The Centerfielder

I was in the process of tidying up the spot in which I keep my football reference material and decided to take a flip through a couple of the old programs.

This one, from 1972, featured a handful of biographical profiles. I selected Rod Woodward's to scan and share. His couch and drapes combo on the fourth page damn near drove my scanner to suicide so please do not let its effort be in vain. 😁 

Just Added: The 1992 Ottawa Sooners Playoff Run

The Ottawa Sooners page was becoming cumbersome so it was recently split into two. The relaunch (if that's the proper term) might very well lead to a third page to cover its progress, we'll figure that out later.

All playoff game summaries were added to the 1992 team results on the 1980+ version and this post will be linked to that year's National Championship game date. 

For improved site navigation, I've also created a category of tags down the right side of the page for the particularly successful, iconic teams in the city. I'll need to go over 200+ past posts to populate it fully but anyone looking for past articles about, say, the 1975 Gee-Gees, or one of the Grey Cup winning Rough Riders will be able to do so much more easily this way. 

"REDBLACKS re-sign Canadian receiver Nate Behar"

The Ottawa REDBLACKS announced today that they have re-signed national receiver Nate Behar.

“Ottawa has everything in place to be one of the great and successful franchises in this league. From the ownership group, the fans, the city and facilities,” said Behar. “I want to be a part of this organization’s rise.”

A native of London, Ontario, Behar is coming off of his fourth, and most productive season in the CFL. He reached career-highs in receptions (38), receiving yards (439), yards after the catch (128), average yards per catch (11.6), and longest reception (50 yards). The 27 year-old also recorded a single-game career high 98 receiving yards against the Calgary Stampeders on October 29, 2021.

Selected fifth overall by the Edmonton Elks in the 2017 CFL Draft, Behar signed with the REDBLACKS on February 15, 2019, and re-signed with the team on June 28, 2021. Ottawa is familiar territory for Behar, who played his collegiate career with the Carleton Ravens (OUA), famously catching a Hail Mary pass to win the 2014 Panda Game.

The team also quietly signed 2021 draft choice Connor Berglof (third round, 24th overall). Berglof has played center and guard at the university of Saskatchewan and his Huskies bio lists him at 6'3" and 300 pounds. He was first-team All-Canadian in 2019 and second team in 2021. He might make a nice replacement should current starter Mark Korte leave via free agency next month. 

November 8th, 1975: Toronto 07 @ uOttawa 14

Last month, the summary of the first playoff game the Gee-Gees won on the way to the 1975 National Championship was added as a post. We do the same now for the OQIFC East Championship game against Toronto.

Oct 11th, 1947: Ottawa Trojans 21 @ Sarnia Imperials 06

I'm in the middle of adding some game summaries from either the Ottawa Citizen or the Ottawa Journal to the Trojans page, being the ORFU club that played from 1943 to 1947 inclusively. I've added one from 1943 and another from 1947, their most successful (yet final) season.

I'd like to shine a little more of a light on the game below from October 11th, 1947. Why is that, you ask? Was it a particularly impressive team or individual performance? Is there something about it that makes it iconic? Was it a turn-around performance after a winless 1946?

Not really, I just laughed out loud at the chaotic nature of the game and it was made all the funnier to me by the casual way in it which it was reported. Read on.

Very few games include brawls, fan swarms, and a manager having a bucket of water dumped on him after "just retaliation" from having an opposing player get in his face. We go from a mention of that incident right into the description of the success of the off-tackle play.

This may be my favourite game summary in nearly 150 years of Ottawa football history. 😁

Nov 18th, 1931: "Burghs Finally Win"

Everyone deserves their day in the sun. When researching sports history, it's easy to be focused on the great accomplishments like championship victories, record-setting performances, first-time events, etc.

I enjoy coming across that unexpected moment of glory. I feel for anyone going through a winless season and therefore find stories like the one below enjoyable.

The Junior City League page is getting some additions today. Its first season, in 1931, culminated with St. Patrick's narrowly besting Gladstone by a score of 02-01 in the championship game. The summary for that contest has been added to the league's page above but I'll instead draw some attention to a late-season game in which New Edinburgh pulled out its first victory after an 0-6 start. They could have tanked like the Rangers team apparently did but played through and were rewarded for it. Good for them. 

"Carleton Ravens to Launch National Search for New Football Coach"

Can't say I saw that one coming. 

