Misplaced Pages

#738261

57-521: The Ottawa Football Club was organized on Wednesday, September 20, 1876, where they won the first game they played on September 23 against the Aylmer Club at Jacques Cartier Square. The team's colours were cerise , grey, and navy blue. The club adopted the name Ottawa Rough Riders on Friday, September 9, 1898, and changed its team colours to red and black. Since then, red and black have been Ottawa's traditional sporting colours. Although in later years

114-688: A decline after the championships. Again, another Ottawa team, the Ottawa Rangers, was developing talent and enjoying success, winning the Quebec title. The Riders absorbed the Rangers in 1933, getting Rangers stars Andy Tommy, Arnie Morrison and "Fat Quinn'. That same year the Riders added more talent, bringing in American imports "Windy" O'Neil and Lorne Johnson. In 1935, the Riders added Roy Berry who

171-402: A lengthy bankruptcy process in ownership, the Riders were purchased by Chicago businessman and minor league sports entrepreneur Horn Chen , who did not attend a single Riders game. In the dispersal draft of Las Vegas Posse players, Ottawa management drafted Derrell Robertson , who had died the previous December. Following the 1996 season, years of poor ownership and mismanagement took a toll on

228-586: A local landmark since its construction in 1879. The drill hall is 70 metres (230 ft) long and has two 43-metre-tall (141 ft) mansard towers. The hall is located on the bank of the Rideau Canal just south of Laurier Avenue . The area to the west was once a large open field used for drilling, but today is the location of the Ottawa City Hall and courthouse . The building was designed by Thomas Seaton Scott , first chief architect of

285-737: A new 25,000 seat multi-purpose stadium on the site in 2005 was voted down by the governing council of the University of Toronto due to concerns over its cost. The facility was then planned to be built on the grounds of York University but that too failed. At the time of its demolition, Varsity Stadium was the second largest capacity stadium in Canada with a grass field, after Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta (however, that stadium has since switched to an artificial playing surface). The stadium opened in 2007. Facilities and features built in

342-699: A saw blade, a nod to Ottawa's logging heritage. In the Redblacks' first home game, they retired the 10 player numbers that the Rough Riders had retired. For a few years, the CFL did not acknowledge the Redblacks (or for that matter, the Renegades) as the Rough Riders' successor in the same way it considered all three incarnations of the Montreal Alouettes as a single franchise. However, according to

399-510: A shocker when the Riders jumped out to a 20–1 halftime lead over the Eskimos. But a controversial double interference call against Riders receiver Tony Gabriel late in the game proved to be costly, as the Eskimos, led by backup quarterback Tom Wilkinson , came from behind to beat the Riders 26–23 on a game-winning field goal by kicker Dave Cutler , giving the Eskimos their fourth (out of five) consecutive Grey Cup championship. Throughout most of

456-661: A time when they were known as the Ottawa Senators . In 1925, Ottawa defeated three-time defending champion Queen's in the Eastern semi-final. Ottawa then defeated Winnipeg 24–1 in the championship, held in Ottawa, and defeated Toronto Varsity 10–7 in Toronto in 1926. The team was led by top players such as Eddie Emerson, Joe Tubman, Joe Miller, Jess Ketchum, Jack Pritchard, Harold Starr and Don Young. The Riders went back into

513-560: Is closer to Varsity Arena, almost making the two structures one conjoined complex. Part of the red brick wall along Bloor Street was maintained for historic purposes, but the new facility is much more open and visible from the streets overall. The new facilities are designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects . Following the renovation, the Argonauts returned to the stadium, hosting their 2013 preseason game at their former home. Their 2014 and 2015 preseason home games were also scheduled for

570-536: Is similar to the arrangement made by Art Modell and the Cleveland Browns made later in the 1990s. For the 1994 season the team unveiled its final logo design with the team colours changing from black, silver, and red, to dark navy, red, and gold. The colour changes proved to be unpopular as the team dropped dark navy in favour of a return to black for the 1996 season . Despite the ownership changes, neither Ottawa nor Shreveport played well. In 1995, after

627-825: The Canadian Soccer League but would move to the smaller Centennial Park Stadium as a cost-cutting move. They returned in 1993 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League but again were forced to move, this time to Lamport Stadium, again due to financial difficulties. Varsity Stadium continued to host the Canadian intercollegiate championship, the Vanier Cup (as it had been for most years from 1965 to 1988 [with exception of 1973–75]), but that too moved to larger quarters such as SkyDome (now known as Rogers Centre ) as

