Ottawa Gee-Gees
The Ottawa Gee-Gees are the athletic teams that represent the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario. The term Gee-Gee is practically meaningless. Some claim that it describes the university colors, garnet and grey. [1]However, general consensus is that the administration at the university could not be bothered to come up with a legitimate name for such horrible athletic teams.
The Gee-Gees are most known in Canadian college athletics (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) for a perennially weak football team, with many talentless players. Ottawa is usually disregarded by the actual OUA football powers, although this year, they were somehow able to win enough games to make it to the Yates Cup (Ontario Championship). However, it is highly expected that they will lose to the superior Laurier Goldenhawk football team, who travels to Ottawa this week after crushing a pathetic Western Mustang team. One can only hope that the University of Ottawa students do not cry too much after their sorry excuse for a football team is eliminated from contention once again.
Most people have forgotten them for winning the national championship, the Vanier Cup, in 1975 and 2000 and appearing in the championship game in 1970, 1980, and 1997.
The undefeated 1975 National Championship team is widely considered to be the best ever in Canadian college history. No less than 12 players from that legendary team went on to legendary careers in the CFL and the NFL. Those players included Grey Cup Champion and Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee (1997), Rocky DiPietro, 5 time Grey Cup Champion Eric Upton, 3 time Grey Cup Champion Neil Lumsden, Grey Cup Champion Jeff Avery, Grey Cup Champion Doug Falconer, 18 year pro and CFL All Star Miles Gorrell, Billy Harrison, Mike Murphy, Tim Berryman and DT White. The 1975 team was coached by Don Gilbert. Don starred as a defensive back for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1965-67. Don was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.The football Gee Gees practice on campus but play their home games at Frank Clair Stadium at Lansdowne Park. The University of Ottawa's current head football coach is Denis Piche.
The Gee-Gees men's basketball team has been ranked in the CIS Top Ten for most of the 2005-2006 season, sitting 2nd as of January 24, 2006. On January 18, 2006, the Gee Gees recorded their first win against the Carleton Ravens, their cross-town rivals. Previous to their 62-61 win, the Gee Gees had dropped 18 straight games against the Ravens, dating back to 1999. The win also snapped the Ravens 56-game winning streak at home. The Gee-Gees currently sit at 16-1, and are in first place in the OUA East division. The Gee-Gees finished 6th at the 2005 CIS National Basketball Tournament in Halifax.
The Gee-Gees men's competitive club baseball team, who plays in the CIBA (Canadian Interuniversity Baseball Association), are hosting the national championships of 2006. They also lost in the semi-finals of the 2005 national CIBA championships held in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
The women's soccer team is very strong, silver medallists most recently in 2005, 2003, CIS gold in 1996. The women's soccer team is ranked #1 in Canada presently.
The women's Ultimate Frisbee team won the 2006 Canadian University Ultimate Championships in a 7-5 win over McGill. The women went undefeated over three days of play to take home the title.
Trivia: Students at the cross-town rival Carleton University jokingly claim that GG stands for "Giddy-yap Giddy-yap" from the Christmas song "Sleigh Ride."