The Carleton University Department of Recreation and Athletics is launching a national search for a new Raven’s football head coach.

“We are thankful to Steve Sumarah for the role he played in bringing our football program back,” said Jennifer Brenning, Assistant Vice President of Recreation and Athletics. “Steve was instrumental in leading the successful return of the rebranded Ravens football program in 2013. We have a lot of respect for Steve and what he has achieved as a well-regarded member of the university sport community in Canada. We thank him for his contributions to the program over the past ten years and wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”

Until a new head coach is hired, the athletics department will work with the assistant coaching staff to continue to deliver a high-quality program and to support the student athletes.

He has a regular season record of 29-33 at the school and 3-5 in the playoffs. 

The team was knocked out of the playoffs on November 6th so I can't help but find the timing and suddenness of this announcement a little suspect.

"REDBLACKS sign Canadian OL Jacob Ruby"

January 10th, 2022 - The Ottawa REDBLACKS have signed national offensive lineman Jacob Ruby to a two-year deal, the team announced today.

“I am extremely excited and proud to be an Ottawa REDBLACK," said Ruby. "I want to thank Shawn Burke and Coach LaPolice for making this decision an easy one. I can’t wait to get to work for RNation. Go REDBLACKS!"

After serving as a four-year starter at the University of Richmond, Ruby was selected in the first round, eighth overall, by the Montreal Alouettes in the 2015 CFL Draft. The London, Ontario native appeared in three games for the Als, before signing with the Edmonton Elks on July 17, 2017. 

After dressing for 15 games in 2018, and starting in two, Ruby would go on to become a regular on the Edmonton offensive line. He was a starter throughout the entirety of the 2019 CFL season, and helped the Elks to a Division Final appearance that November.

"Having skilled Canadians on the offensive line is critical in the CFL and we're thrilled to be able to add a veteran presence like Jacob Ruby to our group," said General Manager Shawn Burke. "Jacob brings size and experience to our front five and will be a great fit with what we're building here."

The deal will see the 29 year-old Ruby suit up with the REDBLACKS through the 2023 campaign. 

Ruby is listed as being 6'7" and 325 pounds. He will probably be perceived as being Burke's first signing but that's not the case. On January 3rd, the league website displayed the signing of two Canadian players by the REDBLACKS.

One signee was Eric Starczala, also an offensive lineman, who played at Guelph. Starczala was a 7th-round draft choice of the Argos, 62nd overall, in 2019. He measures out at 6'5 / 315. It would seem that Burke likes his OL hefty, at first glance.

The other player signed earlier this month is Jersey Henry, a linebacker from Concordia, chosen in the 6th round by Montreal, 51st overall.  

The Pillar of the Rough House

A familiar face appeared when the REDBLACKS' announced their 2022 operations staff on January 3rd.  

(Brendan) Taman is a Grey Cup-winning executive who has worked in the CFL since 1987, including as Manager of Football Operations for the Ottawa Rough Riders in the early 1990s. Most recently, Taman, who won a Grey Cup as GM of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2013, spent two years as a Senior Player Personnel Executive with the Montreal Alouettes. Taman was also GM of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 2004-2008. 

He joined the Rough Riders in 1989. For glimpse of how he was perceived in the organization and league, we turn to Ottawa Citizen veteran writer Wayne Scanlan and his article from the October 13th, 1991, edition.

Taman's entry in the 1992 media guide confirmed that the dark hair on the upper lip reached at least Movember-week-three levels. 

Note: I believe the picture above was used for at least three years in the team's media guides so it may pre-date that article by quite some time.

I found the mention of Dan Rambo in the 1991 article is interesting. The Ottawa Sun reported that Rambo assisted the team in its search for a general manager so perhaps we're seeing his influence at play in Taman's addition to the staff. He (Rambo) helped improve the 1992 Rough Riders club and may now have a hand in improving the REDBLACKS 30 years later.

Aug 16th, 1977: Toronto Argonauts 17 @ Ottawa Rough Riders 31

Happy new year to my thousands hundreds dozens whatever-number of visitors! I have no idea how many of you there are out there but I appreciate anyone and everyone who shares this interest and drops by, regardless of reason or cause.

I hope to have a productive update day today. I'll be bouncing around a bit and have already done some work on the EOSSA championship page (adding part of the 1934 summary) and am now collecting the Rough Riders 1977 results.

In doing so, I've just found Richard Holmes' impressive debut game and thought that was worth a share, so...Here you go!