He's a lumberjack and that's ok: REDBLACKS unveil their new mascot

** UPDATE MARCH 31: **

Via @REDBLACKS twitter today:

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".
[
 @OSEG_Corporate
](https://twitter.com/OSEG_Corporate)
has announced that the
[
 #REDBLACKS
](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23REDBLACKS&src=hash)
mascot's official name will be "Big Joe" in English and "Grand Jos" in French."

 * 
".
[
 @OSEG_Corporate
](https://twitter.com/OSEG_Corporate)
a annoncé aujourd'hui que le nom officiel de la mascotte sera « Big Joe » en anglais et « Grand Jos » en français"

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"FYI - new mascot account is
[
 @BigJoeGrandJos
](https://twitter.com/BigJoeGrandJos)
[
 #RNation
](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23RNation&src=hash)
"

Some of Ottawa-Gatineau’s French community complained about the original name, Big Joe Mufferaw.

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** ** UPDATE MARCH 28: ** The mascot will be known as Big Joe Mufferaw.  The REDBLACKS made the announcement early today.  They’ll also produce a series of books for kids in partnership with the family of the late Bernie Bedore, Ottawa Valley storyteller. More info…

UPDATE: Here’s the video that was shown just prior to the mascot’s unveiling today. Starring Jeff Hunt as himself.

  ](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/crop_20118773558.jpg)

The Ottawa REDBLACKS unveiled their new mascot today at a 67’s game. The football club says “The REDBLACKS’ mascot is a tribute to the mighty lumberjacks and log-riders who rode logs from the Upper Valley down the Ottawa River and helped to found our city.”

You can suggest a name for the mascot at OttawaREDBLACKS.com . So far he’s nameless but the early favourite seems to be Big Joe Mufferaw, named after the legendary Ottawa Valley lumberjack immortalized in the Stompin' Tom song .  I bet you’ll be hearing a lot of that song at Lansdowne Park this summer.

Here’s the first photo of the mascot that the REDBLACKS posted to their Twitter feed.  I like it. Plaid shirt and suspenders, a big grin and an even bigger Mulroney chin, a red toque, Popeye arms and wielding an axe. He was also wearing skates at the unveiling, but that’s only because it was at a hockey game. That’s not part of his usual garb. He reminds me of a friendlier version of the Acadia Axemen mascot.

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](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Screen-Shot-2014-02-17-at-3.22.58-PM.png)

At least they didn’t go with this…

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](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Screen-Shot-2014-02-17-at-3.31.49-PM.png)

A couple of other Ottawa organizations have used lumberjacks as a mascot / icon in the past.  The Ottawa Loggers (roller hockey team, 1995-97) had a lumberjack mascot:

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](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1459.gif)

And Flapjack’s, a pancake truck in the Glebe, has a lumberjack in their logo:

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](http://ottawastart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1557495_579116862158841_574853608_a.jpg)

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** ** See also: ** Ottawa Sports Guide

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