Return of the Panda

 For the unfamiliar, the Panda Game is not what you think. You’re just going to have to stop picturing two black and white beasts jostling for position over the next slice of bamboo. This highly anticipated matchup is actually one of the most awaited university football games on the U

Ottawa Sports Market the Real Winner as REDBLACKS Book Return Trip to Grey Cup

 Images courtesy of @Redblacks. The Ottawa REDBLACKS are headed to their second-straight Grey Cup following 35-23 win over the visiting Edmonton Eskimos in the East Division final. The REDBLACKS raced out to a  17-3 halftime lead, and led by as much as 22 before Edmonton made an ill-fated comeback attempt.

Redblacks Undefeated

 In a nail-biting, overtime finish, the Ottawa Redblacks tied the Calgary Stampeders in their first home game of the season. The game ended 26-26, making the Redblacks the only undefeated team so far this season, securing the first place position in the CFL standings. "This tie might really help us out

Slideshow: CanWNT Beats Brazil at TD Place

 During last night's 'Road to Rio' match in the TD Place,  Canada's Women's National Soccer Team swept Brazil with a penalty-time goal that ended the match 1-0. Ottawa's face-off was a chance for the Canadian team to even the score with Brazil after the yellow-clad team beat the Canadians 2-0

A Legacy Of Sport

 What makes sports heroes legends can sometimes involve what they do off the field, or what they do to get there, as much as what they do when they are on it. Their determination, their will power and their dedication to what they do is always inspiring. When Russ Jackson

A Beginners Guide to the Ottawa Redblacks

 With two seasons under their belt, the Ottawa Redblacks have shown this city what they’re all about. The professional football team went from winning only a couple games in their opening season to making it all the way to the Grey Cup this past year. For those of you new

Get Acquainted With Ottawa’s Top Sports Teams

 Photo by Craig Dow. When it comes to sports, Ottawa is spoiled rotten. Our city is home to numerous professional and amateur sports teams, making Ottawa a four season sports destination. From professional soccer and CFL football in the summer to the Ottawa Senators in the cooler months, there is an array

Find Great Food Faster at Two New Jack Astor’s

 With drool-worthy new menu items and enough TVs to keep you in the game until… pretty much forever, two new Jack Astor’s are now open in Ottawa. The first settled comfortably into the new Lansdowne Park development earlier this year. That location sits just a few steps away from the Redblack’s stadium,

Redblacks Make Statement With Free Agent Acquisitions

 Photo courtesy of Ottawaredblacks.com The Ottawa Redblacks have no intention of finishing their sophomore campaign in the league basement. General manager Marcel Desjardins made that clear when he made a splash in the free agent waters by acquiring a trio of receivers in Brad Sinopoli, Greg Ellingson and Ernest Jackson.

Chiu, Maas Tasked with Improving Redblacks

 Jason Maas fields questions at a press conference. Photo credit: Lucy Scholey/Metro The Ottawa Redblacks will assign the arduous task of improving their offence on the respective shoulders of Bryan Chiu and Jason Maas. Chiu, who was hired as the team’s new offensive line coach on Dec. 23, held the

FIFA Women’s World Cup: An Ottawa Team Story

 All photos courtesy of FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 and Canada Soccer The weather outside was frightfully cold. The weather inside was delightfully toasty. Still, Thailand women’s national team soccer coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian had her fluffy brown winter jacket zipped up tight as she answered questions following a training site

Redblacks Here to Stay

 Chevon Walker fends off Argonaut Brendan Smith during a carry. Photo credit: Mike Carroccetto / METRO The Ottawa Redblacks are a work-in-progress, which was clear the moment they joined the CFL as an expansion team. Expansion teams don’t have a winning history in sports. Most of them struggle out of the

Celebrating Sporting Excellence in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

 No one would have guessed Michelle Cameron Coulter, an Olympic synchronized swimmer, failed her first-level swimming class four times. Coulter is a six-time World Champion and swam on the Canadian national team for over ten years. She became the first Albertan to win a Summer Olympic gold medal and was

Just Big Joe: How a Legend Became the New Mascot of the Ottawa RedBlacks

 Historical figure, fictional character, mascot: “Big Joe” is all of the above. The Ottawa RedBlacks dropped “Mufferaw” from “Big Joe” as the last name drew criticism from the francophone community. The name “Mufferaw,”some have complained, does not give proper homage to the real French-Canadian logger, Joseph Montferrand. Not wanting to

Why Sportswriting Matters

 A 71-year old game won’t likely decide this year’s college football champion – but in some ways, it’s more relevant than ever. Sports Illustrated published its annual college football preview last week, complete with write-ups of the top 25 teams and profiles on a select few players and coaching strategies.

CIS Support Falls Short

 Two years ago, as a first-year student at Queen’s University, I attended every Gaels home football game – at first with an enthusiastic group of floor-mates, then with a smaller, committed contingent of those friends as the weather suddenly turned dreary. Ontario University Athletics (OUA) football is a funny enterprise,

Johnny Manziel and Moral Indignation

 Johnny Manziel is under fire from the NCAA for selling his autograph, and it’s ridiculous. Texas A&M’s sophomore quarterback, fresh off the greatest rookie season in football history, has endured scorn from the governors of amateur athletics and a legion of uptight sportswriters, groups that reveled in Manziel’s build-up and

Doing it Right: Ottawa Football’s Newest Franchise

 Ottawa football fans should embrace the CFL’s newest franchise, the REDBLACKS, not because it is a distinct brand name, but because of what it represents for Ottawa sports fans and the former Ottawa Renegades and Rough Riders. The official June 8 ceremony unveiling the team's new name and logo sparked

Real Sports Bar & Grill Grand Opening: The Ottawa Chapter

 Now open in Ottawa is the second Real Sports Bar & Grill in all of Canada. It is similar to the one in Toronto but has its very own elements of excellence. The opening night celebration started at 8pm on Thursday, November 15. The 14,000-square-foot sports bar was packed. Located

Angry Birds in Montreal

 It is clear that getting your hands on Montreal Canadiens tickets can be a difficult task and an expensive one. However, there is another sports team worth checking out just outside Ottawa, the Montreal Alouettes, winners of the 2009 and 2010 Grey Cups. The journey across the 417 from Ottawa