The Ottawa RedBlacks

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."

The team name and logo were revealed in a video presentation that provided context for the fans who attended the event. It can also be seen on the REDBLACKS website, www.OttawaREDBLACKS.com . The website is also an online store for team merchandise and reservations for season tickets. Already, over 6,000 reservations for REDBLACKS season tickets have been made.