Thank you REDBLACKS!

Its Monday…for some a dark Monday..for others its a great Monday! I like to think I fall in the latter of the two categories!

I live in Ottawa. I played football for the Ottawa Rough Riders. In that time we lost far more than we won. In that time, we were the ugly stepson of the league. We never seemed to get any breaks, we were never talented enough and we envied every team on the CFL circuit!

When people stop me to talk football, the conversation often led to the time I spent with the Hamilton Tiger Cats. I had a great season in 1992. I led the team in receiving and was selected as the Top Canadian in the Eastern Conference. It felt great from a competitive level. Yet, it never quite felt right. My arrival was simply a settling of accounts with the Ottawa Rough Riders and head coach Steve Goldman. The Riders has gone out and spent a lot of money on free agents (Glenn Kulka, David Williams, John Mandarich, Tony Cherry) and the leage GM’s were not tickled to say the least. I had suffered a slight tear in my quad and as luck would have it the Riders tried to hide me by putting me on waivers. No team would want damaged goods or at least that is what the Riders brass thought. With a blink of an eye and a call to the league office, I was claimed by Hamilton.

As a competitor, I wanted to show everyone that I was worth keeping and that some day I would make the Riders pay. I always played well against my former teammates. I scored a key TD in the 92 Eastern Conference Championship. We won the game and in turn eliminated the Ottawa Rough Riders. We eliminated the very same guys I loved going to battle with, going to battle with in defence of the R! It was in some ways, the worst win of my career!

I am thankful for my time in Hamilton. So many great guys..so many great memories. Yet, as a kid who grew up dreaming of playing for the home team…of playing for the Riders, Hamilton just didn’t feel right.

There is nothing like playing for the home team. There is nothing like cheering for the home team. There is nothing like the honor that comes with wearing the R!

During the run of the Renegades, I often identified myself as a former Hamilton Tiger Cat. Why? It just felt different. I love Joe Paopao and all that he stood for. You can’t find a player on this planet that does not love The Throwing Somoan! But, it just did not feel right. It was close, especially when the coaching staff wore the hawaiian themed shirts to close out their run!

Then the REDBLACKS arrived.

I have to admit, I did not like the name. Actually, I have to admit that I hated the name.  Now two years after their inaugural kick off I have learned something quite valuable. Its not about the logo or the name.

Its about the shared experience. Its about cheering for a team that put Ottawa back on the football map. Its about cheering for a team that represented us. It is about doing things right!

Tony Gabriel represented me. Jeff Avery represented me. Russ Jackson represented me. When the players paid us a visit at the Boys and Girls Club they became part of our family. We did not have much of anything growing up but the football team made us feel rich! Made us feel like a somebody. We identified with every player and the connection we shared ran deep because they identified with us.

When a REDBLACK player tells us that he is playing for the fans, that he loves our city and that he would not want to be anywhere else…its means something to me. It means something to all of us.

Although we are the Nation’s Capital…we are in so many ways a small town! I love that about Ottawa. It is so personal! Kind of reminds me of the relationship we have with the local football team. It’s a 2 degree of separation relationship.

To the Ottawa REDBLACKS…thank you for so much. We no longer hesitate in proclaiming our love for the team. We no longer carry the burden of franchise failures and on field miscues. We no longer have to talk about the tough years..the bad years!

We can talk about The Catch! We can talk about Henry’s leadership, Greg’s fearlessness, Antoine’s competitive zeal, Justin’s motor, Abdul’s grit and Brad’s fortitude. We can talk about SirVincents being thankful for a 2nd chance! Yes, a 2nd chance!

I thank the REDBLACKS for giving all of us fans another chance! Thank you for giving us a chance to walk into any stadium with our heads held high!

Through the tough times, no one can ever doubt the loyalty of the fans! We have never faltered in the past and will never falter anytime in the future. We are with you through thick or thin. I was there with you when my dad helped me climb up on the ticket booth to watch a game…yes, I could only see a 3rd of the field and yes, I envied the fans who actually got a seat but in a weird way…I still feel like I was there!

I was with you when John Glassford made the tackle on a 3rd and short on David Overstreet! I was with you when Pat Stoqua took a J.C. Watts pass 103 yards! I was there from the get go and will be there until I can’t anymore.

As a fan and as an alumni member! Now, when we talk Ottawa football we do it with pride! An immense pride that has no rival!

Edmonton won the Cup and all 40-something names will be etched upon it. The REDBLACKS won us and it will take something far greater than a trophy to get all of our names on it! We are once again…a formidable team. A team to be reckoned with!

Lets get them in 2016!

Ken Evraire – Ottawa Football Alumni and Fan!