The Ottawa RedBlacks haven’t even taken to the field yet but already the team has had to tackle some opposition.
The name of the team’s new mascot was abruptly changed Monday to avoid offending some Francophone fans.
The mascot was Big Joe Mufferaw, an anglicised version of Joseph Montferrand who was a French Canadian folk hero.
Now, the team announced the name will just be “Big Joe” or “Grand Joe” in French.
A spokesperson for the team told CTV News they want to unify the fan base and not divide it.
