[Mark17]

the Ottawa RedBlacks

What on earth is a redblack?

[Hieronymus]

Well, as the team Mascot is “Big Joe,” who is a Lunber Jack wearing Red and Black plaid, and the helmets have a saw blade on the side of them, I would say that a Red-Black is a logger. That is also the impression of the Ottawa papers (I’m about two hours outside of the city). Loggers aren’t terribly politically correct either.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

The original Ottawa CFL franchise, the Ottawa Rough Riders, folded in 1996, after 120 years in existence, using red, black and white as their colours since 1898. .

CFL football returned in 2001 with the Ottawa Renegades, also red, black and white, but they ceased operations in 2006. The RedBlacks are in their second season of operation. The owners of the new franchise wanted to namew them the Rough Riders, but the Saskatchewan franchise, named the Roughriders, founded in 1910, would not allow the Ottawa franchise to use the old, VERY similar name.

Not sure how the name was arrived at, but it was one of five names submitted in a focus group. The symbol is VERY similar to the Rough Riders old symbol. As Ottawa was a lumber town before it became Canada's capital, you will note the outline looks similar to the blade of a circular saw.

For what it's worth, all Ottawa sports teams generally use red, white and black as their colours. (NHL Senators, Jr A hockey Ottawa 67s.)

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

"Did someone ask what a 'redblack' is?"
</sarc>

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

There was a famous Canadian army unit known as the Red Blacks during WWI and WWII. With Ottawa being the nation’s capital it fits. Lame, but it fits.