Why owners of the Ottawa Redblacks still believe in the CFL team's future

The Ottawa Redblacks have lost millions of dollars, thousands of fans and a record number of games this season.

But their owner, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, remains convinced of the product’s viability.

“This would be the worst summer of my life, without a doubt,” OSEG partner Roger Greenberg confessed this week at a news conference to officially announce Mike Morreale as the Redblacks new president. “I think people stopped talking to me because they didn’t know what to say. It just sucked the joy out of going out (following games) afterwards. I wouldn’t go out. I mean, it was a really, really difficult season.“

But he’s also banking on a turnaround.

He has faith in Morreale and he has faith in the fan base.

“I believe that we found the right person to help lead the club forward,” Greenberg said. “I also want to be clear about our commitment as owners. We believe in the Redblacks. We believe in Ottawa. We believe this city can support a perpetually competitive football club.

“We have invested a great deal in building this organization, and our commitment to this team, this city, and its fans has not wavered. We want to win, and we are committed to doing what it takes to give this club the best opportunity to succeed.”

With only Saturday afternoon’s game in Hamilton between them and the finish line, the 1-16 Redblacks have closed the books on their ticket revenues.

Long gone are the days (1975) when average attendance for Ottawa Rough Riders games at Lansdowne Park was 28,082, the Ottawa Renegades drew 26,898 to their inaugural home opener on June 28, 2002, and the Redblacks regularly played at a sold-out 24,000-seat TD Place in their early years.

This season, an average crowd of 15,167 attended their nine home games, down almost 3,000 (2,969) from 2025.

“The money’s one thing (but) we were never in it for the money. We’ve said that since Day 1,” Greenberg said. “ I didn’t think we’d be losing quite this much money, and we’ve lost a lot of fans over the past five years. But I get it. I understand it. To me, if winning isn’t No. 1 or No. 2 for fan engagement … you need a competitive team, and I don’t blame the fans.

“We’ve been unlucky with the weather at times. It just seemed like everything was conspiring against us, and so we’ve got to get a competitive team.

“The wins will come,” he added. “I do believe at the end of the day, the fans want to see wins. They want to see us in the playoffs. I often remarked that our first five years, with (quarterback) Henry (Burris) as the cornerstone of everything … the first five years were unbelievable. I think it was either 2015 or 2016; we had the same starting offensive line every game. I don’t think we’ve had the same lineup two games in a row or three games in a row (this season). We’ve got 20 guys on the six-game injured list right now.

“I’m not going to say that’s the reason why we lost. It’s one of many reasons, but I want to forget the season as quickly as I can. I’m really hoping that between Mike and whatever we create for next year, we’ll bring victories back. We’ll bring competitiveness back, and the fans will come, and then soon enough we’ll have Lansdowne 2.0, which will be a sparkle on the north side stands.”

Greenberg stressed that he and partners are “competitive guys” who feel the pain of losses.

“You see John Ruddy limping when he’s on the field in the first because he had five surgeries for playing football, and John Pugh played soccer in his younger days,” he said. “I still play hockey, not very well, sadly, but we’re competitive guys. So this really, really, really hurts.”

But it doesn’t sound like they can be accused of any over-meddling.

“As owners we’re interested,” Greenberg said. “I ask a ton of questions, but as I’ve said to each of the general managers and the coaches that we’ve had, the day that I start telling them who to put on the field, what play to call, that’s the day they should be handing in their resignation because it means I’ve lost confidence in them, and like that’s not a good thing.

“(Morreales) is a football guy. What could I possibly tell him? As a football guy, I’m here to support him in everything that he does. We have to reconnect with our fans. We have to reconnect with our sponsors. There’s so much we need to do. And my comment to Mike is, tell me what I can do to help out. That’s our role. I don’t tell him, he tells me.”

Greenberg said OSEG CEO Mark Goudie did a “very thorough job” in hiring Morreales.

“I know that he took his time to get this decision right, based on Mike’s football pedigree, his experience in the CFL, his experience with the CFLPA, his success in building the CBEL (Canadian Basketball Elite League) from the ground up,” Greenberg said.

“We know how much this team means to the people of this city. The Redblacks are about a lot more than just football. The team brings people together, creates shared experiences, and gives this city something to rally around. We see the passion of our fans, and we know how much they want this team to succeed.

“In recent years, we haven’t given them the results they deserve, and we understand their frustration. To those who have continued to stand behind us, I say thank you. We don’t take your support for granted, and we know we have to earn your confidence back. (Hiring Morreale) is an important step forward, but it’s just the beginning. As Mike has just said, there’s much work to do. We have to get the right people and right pieces in place to build a team that can compete and win consistently.

“We owe that to our fans, to our players, and to this city. Our commitment is clear: We want a Redblacks team that Ottawans can be proud of.”