Flashback, June 8th, 2013: Ottawa Officially Announces REDBLACKS As Team Name

Full disclosure:  I hate the RedBlacks name quite strongly.  However, no matter how much that may be, there's no denying that the naming event itself was a success.

Here's the official press release, followed by the video explaining the name.

OTTAWA -- Ottawa’s new CFL team today announced that REDBLACKS will be the team’s official nickname and the logo will be a classic R on a background that represents a saw blade.  The announcement and logo reveal took place during a special event with over 3,000 football fans, Ottawa CFL alumni and special guests including CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon and CFL Hall of Famers Russ Jackson and Tony Gabriel in attendance.

“We are thrilled to confirm our team nick name and logo design and to finally be able to tell the story behind them,” said Jeff Hunt, President of the sports division of the REDBLACKS parent company, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG).  “REDBLACKS represents Ottawa’s sports history and pays tribute to the Ottawa men and women who serve our country.  From the original Rough Riders in the 1890’s to the modern Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, red and black are the colours of Ottawa sport.  They are also the ceremonial colours of Ottawa’s Cameron Highlanders, the Governor General’s Foot Guards and the RCMP.  REDBLACKS gives us the opportunity to recognize our past and, at the same time, establish a fresh new identity for our team’s future.  It’s unique, maybe even a little edgy, and it’s a brand that we think will stand the test of time.”

“The REDBLACKS logo design pays tribute to our Ottawa football past by reviving the traditional “R” of the Rough Riders with a slight difference,” said REDBLACKS Governor and OSEG Partner John Ruddy.  “The modern REDBLACKS “R” features two notches, which appear to have been cut with a saw, fused to a circular saw blade background.  The blade represents many of the characteristics we hope our players will demonstrate; speed, unstoppable  force, precision, balance, strong-as-steel and even dangerous.  It also has a relationship to Ottawa’s founding as a lumber industry town."

"This is a great day for the city of Ottawa and the entire region, and a great day for the CFL," said Mark Cohon, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League.  "The REDBLACKS, with strong local ownership and passionate fans, will be an organization we can all be proud of, on and off the field. And they will be at the heart of the modern CFL we're building together, with new stadiums across the country, a new TV deal that kicks in next season, and a future that is bright and bold and confident."

This is a good opportunity to add the official RedBlacks youtube channel among the pages at right, so I'll be doing that.  At least for the time being, the entire presentation is available from the cfltv account, though please note that because the event was delayed, the footage actually only starts at about the 17:00 mark.

I showed up about 15 minutes before doors opened, so when people were finally being let in, I had a good opportunity to take pictures without obstruction.  I'll share a couple here of some of the displays that didn't get a lot of exposure among the recaps and videos.