Why I Chose Rebels

Tomorrow is the final day for people to submit names for the new CFL franchise in Ottawa. As anyone who has read me in the past knows, I want the team's name to be Rough Riders. I won't go into why it is ridiculous that it can't be, but I know it won't be so I had to come up with an alternative.

I want the team name to feature an 'R' just because it should. The classic white 'R' on the black helmet is still one of the coolest minimalist helmets in football. So I tried to come up with a name that incorporated the 'R' and had some historical significance. Then it hit me:

Rebels.

(Before anyone says anything, I am aware that The Rebel was the name of the short-lived NLL franchise in Ottawa.)

I think Rebels is a good name and fits in well with the two previous names, Rough Riders and Renegades, while also keeping the 'R' intact. And aside from it being kind of a cool-sounding name, it hits on the historical significance I mentioned earlier. And while I admit that this piece of history has almost nothing to do with Ottawa, it is an important event that is often overlooked when discussing Canadian history. I am of course referring to the Upper and Lower Canadian Rebellions of 1837.

People don't come here to read about Canadian history, so I won't go into all the details – if you do want to learn about it, I suggest hitting up the Wikipedia entry as it is actually very good – but the rebellions were significant in making Canada, well, Canada. The rebellions led to the Act of Union, the Act of Union united Upper and Lower Canada into one political entity and recommended responsible government, and those two things played a significant role in Confederation. That is a very simplistic synopsis, but it covers the basics. If you want to learn more about each, click the links. You can also leave a comment here (or on Twitter) and I'll be happy to discuss it or recommend stuff to read. (In case anyone didn't know, I'm a GIGANTIC Canadian history nerd.)

And while the rebellions happened nowhere near Ottawa, I still think the name is appropriate. I view Ottawa as almost the epicentre of all that is Canadian history and I think the team, needing to use a name that isn't Rough Riders or Renegades, would do well to choose a name that hits on something important in Canada's history.

Rebels hits on everything I would like the new Ottawa franchise to incorporate in their name. Obviously, this name won't be universally accepted (though I doubt it will be as reviled as Ottawa Rush), but I think this is a pretty decent choice and one I think a lot of people would get behind should it ultimately be chosen as the team name.

One thing is for certain: Ottawa Rebels has got my vote.

Three Questions: Ottawa Franchise

The off-season is underway and every team faces questions. Today, I look at three questions concerning the Ottawa franchise that will begin play in 2014.

1. What will the name be?
We know it can't be Rough Riders (though it should be) and it won't be Renegades, but hopefully it will be something that starts with an 'R.' We know the colours will be the traditional black, red and white (and I shudder to think what colours they would have been if the owners in Calgary were as selfish as those in Regina and wanted to protect "their" brand), but we don't know what the name will be. The ownership group is taking suggestions from fans until December 16 on what to name the new team. So you can have your say if you want. I'll be interested to see what the name ends up being.

2. Who will they hire as general manager?
The team will have a new general manager sooner rather than later. The ownership group has targeted February as the month they hope to have their general manager in place. Three names have been bandied about more than most: Marcel Desjardins, Joe Womack and Marcel Bellefeuille. Desjardins is currently the assistant GM in Montreal, Womack has a similar position in Hamilton and Bellefeuille's most recent job was as head coach in Hamilton. Desjardins is the only one of the three that has previously held a GM position in the CFL (he was the GM of the Ti-Cats in 2007), but Womack has had plenty of success finding talent in his role and Bellefeuille is an Ottawa resident and former Vanier Cup-winning coach at the University of Ottawa. Another candidate could come up that will blow them all out of the water, but I fully expect the general manager of the new Ottawa team to be one of those three men.

3. Who are the head coaching candidates?
A lot of this will depend on who becomes general manager and this question won't be answered until well into next year, but there are a few coaches who could be in line for the gig. Aside from Bellefeuille (who could be in the running if he doesn't become the team's GM), there are plenty of others, such as former Saskatchewan head coach Greg Marshall, Calgary offensive coordinator Dave Dickenson, BC offensive coordinator Jacques Chapedlaine, former Winnipeg head coach Paul LaPolice and Toronto special team coordinator Mike O'Shea to name just a few. The team will have plenty of options when selecting their first head coach and it will be interesting to see what direction the team decides to take as they embark on their inaugural season in 2014.

Ivor Wynne Memories: 2004 Playoff Clincher

With it being the last season of Ivor Wynne Stadium, I said I am going to post some of my personal memories I have of the stadium. This edition will look at the Hamilton's playoff-clinching win over the Ottawa Renegades in 2004.

It's been longer than I anticipated bringing this back up, but with the recent news that football will be returning to Ottawa, I thought now was a good time to present the latest instalment of my year-long trip down Ivor Wynne memory lane.

Today's might be a bit obscure; this might not be a game that most people remember. It's one I don't have a lot of memories from, but I do remember the ending and I do remember how great it felt after that game.

Tiger-Cat fans are forced to put up with a lot of things, but the worst is the having to listen to people bring up the most shameful part of our collective past: the 1-17 2003 season. Nothing was worse than having to live through that terrible year. As every CFL fan knows, it took until the 14th game of the year, a home game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, for the Ti-Cats to finally get one in the win column. During that year, the team went into bankruptcy protection and was purchased in October by Bob Young.

So after a tumultuous 2003, not much was expected going into 2004. The team had a new head coach, McMaster's Greg Marshall, but they got out to a hot start, beginning the season 3-0. But it was up and down the rest of the year. But on October 15th, against the Ottawa Renegades, the Ti-Cats had a chance to get themselves into the playoffs.

So enough back story, here's what I remember from the game itself. It was a cold night and the game wasn't a particularly great one, but the way it ended was reminiscent of the 1998 East Final. The magnitude of it wasn't the same, but it may have meant nearly as much to a fan base that had to endure the one-win season. I don't remember the particulars of what happened during the game, but I know it was tied at 17 at the end of four quarters and the two teams had to go to overtime. If the Ti-Cats could pull it out, they would clinch a playoff spot. The Cats kicked a field goal on their first drive to take a 20-17 lead. The Renegades then got the ball and were driving when the Hamilton defense forced a fumble to seal the win. The crowd went nuts, and I mean NUTS, when the Ti-Cats scooped up the loose ball. It was as if a tremendous weight had been lifted. I can still see the Ti-Cats scooping up the fumble to seal the win. It's as fresh in my memory as if it happened yesterday.

The Ti-Cats would unfortunately go on to lose to the Argos in the first round of the playoffs, and the team would fail to make the playoffs for the next four seasons, but the memory of this specific game will stay with me for a very long time.

Possible Expansion Formula

According to TSN's Dave Naylor, the CFL's Board of Governors has come to an agreement on the expansion-draft formula for when Ottawa returns to the league in 2013.

The major change will be in how many Quarterbacks the existing eight teams will be able to protect.

Back in 2002, when Ottawa returned to the CFL as the Renegades, teams were allowed to protect two Quarterbacks. This left Ottawa with slim pickings at the most important position in football. The 'Gades started their inaugural season with Dan Crowley behind Centre (remember him?), but he was soon replaced by a then-unknown Kerry Joseph. While Joseph panned out, that was a lucky break for the Renegades. Not that it mattered for them, since they failed to make the playoffs during their time in the league, but Joseph went on to have a very good CFL career, most notably winning the MOP and Grey Cup in 2007.

When Ottawa returns this time around, teams will only be allowed to protect one Quarterback. That means that Ottawa would be able to choose from a list that includes teams' backups, not just their third stringers. If Ottawa were to return this season the list could include, but would not be limited to, the following:

• Adrian McPherson
• Chris Leak
• Quinton Porter
• Steven Jyles or Buck Pierce
• Drew Tate
• Jared Zabransky
• Jarious Jackson

Not a bad group to choose from, any one of which would make a very decent Quarterback to start over with, though some more than others.

Some of Quarterbacks listed – McPherson in Montreal, Tate in Calgary – will probably be starters by 2013 and therefore not available, but someone like Zabransky or Porter, while not as polished, could be a guy to build a team around.

The idea behind this change is to make the Ottawa franchise more competitive from the outset. While the Renegades failed for numerous reasons – terrible ownership being chief among them – the fact that they never fielded a contending team hardly helped. Ottawa finished with four wins in 2002, seven in 2003, five in 2004 and seven in 2005. They were never really a threat in any of their four seasons. The Renegades ceased operations prior to the 2006 season.

A lot can happen in the next two years, but it looks like Ottawa will be given every opportunity to compete immediately when the league returns to the nation's capital in 2013.

Football in the Nation's Capital

Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, Ontario

Very big news out of Ottawa this week as Ottawa City Council has approved, by a 15-9 vote, the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park. This is considered one of the final hurdles to bringing the CFL back to our nation's capital.

This is great news. Ottawa should have a CFL team. There are some out there that will say, or have said, that Ottawa does not deserve another team, that two teams have failed (Rough Riders and Renegades), and that a third chance isn't justified.

Hog wash. The Ottawa area was beset by ownership issues more than anything else. With the right ownership group in place, an Ottawa franchise would flourish. The question remains, will they be called the Rough Riders or Renegades, or will a new name be conjured up?

Aside from Hamilton, Ottawa is my favourite city in Canada. The history that is on display on a daily basis is breathtaking. I never travel, yet I have taken two trips to Ottawa in the past 11 months. I have even been contemplating going to grad school in Ottawa just to have an excuse to move there. Ottawa is a top-rate city, and is more than deserving of a CFL franchise. I can't wait to go to a game at the new Lansdowne Park.

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