SECTION 10

#1732771845739

684-667: The Varsity Blues . However it was, until the opening of Exhibition Stadium in 1959, the home of the Toronto Argonauts of what would become the Canadian Football League . Although it has not hosted a meaningful CFL game in almost half a century, it still holds the record for the number of times any stadium has hosted the Canadian professional football championship game, the Grey Cup . Capacity of

741-474: The "Eastern Riders" while Saskatchewan was referred to as either the "Western Riders" or "Green Riders". On four occasions, the two teams met in the Grey Cup (1951, 1966, 1969, and 1976); Ottawa won all but the 1966 meeting, which was also Saskatchewan's first Grey Cup in team history. The Riders vs. Riders matchups were often confusing for fans. Errors were occasionally made on the official scoreboard and commentators often got confused. A CFL franchise in Ottawa

798-481: The 1969 Toronto Rock and Roll Revival , which Rolling Stone once called the second most important event in rock & roll history. This concert led to the production of a documentary, Sweet Toronto , as well as John Lennon 's Live Peace In Toronto album. Performers included: The Doors , Plastic Ono Band , Bo Diddley , Chicago Transit Authority (later renamed "Chicago"), Tony Joe White , Alice Cooper , Jerry Lee Lewis , Chuck Berry , Cat Mother &

855-519: The 1980s and 1990s, except for two even (.500) records (8–8 in 1983 and 9–9 in 1992), the Riders struggled with losing seasons, poor ownership, mismanagement, and decreased fan support. In 1988, Jo-Anne Polak was named the co-General Manager of the Rough Riders. She became the first woman in CFL history to be appointed to an executive post, and the first female General Manager of any professional sports franchise in North America. Three years later,

912-553: The 2017 CFL Guide and Record Book , the CFL now recognizes all three Ottawa-based clubs that played in the CFL or its predecessors–the Rough Riders, the Renegades, and the Redblacks–as "a single entity" dating to 1876 for record-keeping purposes, with "two intervals of non-participation (1997–2001 and 2006–2013)." Ottawa Journal sports editor Bill Westwick poked fun at the team rather than criticize during their struggles in

969-712: The Argonauts later faced the Calgary Stampeders in another exhibition game in Portland, Oregon in 1992; and several CFL games with at least one Canadian team occurred in the United States during the CFL USA era of the early/mid 1990s.) The 1960s and 1970s were the Rough Riders' glory years. With General Manager Red O'Quinn and Coach Frank Clair at the helm along with players Russ Jackson , Whit Tucker , Ron Stewart , Tom Clements , and Tony Gabriel ,

1026-602: The Battle of Cutknife Hill on 2 May 1885 during the North-West Rebellion, was moved to Cartier Square Drill Hall in 2006 from Confederation Park. Unveiled on May 2, 1887, a tablet is also dedicated to the memory of Privates J. Rogers and Wm. B. Osgoode. The Parade Square provides ample area for training at the section, platoon and company level and it is often loaned out to a wide variety of civilian organizations to hold large dinners and entertainment events such as

1083-765: The Big Four game in Hamilton against the Hamilton Tigers on October 15, 1938, when he set the Big Four record with seven interceptions, a record that still stands unofficially compared to the CFL. The Riders next won the Big Four and Eastern title in 1939, but lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 8–7 in the Grey Cup game, held in Ottawa. In 1940, the Riders won the Big Four and Eastern titles, defeating Toronto Balmy Beach. The win over Balmy Beach carried

1140-558: The CFL's application to register "Ottawa Rough Riders" as a trademark, and the league abandoned the application in 2016. In 2008, a partnership of five Ottawa business leaders acquired the Ottawa CFL franchise rights with the intent of relaunching professional football in Ottawa. The CFL also acquired the Rough Riders intellectual properties from Chen. Because the Saskatchewan Roughriders enforced their trademark on

1197-542: The Canadian champions for the next several years, with the Riders defeating Brockville 17–10 in 1900, and defeating Ottawa College 5–0 in 1902, College being the 1901 Canadian champions. The Riders moved back to the Quebec Union, winning the 1903 Quebec championship, in a year where there was no playoff for the Canadian title. In 1905, Ottawa won the Quebec title, only to lose to the Toronto Varsity team 11–9 in

SECTION 20

#1732771845739

1254-760: The Canadian championship. The club absorbed the Ottawa St. Pats when the Riders helped found the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union in 1907. The Riders won the IRFU championship in 1909 over the Hamilton Tigers, but lost in the Canadian final in Toronto to Toronto Varsity. The Riders declined and became uncompetitive during the 1910s, attributed to the First World War, and the lure of salaries in professional ice hockey meaning athletes chose hockey over football in Ottawa. During

1311-710: The Canadian title, as the west refused the Canadian Rugby Union code. The Big Four went out of existence during the Second World War, but the Riders were able to field a club in the Eastern Rugby Football Union, along with Balmy Beach, Montreal and the Argonauts. The Riders won the 1942 ERFU title over the Argonauts, but again lost to the Blue Bombers in the Canadian final, 18–16 at Varsity Stadium. The ERFU folded and

1368-882: The City of Ottawa Christmas Party, the Ottawa Heritage Ball, and the Ottawa Garrison Ball. The Officers' Mess is used by both the Governor General's Foot Guards and The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own). Originally constructed in the 19th Century for the officers of the Foot Guards, the mess was the scene of Sir Sam Hughes' (the Minister of Militia and Defence at the time) declaration of war by Canada in 1914. In addition to an extensive art and regimental silver collection,

1425-599: The Department of Public Works, for which Thomas Fuller , Chief Dominion Architect , was responsible. Weatherbee supervised and inspected militia buildings, and designed munitions stores buildings, often erected adjacent to drill halls. The largest of these works was located at the rear of the Cartier Square Drill Hall, measuring 150 by 70 feet (46 m × 21 m), and was used for the storage of weapons, uniforms, and ammunition. The building

1482-551: The Dominion of Canada. The building is a rare surviving example of a military training facility built in the immediate post-confederation era when establishing a military presence and asserting the role of the federal government were important government aims. Lieutenant Paul Weatherbee (1869-1925), who was appointed Chief Architect and Engineer from 1897-1905, was responsible for overseeing the design and construction of militia and defence buildings in Canada which were not designed by

1539-576: The Drill Hall at Cartier Square has been at the centre of military mobilization and training for soldiers recruited from the Ottawa-Carleton area, overseeing soldiers deployed for service in: During Ottawa Race Weekend each year, Cartier Square Drill Hall is converted into a satellite site of The Ottawa Hospital to provide medical services for runners. A statue dedicated to Privates William B. Osgoode and John Rogers, who were killed during

1596-767: The Giants won both times, and NFL-CFL matches were not attempted again until 1959. In the first season of the CFL , the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats made history when they played the first regular season CFL game at Philadelphia 's Municipal Stadium on September 14, 1958 as Hamilton defeated Ottawa , 24–18. The Toronto Argonauts had played the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Buffalo in an exhibition game in 1951, and

1653-696: The Quebec Union to the Ontario League that season. The Riders defeated the Hamilton Tigers 15–8 for the Ontario championship, then defeated Toronto Varsity, the Intercollegiate champions 7–3 and defeated Ottawa College 11–1 to win the Canadian championship. In those days, Ottawa athletes played in multiple sports and the Riders had athletes famous in other sports, such as Harvey Pulford and Frank McGee . The Riders and Ottawa College were

1710-691: The Regular Army in peace and war. Each day during the summer months, it is from the Drill Hall that the Ceremonial Guard departs to initiate the Changing the Guard ceremony on Parliament Hill . The 2784 Governor General's Foot Guards Army Cadets ( RCAC ), also parade at Cartier Square Drill Hall on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. RCSCC Falkland holds their annual review ceremony at Cartier Square Drill Hall. For over 125 years,

1767-640: The Riders continued in the Ottawa City league until 1945 when the Big Four was restarted. During the Riders' time in the Ottawa City league, another team from Ottawa, the Trojans won the Ontario title, and in 1948 the Trojans were absorbed into the Riders. The Rough Riders were pioneers in international play in the 1950s. In 1950 and 1951 , Ottawa hosted the New York Giants in exhibition games;

Ottawa Rough Riders - Misplaced Pages Continue

1824-521: The Riders were one of the CFL's best teams, winning the Grey Cup in 1968 and 1969 to finish out the decade and then two more under Clair as GM, including their last victory in 1976, where Tony Gabriel made the game-winning touchdown catch in the end zone in a 23–20 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders . The Rough Riders' final appearance in the Grey Cup game was 1981 against the heavily favoured Edmonton Eskimos . The game started out as

1881-595: The Rough Riders franchise that ultimately led to its folding after a storied 120 years. After the Rough Riders folded, the CFL moved its easternmost-West Division team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, back to the East Division for a second time to take Ottawa's place and to balance out the divisions (they played in the East from 1987 to 1994, and the Bombers stayed in the East Division from 1997 to 2001; it returned there upon

