You’d be hard pressed to find a professional sports organization that’s had to overcome the types of obstacles that the Ottawa BlackJacks have in their first two years. From the “bubble season” of 2020 which saw players and coaches have to quarantine away from their family and friends, to the unknown that was the 2021 season. Playing mostly in front of empty arenas, things haven’t been business as usual when it comes to the CEBL’s newest franchise.
Starting a pro sports franchise is difficult enough in the best of times. That’s to say nothing of the challenges presented by a global pandemic which has now passed the year and a half threshold. As with any sports endeavor, cash is the lifeblood of your franchise. And for associations like minor league baseball, arena football, or the CEBL, game day revenues are the bread and butter of your finances.
Ottawa has now essentially played two full seasons of professional basketball, without the ability to cash in on game day sales, food & beverage revenue, seat licensing, merchandising and the plethora of other avenues that pro sports teams rely on to remain financially solvent. For them to come out the other side feeling like they’ve gained a lasting toehold in the ever fickle Ottawa sports scene is nothing short of remarkable.
Looking around TD Place at the BlackJacks home finale on Wednesday one quickly realized that there was something special going on. The game was a sellout, albeit a sellout by pandemic reduced standards to the maximum of 1000 fans permitted inside the arena. More than that though, was the fact that numerous team officials whom I spoke with who work in the ticketing & sales departments said people couldn’t wait to get their hands on game day tickets, and that next year’s season ticket sales are already looking extremely promising.
The atmosphere, in spite of the limited numbers, was something that a few other pro sports teams in Ottawa could learn a thing or two from. DJ TDot seamlessly weaved current chart toppers, and fan favourites from days gone by throughout the evening to create a party atmosphere all night long. That energy kept die-hards along with casual fans engaged on a night where the BlackJacks didn’t bring their A game on the court. While Ottawa may have gained a reputation for fans heading for the exits early in an attempt to beat traffic, virtually every spectator stayed through the final whistle at TD Place Wednesday.
Outside the venue, Lansdowne was it’s usual hub of activity with patios packed to the gills, and families strolling through the park. The location alone makes going to a BlackJacks game worth it as there are actually things to do once the on court action wraps up. Which is something that Sens fans have complained about for years now with Kanata’s arena in a farmer’s field.
The team also has big plans to engage with local youth basketball associations and have their presence at games become fixtures of BlackJacks home games moving forward. Their digital training sessions during the pandemic were well received by players around the city and the front office hopes to create lasting partnerships at the grassroot levels of the sport.
After the game, head coach Charles Dubé-Brais commented “I think we’re building something really nice here, starting with the City… there’s a much longer plan than just the wins and losses of this year… I think the fans have responded really well with every game selling out”. With the way that the CEBL is structured, there’s likely going to be roster turnover year after year in terms of players donning the BlackJacks uniform. However, what the front office is striving to establish, and largely succeeding thus far, is to create a culture of what it means to be a BlackJacks player and what fans can expect out of a game day experience.
Compared to the early days of the Senators or the RedBlacks, the BlackJacks are off to a flying start having clinched playoff spots in each of the team’s first two seasons. This early success, plus a phenomenal location & strong ownership are the building blocks to creating a lasting product in the Nation’s Capital. Afterall, fans have seen previous iterations of professional basketball in Ottawa before. Unfortunately due to location concerns, and off court issues, past attempts to convert Ottawa into a “basketball town” have largely fallen flat.
But looking across the Canadian landscape as a whole, basketball is a sport on the rise. With basketball registrations at the grassroot levels at all time highs following the Raptors NBA championship, kids are seeing more Canadian talent being drafted into the NBA each year. Coupled with the local success of the Geegees and Ravens basketball teams, one could argue that basketball may only be a few years away from being a similar draw to hockey in Ottawa.
That growth is precisely what the BlackJacks are hoping to capitalize on as they continue to carve out a presence in the Ottawa sports scene.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner