By: Santino Filoso Christmas came early for R-Nation, as yesterday afternoon the Ottawa Redblacks announced the addition of Bryan Chiu to their coaching staff. The 40 year old Chiu becomes the Redblacks first true offensive line coach, as last season former offensive co-ordinator Mike Gibson coached the offensive line in addition to calling plays. Chiu, a 13 … Continue reading The Maas Effect; Argos Loss = Redblacks Gain
#TBT Interview with former Rough Rider Quinn Magnuson
Quinn Magnuson is a former CFL offensive lineman and current co-host of Saskatchewan's 'Game Day With Wray' pregame radio show. In addition to being a great follow on Twitter (and the brilliant mind behind the #CFLTwitterAwards), Quinn suited up for the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1995. That was a bad team. We asked Quinn to … Continue reading #TBT Interview with former Rough Rider Quinn Magnuson
Redblacks post-season fan focus group
Our man Nevill Carney - he of the Redblacks theme song, several Redblacks jersey concepts and a loyal Defend the R reader - was fortunate enough to attend an Ottawa Redblacks focus group shortly after the 2014 season. (FYI, Gord Holder wrote a bit about the session here.) Nevill was kind enough to share his … Continue reading Redblacks post-season fan focus group
#TBT: Catching Up With Korey Banks
By: Santino Filoso For this week’s Throwback Thursday interview, I chatted with former Ottawa Renegade DB Korey Banks. Banks, an eight time CFL All Star, racked up 37 career interceptions, 22 sacks, 14 fumbles, 442 tackles, 7 touchdowns and two Grey Cup rings. RR: As an American coming to Ottawa, what was your first impression of … Continue reading #TBT: Catching Up With Korey Banks
Jason Maas Takes the Offensive Reins
By: Santino Filoso Yesterday afternoon, the Ottawa Redblacks held a press conference to formally introduce Jason Maas as the team's new offensive co-ordinator. Maas' hiring had been rumoured since the weekend but only became official on Wednesday afternoon. Maas, a former QB, played 11 seasons in the CFL with the Eskimos, Ticats and Alouettes. Twice he was … Continue reading Jason Maas Takes the Offensive Reins
A Look Back at the Redblacks Inaugural Season
By: Santino Filoso Before closing the books on the Redblacks 2014 season, it's worth one final look back at how they got to their league worst 2-16 record and why they'll be drafting 1st overall in May. Game #1: 36-28 loss to Winnipeg After exploding for 21 points in the 1st quarter, the Redblacks’ offense bogged … Continue reading A Look Back at the Redblacks Inaugural Season
Positional Review of the 2014 Redblacks
By: Santino Filoso After having a few weeks to digest the Redblacks' inaugural season, we here at Defend the R thought it was fitting to have a conversation and break down the team's performance by position. Quarterback: @RedBlackGade: While Burris certainly didn't get a lot of help from his teammates or offensive co-ordinator, he simply didn't live up … Continue reading Positional Review of the 2014 Redblacks
Mike Gibson Makes History
By: Santino Filoso In a somewhat surprising move yesterday, the Ottawa Redblacks fired offensive co-ordinator Mike Gibson. Don’t get me wrong, the firing itself isn’t unexpected or undeserved, but the timing is, as most teams normally wait until after the Grey Cup to make coaching changes. Perhaps the Redblacks simply wanted a head start in finding … Continue reading Mike Gibson Makes History
Redblacks Recap: Ottawa goes out with a whimper
By: Santino Filoso On Friday night, the Redblacks inaugural season game to an end in the soulless stadium once known as Sky Dome. An Ottawa team playing for nothing but pride took on an Argos squad fighting for their playoff lives in front of the biggest home crowd of the year (roughly 19,000) and two dozen members … Continue reading Redblacks Recap: Ottawa goes out with a whimper
It’s a social thing; The man behind @Redblacks, Mat Smith
Having a social media presence is pretty well a requirement for all modern businesses. Few, however, use it to its full potential, actively engaging with fans and customers. In less than a year, Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group's social media coordinator Mat Smith and the Ottawa Redblacks have established themselves as a model for social … Continue reading It’s a social thing; The man behind @Redblacks, Mat Smith
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