They might officially be named the RedBlacks, but how many fans are going to nickname them the Rough Riders? How many fans are going to wear their old Rough Rider gear to the games? How many fans are going to buy new Rough Rider merchandise?
CFL fans are a unique and passionate bunch. It'll be interesting to see the creativity regarding the Red & Black Rough Riders at this years grey cup in Green Rider country.
Every team has an unofficial second nickname:
The BC Lions are the Leos.
The Calgary Stampeders are the Stamps.
The Edomton Eskimos are the Eskies.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are the Riders.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the Bombers.
The Hamilton Tiger Cats are the Ti-Cats.
The Toronto Argonauts are the Argos.
The Montreal Alouettes are the Als.
So why not unofficially call the Ottawa RedBlacks the Rough Riders?
Red & Black are the colors,
it also is the name,
team handles should be different,
they should not be the same,
Saskatchewan's the Riders,
and you're new handle's lame.
Red & Black, the colors of Ottawa's pain.
They usually refer to the Ticats as the "Black and Gold" and the Argos as the "double Blue"
So maybe the RedBlacks will be the "Red and Black" but with a nickname like the Redblacks there is no need for a nickname.
With the Redblacks you get to keep the "R" and the name represents the Ottawa sports colours used by the Senators too.
Ya, I don't think those listed are all considered nicknames. Leos, ya. Argos? More just a shortened version. Stamps the same. Aren't the Tiger-Cats also called the Tabbies? Or am I thinking of something else.
Argos are often called Double blue or Boatmen.
Alouettes don't really have one I can think of. (Als to me isn't really a nickname, like Bombers and Riders aren't either)
Anyway, I also say move on. They aren't the Rough Riders, but they do pay homage to their history, hence the colours and name.
If they called the team the Voyageurs or Renegades, for example, they become an entirely new franchise, separate from the Rough Rider history. Using REDBLACKS lets them combine all their history as one. In my opinion.
You miss under stood me. I was just coming up with a nickname for RedBlacks like the original poster was asking. I actually like the name RedBlacks. It's one of the most interesting expansion names I've seen in a long time. Plays to the rich history of Ottawa sports teams, the military and Logging industry, and has a sense of pride.
This is not directed at MrKus specifically but I have a brief rant to let loose...
Why can't people just call their teams by their actual names? Why is there such an obsession with nicknames for nicknames?
For months, thoughout the entire debate, it would get brought up. Someone would suggest a name, say "Gladiators", then someone else would invariably ask "what would you call them?? The Glads??"
No. You'd call them the Gladiators. That's their name.
I don't understand this great need that people have.
