On July 18th, 2014, the Ottawa REDBLACKS took the field for the first time at TD Place, in front of a roaring sold-out crowd of 24,326, excited to see the CFL return to the nation’s capital.
There wasn’t much that could shake the celebratory feeling in RNation that day, as they coated the stands in a display of red and black, with many wearing their brand-new Henry Burris jerseys. It was one big party before kickoff, capitalized by a flyover that shook the building, but when the ball was kicked off and the Toronto Argonauts took their first possession, no one knew what to expect.
Having started the season 0-2 with losses to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the franchise’s first game, and another in Week 3 against Edmonton, the REDBLACKS looked like you would imagine an expansion team would. On that night, though, magic was in the air.
REDBLACKS’ kicker Brett Maher went toe-to-toe with Argos man, Swayze Waters, trading field goal attempts in the first half, with Waters having the only miss. Heading into the break, Ottawa held a 9-7 lead, as the fans continued to roar no matter what.
Maher scored the only points of the third quarter, pushing Ottawa’s lead to five points, but on the opposing sideline, legendary quarterback Ricky Ray fought back, finding Darvin Adams for a score. The REDBLACKS answered back with another field goal, but the Argos matched it, setting Ottawa up for a potential game-winning drive in the final moments.
On the home side, Henry Burris was keen to finish the game strong. He found Kierrie Johnson on a 35-yard deep ball, putting the REDBLACKS on the 22-yard line. With less than 30 seconds left on the clock, Maher made his biggest kick of the night, splitting the uprights on the go-ahead field goal.
“It’s a great night,” said Maher following the game. “If you’re a kicker and you don’t want to be in that situation, you’re probably not going to thrive. My whole career, I’ve kicked a bunch of field goals and never hit a game-winner, never even tried one.”
With bated breath, the home crowd – now reaching decibels sure to be felt all over the city – clenched their teeth, with victory so close they could taste it. All the Argos needed was a field goal to win the game, and there was ample time to do it, but the fans, nor the REDBLACKS’ defence, were not going to let it happen.
Ray dropped back to throw, and with the motivation of everyone in attendance, Jasper Simmons snagged the ball away from its intended target, sealing the deal on a REDBLACKS win, and sending the Ottawa faithful into a jubilant frenzy.
An 18-17 victory, with all 18 points coming off the boot of Maher, was one of two wins REDBLACKS fans would see all season long in their inaugural season, but it didn’t matter. Fans got to enjoy a close game, complete with some big plays through the air, and some trickery, including a fake field goal.
What it ignited was a love affair between franchise and city, endearing fans to the new names and faces they could call their local heroes, which was only cemented when Burris sat down with the TSN panel post-game, and continuously called the fans in Ottawa the best in the league.
That love has been maintained through thick and thin in Ottawa, through good times and bad, a pandemic, and a Grey Cup win. Players have come and gone, the coaching staff has changed, and there have been different members in the front office, but one thing has never changed, and it’s your support – the average person who spends their hard-earned money and free time to support football in Ottawa.
Truly, you – the fans – are the people who have made the REDBLACKS successful.
In 2024, the REDBLACKS have started the season 3-2, winning both of their home games thus far, and are coming off a historic win in Edmonton, where quarterback Dru Brown put his name in the record books, throwing for 480 yards, the fourth most in the history of Ottawa football.
Their quest for greatness is far from over, but they need your support. They’ll feel the RNation love on Friday night as they host the Elks to cap off the home-and-home no matter what, but like you’ve done so many times before, it’s time to pack the house.
Let’s relive those great memories, and make some new ones. You can get your tickets here.