1938-472: The Rough Riders name, Ottawa's new franchise was required to choose a new name. It took the field in 2014 as the Ottawa Redblacks. Despite being denied the use of the Rough Riders nickname, the Redblacks do pay homage to the Rough Riders. The Redblacks' primary logo is a stylized version of the block "R" used by the Rough Riders from 1975 to 1991. The currently-used "R" is set within the outline of

1995-595: The Rough Riders to the United States . The CFL, obviously, did not take kindly to Glieberman's suggestion, but allowed him to split the Rough Riders into American and Canadian halves. The American half became an expansion franchise known as the Shreveport Pirates under Glieberman's ownership. The Canadian half retained the Rough Riders name, colours and history under the ownership of modern Ottawa Senators co-founder Bruce Firestone . This arrangement

2052-584: The Rough Riders, travelled with the team, and was the link between the players and the Ottawa community, and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Notable radio broadcasters for the Rough Riders include Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees Ernie Calcutt and John Badham . Cartier Square Drill Hall The Drill Hall at Cartier Square is a dedicated military training facility in Ottawa , Ontario, Canada. It has been

2109-539: The Spanish–American War or logging). For a time, both clubs shared the same colours of red and black until 1948, when the Saskatchewan team became green and white, which remain their colours to this day. The teams had historically belonged to separate leagues ('unions') until the CFL was formed in 1958. When the CFL was formed, they were allowed to keep their long-standing names; Ottawa was frequently known as

2166-495: The University of Toronto have used the site as an athletic ground since 1898. In 1911, the university opened Varsity Stadium. Canadian sprinter Percy Williams set a world record in the 100 metres with a time of 10.3 seconds at Varsity Stadium during the Canadian Track and Field Championships in 1930. Varsity Stadium has for its entire history been host to the University of Toronto's collegiate Canadian football team,

2223-426: The decline of the Riders, another Ottawa team, Ottawa St. Brigids, was on an ascent. St. Brigids, which played in the Ottawa City league, and later the Ontario league, was developing top talent. In 1923, St. Brigids and the Riders merged, with St. Brigids manager Jim McCaffery becoming the manager of the Riders. McCaffery was a member of the Riders executive for several decades. The team won the Grey Cup in 1925 and 1926,

2280-467: The demolition and re-building of the site Toronto Varsity Blues relocated to Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough . From 2003 through 2005, temporary seating of about 1,500 was installed to permit the use of the field for intercollegiate games. The name Varsity Field was used from 2002 to 2006 during the period when the old stadium was demolished and the new stadium was being built. A plan to build

2337-408: The first phase of the stadium's reconstruction include an IAAF Class II 400m eight-lane track, artificial field turf (FIFA 2 Star rated surface by Polytan), and a winter bubble enabling use during inclement weather. The multi-use capability was one of the main reasons that the plan was passed by the governing council, as opposed to the 25,000-seat stadium. Compared to the old Varsity Stadium, the seating

Ottawa Rough Riders - Misplaced Pages Continue

2394-455: The folding of the Renegades from 2006 to 2013). For much of the team's history, it played in the same league as the Saskatchewan Roughriders, confusing many, and also attracting general ridicule to the CFL for being a league with only eight or nine teams, but two of them being named "rough riders" (spelled identically although configured differently; also, the Saskatchewan team's nickname has a well-documented derivation that has nothing to do with

2451-400: The impending demolition of the historic facility. The stadium was demolished mid-2002 after the cost of maintaining the large facility was far more than it generated in revenue. At that time, several structural sections of the stadium were being held up by temporary repairs, and the future integrity of the structure was in question. The field and track were retained after the demolition. During

2508-599: The mess also houses the current Queen's and Regimental Colours of both regiments. Varsity Stadium Varsity Stadium is an outdoor collegiate football stadium located in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. It is home to the Toronto Varsity Blues , the athletic teams of the University of Toronto . Athletic events have been hosted on the site since 1898; the current stadium was built in 2007 to replace

2565-411: The mid-1950s. When coach Chan Caldwell suggested that the team could practice on a train ride to an away game by attaching a railway flatcar filled with dirt, Westwick played along with the joke although the plan never happened. A fellow journalist recalled that and Westwick reported on the idea with "brilliant clarity and memorable hilarity". Newspaper journalist Eddie MacCabe regularly reported on

2622-457: The name was said to derive from logging (or more specifically, the logdrivers who guided timber down the rivers), the team based its colours on Teddy Roosevelt 's regiment in the Spanish–American War , which, with the date of the renaming, suggests that the name also comes from the war. The team changed its nickname to Ottawa Senators from 1925 to 1930. Ottawa's first Canadian championship came in 1898. The Ottawa Football Club transferred from

