A small piece of Redblacks news that may have slipped past most of us, what with the excitement around the sale of home opener ticket packs to the public and the “controversy” around the naming of the Redblacks mascot Big Joe Mufferaw, was OSEG President Jeff Hunt dropping a hint (or pretty much confirming?) a third jersey for the Redblacks in year one. In an interview with TSN 1200 (6-minute mark), Hunt indicates that home and away jerseys will be released in mid-May, likely followed by a third jersey release in the fall!
For a jersey/logo enthusiast (geek?) like myself, this was nearly as welcome as hearing the Redblacks, still over three months away from kick-off, are already pushing 13,000 season ticket holders. A third jersey in the inaugural season is a bit of a surprise, and a welcome one at that.
And now the big question: what might this jersey look like? A couple of things come to mind immediately. First off, a fall release of a third jersey in the CFL would most likely be centred around the team’s Labour Day Classic game. And what better occasion for a vintage jersey than a LDC game.
I’m thinking there might be some giddy former Rough Rider fans in Ottawa in September!
This move makes a lot of sense for the Redblacks. Releasing three jerseys at one time seems like overkill. And if the third jersey is indeed a vintage Rough Riders look, Hunt and OSEG will have once again proven that they get it. They understand this fan base and how important it is to link the new team with teams of the past.
DOES NEW GEAR HINT AT POSSIBLE JERSEY STYLE/STRIPING?
As part of the home opener ticket pack promotion, the Redblacks released an ad featuring QB Henry Burris sporting some gear we haven’t seen before. For those that haven’t seen it, here’s the ad:
Specifically, the striping on the hat seems very reminiscent of Rough Riders uniforms gone by. Here’s a closer look at the hat:
Notice the striping similarities with this jersey from the early 1970s (image courtesy Wikipedia):
Kinda similar, anyway.
Probably reading too much into one hat, but it is fun to speculate.
Want more on Redblacks jersey concepts? Check out these past blog entries.
Defend the R 
That’s awesome to hear! I agree that a jersey released in the fall would have to be part of the LDC and would be of a vintage nature. Meanwhile, I am definitely excited to add a RedBlacks jersey to my collection. Here’s hoping they have a black home jersey!
Thanks Nevill. Hoping they’re black as well, although my gut tells me it will be red.