A rough season, but not a hopeless one
Ottawa has had a tough go of it on the field this year, and Redblacks fans in the stands at TD Place have felt every bit of it. But according to Jim Popp, whose track record across the CFL is built on turning struggling franchises around, the picture isn't as bleak as the standings suggest.
Popp's reputation precedes him. Over a long career as a builder and manager in Canadian football, he's earned a name for identifying what's fixable and what isn't, and for making the moves that actually move the needle. When someone with that kind of resume says a team's issues are correctable, it's worth paying attention, especially if you've been an Ottawa fan riding out a losing streak.
What 'not as ugly as it looks' actually means
The suggestion from Popp is that the Redblacks' record doesn't tell the whole story. Teams can lose close games, get hit by injuries at the wrong moments, or simply be a few plays away from a very different record. For a franchise like Ottawa, which has had its share of ups and downs since joining the CFL in 2014, that distinction matters. It's the difference between a rebuild that takes years and a team that's closer to contention than the scoreboard suggests.
For Redblacks supporters, that's the kind of statement that offers a bit of hope heading into the stretch run. Nobody wants to hear that the losses are just bad luck when they're paying for tickets and jerseys, but coming from someone with Popp's background, it carries more weight than the usual coach-speak.
Why this matters for Ottawa
The Redblacks are one of the city's most visible sports franchises, and TD Place at Lansdowne Park is a fixture of Ottawa's summer and fall sports scene. When the team struggles, it's felt across the city, from bar crowds on game day to local sports radio. A credible voice suggesting the team can turn things around gives Ottawa fans something to hold onto, especially with the CFL playoff picture still very much in motion.
Ottawa's football history has had its share of rebuilding stretches, and fans here know patience is often part of the deal. But there's a difference between patience for a team that's fundamentally broken and patience for a team that's genuinely close, and that's the case Popp appears to be making.
What comes next
Whether the Redblacks can actually deliver on that belief will play out over the rest of the season. For now, Ottawa fans have a reason, however cautious, to keep watching closely rather than tuning out. If Popp's read on the team proves right, the turnaround could start showing up in the win column sooner than the current standings suggest.
Source: Ottawa Citizen