2679-440: The original permanent stadium built in 1911. Varsity Stadium is also a former home of the Toronto Argonauts , and has previously hosted the Grey Cup , the Vanier Cup , several matches of the 1976 Summer Olympics soccer tournament, and the final game of the North American Soccer League 's 1984 Soccer Bowl series (which was also the last game played by the original NASL). It is located next to Varsity Arena . Athletic teams of

2736-452: The popularity of the collegiate championship grew. Canada's national soccer team played several matches at Varsity Stadium, including crucial World Cup qualifying matches versus Costa Rica in 1985 and Mexico in 1993. Friendly matches versus Germany and the Netherlands were also staged in 1994. Minor league professional soccer team Toronto Lynx moved into the stadium in 1997 but was forced to move to Centennial Park Stadium due to

2793-454: The stadium has varied with time, but peaked at about 22,000 in the 1950s although, with the use of temporary bleachers, a record crowd of 27,425 watched the Edmonton Eskimos defeat the Montreal Alouettes 50–27 in the 1956 Grey Cup final. Perhaps the most famous Canadian football game played in the Stadium was the 1950 Mud Bowl for the Grey Cup championship. During the 1976 Summer Olympics , Varsity Stadium hosted several soccer matches, and

2850-510: The stadium. For the 2015 Pan American Games the facility hosted archery between July 14 and 18. During the games, the facility was configured to hold roughly 2,000 spectators per session. The facility also hosted the archery events of the 2015 Parapan American Games In addition to hosting several University of Toronto athletic programs, the stadium has also hosted several events including military, musical, and sporting games. The stadium has also been host to several concerts most notably

2907-481: The suspension of nine members of the Ottawa team due to the Roy Berry incident. In 1936, the Riders won the Big Four title defeating the Hamilton Tigers 3–2. The team progressed to the Eastern final against the Sarnia Imperials. The Imperials won the game 26–20 in a frozen battle held at Toronto's Varsity Stadium . Since there was no western challenge that year, the Imperials became Canadian champions. The highlight of Rough Rider Joe Zelikovitz 's football career came in

SECTION 50

#1732771845739

2964-404: The team was purchased by Detroit businessman Bernard Glieberman and his son Lonie Glieberman, who became team president, for a dollar. The team changed its logo from a simple block "R" to a double flaming red and silver "RR", and added silver to their traditional red and black colours. Despite a promising year in 1992 the bottom fell out in 1993, when the Gliebermans began making noise about moving

3021-422: Was absent for the next five years until 2002, when the city regained a CFL team, named the Renegades . Although sentiment arose toward resurrecting the Rough Riders name, Chen expected payment for the rights to it; the new franchise declined the request, and went with a 'fresh' name for the new team. The team also faced financial problems, ceasing play after the 2005 CFL season. The Saskatchewan Roughriders opposed

3078-530: Was designed to house The Governor General's Foot Guards (GGFG) and elements of the 43rd "Ottawa and Carleton" Battalion of Rifles (now The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) ). In the Canadian Forces, an armoury is a place where a reserve unit trains, meets, and parades. Today the Drill Hall remains home to the GGFG and The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own). Both of these units are active components of Canada's Primary Reserve , providing trained volunteer soldiers to augment

3135-515: Was mysterious about his origins. The Riders defeated the Toronto Argonauts in the final two games of the Big Four schedule to deny Toronto the Big Four championship. On November 19, 1935, Toronto's The Mail and Empire accused the Riders of using an illegal player in those matches. Editor Edwin Allen stated "Roy Berry" was an alias for Bohn Hilliard, a Texas Longhorns footballer who had played semi-professional baseball. In February 1936, Amateur Athletic Union of Canada president W. A. Fry announced

3192-459: Was played at Varsity Stadium when the Chicago Sting defeated the Blizzard 3–2 to win the deciding game of 1984 Soccer Bowl Series. The NASL would fold before the start of the next season. In mid-1986, Varsity Stadium played host to the World Lacrosse Championships , a tournament featuring the United States, Canada, England, and Australia. The US defeated Canada in the final, 18–9. The new Toronto Blizzard returned to Varsity in 1987 as part of

3249-403: Was the site of the semi-final game between Brazil and Poland . The NASL's Toronto Metros-Croatia used Varsity Stadium through 1978, before moving to Exhibition Stadium. They returned six years later as the Toronto Blizzard and again made it their home for the 1984 season. On October 3, 1984, before 16,842 fans, the last game ever contested in the original North American Soccer League

#738261