely my objective!

[AgentColon]

Not a fan of these choices. Red Blacks does seem to be the best choice. They need to do a football helmet version of this with horns too for their logo/mascot thinger.

[Stampman]

The Red Blacks name is already growing on me.

I can get you the name of a good dermatologist...

[walby2]

Interesting. I'd like "Nationals" more if Washington hadn't already taken it when they got the Expos. Would strike me as a little corny for our national capital to appropriate the same name. "Voyageurs" is pretty good and meets the bilingual criteria. "Raftsmen" is dumb and "Rush" is just plain awful.

So that leaves the Red Blacks... I did a spit take when I first heard that, but on further consideration, I may have been too hasty. The name has a timeless, "old school" connotation and it leaves the door open to some interesting visual identities.

Just one question: with Calgary having essentially morphed from red and white to red and black over the past 20 years, are we really going to want to have two teams with pretty much the exact same colours in a 9-team league?

[illwauk]

Honestly, I'm surprised that in a 9-team league that traces its origins back to the 19th century has so few teams who wear one color (plus white).

[walby2]

Honestly, I'm surprised that in a 9-team league that traces its origins back to the 19th century has so few teams who wear one color (plus white).

Sask and Calgary were one colour + white until about the early/mid 80s when trim colours started sneaking in there. I don't think any of the other teams from the (broadly speaking) modern era from about WWII onward used a simple scheme. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the old ORFU teams going back to the 20s to the 40s had that type of design.

...but yeah, it is a little surprising when you think about it.

[habsfan1]

Rush is the only candidate name that's sounds even half good. The rest are all really terrible.

And what exactly is a Red Black?

[walby2]

And what exactly is a Red Black?

A football team whose players wear predominantly red and black, I would imagine. (cf. Laval rouge et or)

[vman]

Not a huge fan of any of them, but I guess Nationals would be my preference. Like one poster mentioned, it would be even better if there were no other pro Nationals around, but considering there are several Panthers, Jets, etc. it's not that big of a deal. RedBlacks is too gimmicky. It's obvious they're trying to give it a more retro, old school rugby/soccer-esque name, but it simply doesn't roll off the tongue or lend itself to a decent logo. You just know some sort of shield with stripes would be coming. The Voyageurs is too common of a french based sports name, Rush just screams semi-pro and has the same logo/identity issue as the RBs and Rivermen has the problem indicated above with the Argos nick being the Boatmen.

[Brian in Boston]

I'd rank the five shortlisted identities as follows:

1) Ottawa Voyageurs

2) Ottawa Nationals

3) Ottawa Raftsmen

Tie - 4) Ottawa Red Blacks

Tie - 4) Ottawa Rush

In my opinion, Voyageurs and Nationals are vastly superior to the other three candidates, Raftsmen occupies the secondary tier all by itself, and Red Blacks and Rush are just abysmal.

[docrocket]

Interesting. I'd like "Nationals" more if Washington hadn't already taken it when they got the Expos. Would strike me as a little corny for our national capital to appropriate the same name.

Ottawa had "Nationals" long before Washington did, with the Ottawa Nationals of the WHA...as brief as that was before they moved to Toronto and became the Toros.