As you likely know Ottawa is getting an expansion team in 2013, or whenever their stadium is complete. Ottawa's original team was the Rough Riders, and they had that team for 120 years before the team ran into bad ownership in 1996. The owners of the expansion franchise have purchased the rights to the name Rough Riders, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders have requested the name should not be used. I believe the name, Rough Riders, should be used due to the history behind the name, not to mention it was used before Saskatchewan used it. As a Saskatchewan Roughrider fan I request that the team allows the Ottawa expansion franchise to use the name Rough Riders, regardless to the similarity to the name Roughriders.
On one hand, you have the history aspect, and that is valid. The expansion group also DOES have the rights to the name.
On the other hand, how much did the CFL get grief for "having two teams with the same name in a nine-team league", which is not good for league marketing.
I can see the Riders (Regina) ASKING them not to use the name. But if the Ottawa group insists, I'm not sure I would agree with the Riders FORCING them not to use the name.
Are you suggesting that other venues haven’t had a chance?
Other venues (Moncton, Quebec City, et al) HAVE had a chance, Deanjo. . . but no one with the $$$ has stepped forward and sought a franchise. . . guys with money in Ottawa have.
That is the reason Ottawa is getting a third crack at a team.
And it’s a pretty darn good reason, too.
If someone with big bucks came forward with a good sound business plan for city X, do you think the league would say ‘no thanks, we’re putting a team in Ottawa’. . ? Doubt it.
IIRC the Atlantic Schooners were given a much shorter deadline to meet the requirements (1 year to meet all financial requirements which included building a new stadium). Far shorter then what the CFL has allowed for Ottawa’s third attempt.
Quebec City offered a rather hefty sum to the Hamilton organization to move there, and to build a stadium. They clearly have the backing to get it done. Would love if they could use the name in Ottawa, but think it makes the league look bush league.
On another note, Ottawa dropped the Rough Rider name and called themselves the Senators in 1924. Regina took the name as they were still called the Regina Rugby Club, and liked the name. So, yeah, Ottawa had the name Rough Riders for 27 years, then dropped it. At that time Regina adopted the Roughrider name. 6 Years later the Senators decided to become the Rough Riders again. Furthermore, these teams were not in the same league until like 30 years after all of that, in 1958 when the CFL was formed. Ottawa dropped the name. Ottawa folded 2 times. It would be nice to get their old name back, but I do not think it should happen.
Tough call but I think start new and go with a new name. There are only 8 teams in the league and to repeat one of them will just get you on a espisode of the Simpsons or worse. They have had a number of names over the years, what's another?
I personally don't have much opposition to them getting the name back, but it's been written about that the Riders board of directors do NOT want Ottawa to have the name again. The Riders have built themselves a strong brand and they feel that Ottawa getting the Rough Riders would diminish what they've built.
I don't think it's fair to take shots at Ottawa getting another chance. You can't give another city a shot at a team unless they step up to the plate with a plan in place and an ownership group, nobody other than Ottawa has done this. Ottawa haven't had a solid ownership group since likely before I was born. I think with the proper owner (Jeff Hunt) they will show us that they are a good football town. Even here in Saskatchewan in the mid/late 90's we were drawing very small crowds after years and years of futility on the field. Gotta give them a chance.
i would agree that they have the right ownership in place now.
I disagree that they should get the Rider name. 9 teams with 8 names? 1 team that dropped that name then decided they wanted it again, even though it had already been adopted, or a close version of it anyways. I don’t care how it all happened, there is already a Rough-riders in the league. It is unfortunate that Ottawa folded, but they did. It was stupid that 52 years ago the CFL allowed 2 teams with essentially the same name join…one should have changed it then, or they should have played one game to decide who kept it. Saskatchewan is the team that has managed to stay alive, so it would be unjust to make them change their name (though they could make millions reselling all that merch), and Ottawa is an expansion…don’t care if they have been in the league before. If they want to play the card of “but it was the franchise’s name before,” as if they are not an expansion team, then they had better not want the expansion draft either, and instead pick up free agents, NFL cuts and jr players coming up.
The league was ridiculed for this…learn from the passed, don’t relive it.
If the money's there, give them a team. But, the league has already came out and said they won't be called the Rough Riders.
That ship has sailed. One random commenter on a CTV.ca webpage story about this says, call them the Ottawa Phoenix cuz' they keep rising from the ashes. :roll:
Start something fresh in Ottawa with any name other than the Rough Riders pleez. But if they get a team I hope there will be another team coming very very soon to make it an even 10.
I think the right ownership is in place. If it can work, it should now. That being said, other cities deserve a 1st crack. They should be expanding by 2, not 1. I do not look forward to a 9 team league at all. The game on Wednesday, then another Sunday, then Saturday...............That was a horrid schedule, and I believe was a big factor in the CFL spiral downward for a couple years. I have no interest in driving 600km 2 times in 4 days to watch games. A Wednesday game is horrid. I might have to leave work early, then I get back at 1am+ and go to work. At least with Thursday games, Friday can be taken off. I despised the 9 team schedule. I fear it will provoke me to not get season tickets. I know I am not the only one who feels that way.
Agreed. It’s not like the opportunity isn’t there either, with groups in Ontario suggesting that the money could come for a London or Windsor/Detroit team if the idea was taken seriously by the CFL (I’m sure other parts of the country aren’t out of the realm of possibilities as well). But this all drives back to why I don’t think Ottawa should be using the RR name – while it was a historical anomaly that led to that situation, the failure of Ottawa allows the league to put a more professional face forward by keeping with the Renegades name (or something else, if they so chose) – having two teams with almost the same name has a taint of “uncool” that won’t sell with the younger generation and, ultimately, won’t get as many seats filled in the long run.
I do NOT want to see One More statement from anyone who calls themselves a Saskatchewan ROUGHRIDER fan advocating on here that the Ottawa team should be permitted to use the "Rough Rider" name!!! For the last time, people, THINK about the position that puts people like me in--being here in Ottawa--when I attend the game each season that Saskatchewan comes to play. This is what it used to be like: You'd get to your seat in the stadium...the game starting...you'd want to cheer for your team...you'd open your mouth to yell "GO 'RIDERS!!!!" And right away, you'd realize your efforts are negated, because 30,000 other people are going to be yelling the same thing! That was unbelievably frustrating!! You cannot imagine how happy I was when I attended the first Renegades game in 2002, knowing this torment was behind me! I brought a big sign with me that read: NOW we can shout: ' "GO 'RIDERS GO!"--Thank You, Renegades!!' It's all very easy for those of you who have never had to deal with this problem to state your own selfish wish, but I just would ask that you think about Roughrider fans in Ottawa before you take such a position. I will do everything I can to prevent this prospective team EVER taking the 'Rough Rider' name again!!!
Just thought about something this morning that I wanted to throw out there for consideration:
As folks know, Saskatchewan had a near-death experience itself in the 80s and had the team folded then and the CFL was looking to bring it back, would be be happy with yielding the "Roughrider/Rough Rider" title to Ottawa? Don't know if I could say I would... :roll:
no, wouldn’t be “happy” about it. Of course I would want the name back, but I would like to think that I would accept the reality that this is the price a franchise would pay.
I wouldn’t have a big problem with it. It might be better to start anew once the old franchise folded. Why promote something that folded? As for Ottawa, they have had 4 name changes, so maybe this new name will stick and the team may be around fo a long time to come. Another issue I just thought of was franchise I fringement. HVing two names so similar could cause issued later on for marketing and merchandise.
:roll: