Redblacks lost on field, but a winner with fans

Redblacks may have dropped opener, but club makes solid first impression

S PORTS

Seeing an Ottawa CFL team on the field was strange enough.

But the sight of this new club called Redblacks scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions? Surreal. Twitter blew up.

“I went to Ottawa football games for 20 years,” tweeted TSN hockey host James Duthie, a native son who grew up watching Rough Riders football at Lansdowne Park with his parents. “They never scored TDs on their first three series. Like never-ever-never.”

Long-suffering football fans and curiosity-seekers alike responded with glee as Ottawa’s new sporting hero (though ancient CFL warrior) Henry Burris marched this so-called expansion club up the field at will, slinging the ball as a 39-yearold quarterback ought not to be able to sling the ball. By the time their tailgate booze was kicking in, Blue Bombers fans watched in horror as the home team, the same group that had annihilated the Toronto Argonauts the previous week, fell behind 21-0.

Of course, the beauty of the CFL is that teams adjust and big leads evaporate like puddles of water in the summertime. Before Ottawa played its first CFL game in nine seasons, viewers were warned the Redblacks would have an early advantage because there was no book on them.

Pre-season aside, Ottawa’s most recent game was in 2005 under the Renegades moniker, with Joe Paopao as head coach and Kerry Joseph at quarterback. This new club had a bye its first week of the schedule, while having at the film of that week one clash between the Bombers and Argos. It’s like getting to see the questions before a big exam.

An experienced coaching staff like Ottawa possesses went to town on Winnipeg tendencies, and Burris, a two-time Grey Cup champion, was in his element in the early going as his pass protection held up and tailback Chevon Walker was a threat by air and by land, scoring two of Ottawa’s first three touchdowns.

“All day and it ain’t gonna stop,” Walker said from the sidelines, as the cameras focused on him.

Sadly, it didn’t last all day as the Bombers regrouped and rode a wave of momentum from the second quarter that carried them through the second half. While Winnipeg only took its first lead with 2:33 left in the game, fans at Investors Group Field could smell it coming, like a prairie storm.

Here’s a few notes scratched on a scorecard while watching the broadcast:

ENTERTAINING

Yes, in the end they lost 36-28, but before a national audience and a host of prospective new fans, the Redblacks hit a home run by playing a fun and competitive brand of football throughout.

Fans were pleasantly surprised.

QUALITY

The Riders teams of the 1990s and the first-year Renegades expansion roster of 2002 didn’t have the depth of CFL talent these Redblacks have. Kudos to the CFL and commissioner Mark Cohon for giving Ottawa a decent dispersal draft format. The Renegades would have killed to have had access to the type of players Ottawa drafted at key positions. Oddly, the RBs had more CFL game experience on the field Thursday than the Bombers.

COACHING

One of the mistakes of late-era Riders teams was an influx of CFL newbies, on the staff and at QB. By the time they got up to speed on the quirks of the Canadian game, the season was lost. These Ottawa coaches are loaded with CFL experience, including strong ties to a successful Calgary Stampeders program and playbook that Burris knows well from his time there. The Redblacks hit the ground running.

STADIUM FUN

There is nothing quite like the fan experience at an openair football stadium. It offers a communal atmosphere and um, spirit(s), of goodwill unique in North American sport. The atmosphere is predicated on a strong emotional connection between fan and player (combined with noise to rattle the opposition). Already, based on Thursday’s road game, some Ottawa fan favourites are emerging, to be confirmed once the Redblacks actually play a home game on July 18.

FAN FAVES

Burris, of course. He’s the whole package. Bright, talented, endlessly enthusiastic and remarkably spry for his age. From Day 1 at training camp, it was clear Burris still has it. If only he can stay healthy. The Redblacks focused on a strong O-line, but also the D-line. The trenches remain the foundation of all good teams. Wide receiver Marcus Henry (No. 16), 6-foot-5 with great hands, looks like Burris’s favourite target. Smaller Kierrie Johnson (10) has the speed to turn a five-yard catch into a 30-yard gain. Chevon Walker (29) is a legitimate feature back. Return man Jamill Smith (15) is a rookie (Ball State), but appears to be the breakaway threat all CFL teams seek, and all fans love.