Ottawa CFL Team Name

[RTWAP]

The Citizen has an online poll running today asking people which name they'd like.

The options are Rough Riders, Renegades, or something else. Something else is currently winning at 48.43%, with Rough Riders second at 47.69%. Renegades has only 3.88% support.

I think that shows the opinion of most football fans toward the Renegades and they way their managerial incompetence led to the implosion of the team. To me, Renegades is one of the modern team names that are all about empty marketing with no actual meaning or relevance to the market in question.

I think any new team name should be based on the history of Ottawa or Eastern Ontario/Western Quebec. Call them the Rivermen, or the Black Watch, or the Guards, or make some reference to the Canal workers or early pioneers. Just come up with something that can be shown to mean something. A name that wouldn't be generated by some generic sports marketing consultant in Toronto or New York.

EDIT: The poll is here - http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/polls/rough_riders.html

[Dado]

Since 'R' seems to be a popular leading letter, and this will be the third attempt at this, I suggest:

The Ottawa Rehash

:D :cheers:


Btw, if you want a reference to the canal workers, the names would be "navigators" or "navvies". 'The Ottawa Navvies'. There you go.

:cheers:

[migo]

Since 'R' seems to be a popular leading letter, and this will be the third attempt at this, I suggest:

The Ottawa Rehash

:D :cheers:


Btw, if you want a reference to the canal workers, the names would be "navigators" or "navvies". 'The Ottawa Navvies'. There you go.

:cheers:

Or "The Navs"

[Urban_Genius]

I`ve liked Voyageurs.

I`ve also heard Rivermen, Rifles, Riflemen...with all those names you could still hit up the nostalgia with the flying `R` and yet not compromise the rehashing of the Rough Rider name.

It should be easy in Ottawa, a city with alot of history to find a good meaningful name. Theres nothing worse then generic names that have no meaning.

Cheers!

[Proof Sheet]

The Citizen has an online poll running today asking people which name they'd like.

The Ottawa Mandarins has a certain bureaucratic ring to it.

[AuxTown]

I like Rivermen. It's very appropriate for our city and would lend to some nice logos; including the giant "R" on the helmet that everyone seems so fond of. As long as it looks nothing like the Peoria Rivermen hockey team's logo:

http://www.peoriaciviccenter.com/images/rivermen.jpg

[Kitchissippi]

Raftsmen would be better than Rivermen.

Logdrivers (http://www.nfb.ca/film/log_drivers_waltz)?

Sappers?

or annoy the hell out of opponents by being the Blackflies (http://www.nfb.ca/film/blackfly)

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

I don't want the Rough Riders since Saskatchewan already has that. :P

I'd prefer something more akin to our heritage, things like:

Logmen/Loggers

By's(After Colonel By and to sound like a Newf at the same time ;) )

Capitals (Corny I know, but it works)

Legionnaires (same thread as Ottawa Senators going with the whole roman theme)

Centurions (same reason as above)

[Cre47]

Maybe Brewers, Capitals, Canadiens, Lumbers, Lumberjacks or RoughRiders III.

[tovan]

Ottawa Grenadiers

Definition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenadiers

Connection to Ottawa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canadian_Grenadier_Guards

[Ottawan]

In honour of By, why not the Colonels?

[RTWAP]

Other random options:

Ottawa Royals
Ottawa Guardsmen
Ottawa Highlanders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cameron_Highlanders_of_Ottawa)

[Acajack]

I like Raftsmen.

[RTWAP]

I like Raftsmen.

Fond memories of a certain bar?

[Davis137]

I like the Centurions idea...

I also agree with all of you, the new team name and logo, etc should reflect the heritage of the region...

[AuxTown]

Fond memories of a certain bar?

That's a great bar. I spent many a weekend in my late teens drinking at the Raftsman and L'Extension.

[Kitchissippi]

It was the only place you could regularly get pigs knuckles with quarts of beer.

[BRETeam]

That's a great bar. I spent many a weekend in my late teens drinking at the Raftsman and L'Extension.

Haha!! So did I. But wasn't that little bar on the other side called 'La Petite Place'?

[lrt's friend]

Well, it is interesting to note that the Saskatchewan took the name Roughriders in 1924 when Ottawa became the Senators, only to revert back a few years later. This is how two teams ended up with the same name. Ottawa's name originated from the men who rode the log rafts through the Ottawa River rapids but were officially named later after the Canadian regiment in Theodore Roosevelt's calvary during the Spanish-American war. The red and black colours so associated with Ottawa Sports teams originated from Roosevelt's infantry uniform colours. Saskatchewan's spelling variation may refer to the 'Roughriders' in the Northwest Mounted Police who broke wild broncos for the force. Saskatchewan also used the black and red colours until 1948 when Green and White was adopted because of the availability of uniforms of that colour in a surplus store in Chicago.

