REDBLACKS RENAME MASCOT
OTTAWA – After receiving feedback on the naming of the Ottawa REDBLACKS mascot, the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) announced today that the mascot’s official name will be “Big Joe” in English and “Grand Jos” in French.
“We unintentionally offended some with the original name and we sincerely apologize for that,” said Jeff Hunt, President of Sports with OSEG. “We hope to create a fan base that is unified in its support for the REDBLACKS and we will continue to strive to do our best in that regard.”
After a poll of fans, OSEG named its mascot after a fictional lumberjack character developed by the late Ottawa Valley storyteller Bernie Bedore and made famous in a song by Stompin’ Tom Connors. The character was inspired by Joseph Montferrand, a real life Outaouais logger and defender of Francophone rights in the 1800s.
OSEG will continue to seek opportunities to welcome Francophone football fans from Gatineau and Eastern Ontario and engage the Francophone community with visits to schools by players and the mascot, holding football clinics with various minor football organizations, and staging quarterback club” functions throughout the region.
I'm offended that they won't say who was offended and why.
In typical Ottawa fashion they bend over backwards to appease the french.
The name isn’t even offensive; “defender of francophone rights…”?
Someone needs to go hide in a closet and slurp on their poutine if they are offended by this.
You have no clue. Gatineau is right across the river, and extremely close to where the stadium is being rebuilt. Those people are hardcore Alouette fans, and if they can rope them, it'll really help their franchise.
I chose Royale for their mascot's name, which is a fine French name. It was not picked. Oh well.
Roy ale, French for man beer. Beer, hmmm good.
What's J Montferrand got to do with a professional sports franchise 2014 ? WTF. Mascots name on his birth certificate last week was Big Joe Mufferaw.
I am just glad they did not choose Gainer the Groundhog as a mascot to get back at Jim Hopson and Co. for not letting them use Rough Riders.
who cares about there mascot, gainer would stretch big joe out…lmao
A fake a** rat called gainer? now thats really funny, typical Saskatchewan hicks. Big Joe coming to a hamlet called Regina real soon, let's get it on !
R Nation
A fake little joe coming coming to Rider Nation to learn how it gets done. Now that is funny! Fresh off the colony & very limited education I doubt he even knows how to spell his name, let alone learn from the best! But being new to this I'm sure the Rider Nation will be courteous and try and teach him a few things so that he at least doesn't make a complete fool of himself.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3WA9iZximU8