The most divisive debates in Canadian society normally revolve around two things: language and region. East versus west, French versus English, Toronto versus the Rest of Canada. We are united in our disunity. At the centre of both language and regional tensions is a 100 year dispute between Ottawa and Saskatchewan, or more eloquently, between the Rough Riders and the Roughriders.

Fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders are some of the most passionate fans in Canada, comparable with Leaf fans except in that while Roughrider fans believe that they can win the cup and sometimes do, Leaf fans believe that they will win their league's respective cup and, well, don't. Despite this, the passion of Rider Nation often leads to irrational claims that they are the "real" Roughriders, normally explained away by serial conspiracy theories.

Using the most factual source that this author could muster in 10 seconds, Wikipedia settles the debate once and for all, stating clearly that, "The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League (CFL) team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876." In a separate article, Wikipedia states that, "The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a CFL team based in Regina, Saskatchewan, founded in 1910." For Saskatchewan fans and CTF Webmaster Dean Smith, let it be known that that is 34 years later.

There is some justification however for Saskatchewan's copying Ottawa's team name. Canadian football and rugby teams existed in a number of smaller league's and sporting unions for most of the sport's early history and so when Saskatchewan founded her team, they were in separate leagues.  Only as the two teams later came into competition with one another did the absurdity of two teams sharing a name in a small league become obvious.

But even the claim (as I made above) that they share the same name is not without challenge. Ottawa's team is the "Rough Riders", while Saskatchewan's is the "Roughriders."

With Ottawa closing in on re-founding it's team in the not-to-distant future, it should not be made to squabble below the banner of the "Renegades" or any other new name, but rather, declare that now is the time for a historic truce. The Roughriders in green should - as good sportsmen - allow Ottawa to reclaim it's rightful name, and the Rough Riders in black should in return cease taunting Saskatchewan for "stealing" or "copying" it's name.

Lets let the CFL, like Canada itself, return to its normal, quirky and at times bizarre self. Lets bring football back to Ottawa and let the first game kickoff with a showdown between the black and green Rough-Riders.

By: Derek Fildebrandt
Posted: August 09, 2010
Topic: Federal

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