I favour the Rough Riders because of its very lengthy association with this city.

Some other ideas

Ottawa River Runners
Ottawa Militia
Bytown Battlers (referring to sectarian battles of the Bytown days that climaxed with Stoney Monday in 1849)

We can forget names that are used by other sports teams that are no doubt trademarked.

[Ryersonian]

Log Drivers....or Riders....obviously...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ekqsHP9Sck

[Acajack]

Fond memories of a certain bar?

Yes, I did go there at least once or twice in my youth.

The bar next door was known by a few names over the years, including La Petite Place and L'Extension. Also Le Quai St-Raymond at one point near the end of its lifetime. Or maybe that was the whole place renamed Quai St-Raymond...

Not sure if it is a primary consideration but Raftsmen is also for all intents and purposes a bilingual name, since it is a widely-used term in French. There is even a Quebec folk song called Les Raftsmen that refers to Bytown and the Outaouais....

[Acajack]

Well, it is interesting to note that the Saskatchewan took the name Roughriders in 1924 when Ottawa became the Senators, only to revert back a few years later. This is how two teams ended up with the same name. Ottawa's name originated from the men who rode the log rafts through the Ottawa River rapids but were officially named later after the Canadian regiment in Theodore Roosevelt's calvary during the Spanish-American war. The red and black colours so associated with Ottawa Sports teams originated from Roosevelt's infantry uniform colours. Saskatchewan's spelling variation may refer to the 'Roughriders' in the Northwest Mounted Police who broke wild broncos for the force. Saskatchewan also used the black and red colours until 1948 when Green and White was adopted because of the availability of uniforms of that colour in a surplus store in Chicago.

I favour the Rough Riders because of its very lengthy association with this city.

Some other ideas

Ottawa River Runners
Ottawa Militia
Bytown Battlers (referring to sectarian battles of the Bytown days that climaxed with Stoney Monday in 1849)

We can forget names that are used by other sports teams that are no doubt trademarked.

Also, up until the 1950s I think, there were separate leagues for Canadian football in the west and the east, so the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Ottawa Rough Riders weren't even in the same league, and the "same name" issue was mostly moot.

[RTWAP]

We can forget names that are used by other sports teams that are no doubt trademarked.

I don't think that's an issue. It didn't stop there from being Florida Panthers and Carolina Panthers, or New York Rangers and Texas Rangers. As long as there is no significant likelihood of confusion then it would be fine. Calling the football team the Senators would probably be a problem.

[isaidso]

Keep the stylized 'R', keep the colours, and uniform, but go with RAMS. It's a classic football name, and not in use. Renegades just didn't resonate with very many people. Pay tribute to history and tradition, but don't return to the silliness of 2 teams with the same name in a 9 team league.

If there were 200 teams, one could be forgiven for having teams with the same name. The CFL just can't have 2 with the same name again.

[rodionx]

If there were 200 teams, one could be forgiven for having teams with the same name. The CFL just can't have 2 with the same name again.

I still like Roughriders. It's funny that two teams in the league would have the same name, but that's an interesting story in itself. Anyway, even though people might want to pick a different name this time, if it comes to a contest between Roughriders and any specific name, Roughriders will probably win.

[drizzo_613]

hmmm Ottawa Red Coats always sounded good to me

[isaidso]

I still like Roughriders. It's funny that two teams in the league would have the same name, but that's an interesting story in itself. Anyway, even though people might want to pick a different name this time, if it comes to a contest between Roughriders and any specific name, Roughriders will probably win.

This league is finally gaining respectability after 2 decades of indifference, financial weakness, and an ill advised US adventure. If the CFL wants to gain more traction and reclaim its once prominent position in our culture, it needs to bring people back into the fold.

I like the name Roughriders too, but the last thing the CFL needs now is to re-enforce in the minds of Canadians that this is a bush league run by hillbillies. Ottawa football fans should get to decide certain things, but leaving business decisions in their hands is just bone headed.

Whether people recognize it or not, naming a team is part of branding, and central to long term strategic planning. This is a business decision that needs to be made by sharp minded business people, not Joe Blow down in Ottawa.

If the CFL actually allows Ottawans to pick 'Rough Riders', I have grave concerns about CFL league head office's decision making ability, and whether they have what it takes to fully resuscitate this league. Sorry, but the name 'Rough Riders' needs to be laid to rest. This is about branding. The CFL is a business whether people care to recognize that or not.

