Ottawa has a new, unwanted piece of football history. With their loss on Friday night, the Ottawa Redblacks extended their losing streak to 15 straight games, making it the longest skid of any team since the modern CFL was founded in 1958.
A Rough Season Gets Rougher
For a city that rallied hard behind the Redblacks during their Grey Cup runs not so long ago, this season has been a tough watch. Fifteen consecutive losses is the kind of number that would make even the most patient fan base start to squirm, and Ottawa's is no exception. But not every supporter is ready to throw in the towel.
The Superfan Keeping the Faith
Among the die-hards still showing up to TD Place is a Redblacks superfan who's become something of a local fixture at games, refusing to let the record-breaking losing streak dampen their spirits. Their outlook is simple: when a team has lost this many in a row, there's nowhere left to go but up. It's the kind of stubborn optimism that Ottawa sports fans know well, having watched the Senators, the RedBlacks, and other local squads ride out plenty of lean years over the decades.
That resilience says a lot about what sports fandom looks like in Ottawa. This isn't a city with an endless bench of professional teams to fall back on when one is struggling — the Redblacks matter to the local sports scene, and TD Place staying loud on a Friday night, even during a historic slide, speaks to how attached this city is to its CFL club.
Why the Streak Matters Beyond the Scoreboard
Breaking a record that's stood since 1958 is no small thing, even when it's not the kind of record anyone wants. The CFL has seen plenty of rebuilding seasons across its franchises, but none has stretched a losing streak this long in the league's modern era. For Ottawa, it puts an uncomfortable spotlight on a franchise that's had its share of ups and downs since the Redblacks were founded in 2014 as the city's return to CFL football after the Renegades folded.
Still, streaks like this one tend to end eventually, and Ottawa fans have seen turnarounds before. The team's coaching staff and front office will be under pressure to find answers before the season wraps, but for now, it's the fans in the stands — including that one superfan determined to stay positive — who are carrying the storyline.
What's Next for the Redblacks
Ottawa will look to snap the streak in its next outing, with eyes across the city on whether the team can finally get back in the win column. Until then, expect TD Place to keep filling up with fans who, like their superfan counterpart, are choosing to believe the only direction left for this Redblacks squad is up.
Source: CBC Ottawa