[lrt's friend]

I don't think CFL head office will make this decision, since the naming rights for 'Rough Riders' can be purchased by the owner group, if they so choose. There may be some pressure exerted by head office about names, but it will be the owners who will make the choice. Ultimately, the wishes of the home market are more important since ticket sales are key to success. We also have to look at Montreal who used Concordes for a few years. The heritage of the Montreal football club became part of the route to success as they returned to using 'Allouettes'. Ottawa has an equal heritage with memorable teams and players which needs to be celebrated and that is most easily marketed with the historic name of the club. The heritage angle was a major factor in the Senators choosing that name, even with an almost 60 year hiatus. It helps build momentum when starting a new team , and ties the team to past success (remember Frank Finnigan's involvement as the Senators franchise ramped up), whether Stanley Cup or Grey Cup victories. A different name will always remind everybody that this is not the same team and involvement of team alumni will be lessened.

[RTWAP]

hmmm Ottawa Red Coats always sounded good to me

That's a good one.

I agree with LRT's point that the original name does have some advantages, but I would rather see a new official name and then have fan or alumni groups use Rough Riders informally.

[isaidso]

I don't think CFL head office will make this decision, since the naming rights for 'Rough Riders' can be purchased by the owner group, if they so choose. There may be some pressure exerted by head office about names, but it will be the owners who will make the choice. Ultimately, the wishes of the home market are more important since ticket sales are key to success.

Can't Ottawa give a nod to heritage with the 'R' on the helmet and maintaining team colours: red, black, and white?

The Ottawa football club should get to pick it's own name, but the league should have the right to dictate that it can't be a name that's already in use.

[RTWAP]

I like the idea of sticking with a name starting with R as a nod to history.

So far we've got:


Raftsmen
River Runners
Royals
Rivermen
Red Coats
Rams


Just in case it makes a difference, here's the list with the city name prepended.


Ottawa Raftsmen
Ottawa River Runners
Ottawa Royals
Ottawa Rivermen
Ottawa Red Coats
Ottawa Rams

[Mille Sabords]

River Runners, gimme a break. Raftsmen, maybe, Rams and Red Coats OK, but "River Runners" ??? As for Royals, it works but it goes against any republican ideal we may hold dear...

[m0nkyman]

The Ottawa Redtape? Definitely a fear inspiring name....


lol

[Proof Sheet]

Ottawa Royals


How about Real Ottawa a la Madrid/Sociedad/Salt Lake?

[harls]

Raftsmen works for me.

[RTWAP]

How about Real Ottawa a la Madrid/Sociedad/Salt Lake?

Are you talking about a name for a pro soccer team at Lansdowne? Real Ottawa would make sense. There's a heck of a lot more that royal about Ottawa than Salt Lake.

[Mille Sabords]

For our football team, my first preference would be to return to Rough Riders. The strong black helmet with the big R is a classic. But you know, I gotta say, Renegades was a great name too. I liked it.

[AuxTown]

For our football team, my first preference would be to return to Rough Riders. The strong black helmet with the big R is a classic. But you know, I gotta say, Renegades was a great name too. I liked it.

Too many bad memories of poor ownership and losing teams. They should start with something fresh IMO. I like the Rivermen as it's probably the most appropriate for our city.

[JayM]

Too many bad memories of poor ownership and losing teams. They should start with something fresh IMO. I like the Rivermen as it's probably the most appropriate for our city.

With good comes bad so for the sake of argument I would stick to Renegades or Rough Riders. Sure there's Saskatchewan Roughriders but whatever. Ottawa Rough Riders won like 15? Grey cups or something like that so it isn't all that bad. Team folded/ceased operations because of a shit ass group not the name. I quite like the classic bold "R" its a statement on its own self I say.

[Acajack]

I agree 100% that the R on the helmet in some form should be kept, as well as the black and red colours.

[RTWAP]

I was talking about this with a friend and he suggested Red Riders, and tie the club in with the history of the RCMP. Can you imagine the Musical Ride performing at halftime? I can. :yes:

It also allows the club to go with the R on the helmet.

[Distill3d]

I've noticed mention of Ottawa's old name, Bytown. So, I'm going to throw this one out there: Bytown Brigade

[stamps]

Raccoons...... Hogs.... Wolves..... Otters..... Caribous(like on the quarter, would look good on a helmut)..... Taxmen.... Arrows.... Frenglishmen.... Anglos... Saxons.... Cabots..... Loggers..... Hudsons.... Beavers.... Trappers..... Nanooks..... Invaders..... Canoers.... Lords..... Loyalists....