New Edmonton Elks owner says classic 'EE' logo to drive the team's branding
CBC
In their 75th anniversary season, the Edmonton Elks have shifted from community to private ownership.
The new owner, heavy-construction magnate Larry Thompson, was introduced at Commonwealth Stadium on Thursday.
What isn't clear are Thompson's plans for the team name or if the club will remain at the 56,400 seat stadium.
Rumours have circulated that Thompson is keen on changing the team's name back to "Eskimos". The CFL franchise adopted the Elks name in 2021.
"I don't think that's a question for today," Thompson said when asked about the team's brand.
"Today, I just want to be a fun, celebrative day for everybody, the fans, the city of Edmonton, the Elks club.
"I will be focusing in the future on 'Double E' more."
CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said the team's strongest brand is the Double-E logo, no matter what the name of the team. It was changed after pressure from sponsors and Indigenous groups.
It came at a time when Cleveland's Major League Baseball franchise and Washington's National Football League team dropped their long-standing racially charged names.
"First and foremost, the brand I feel the most strongly about, and I think I speak for the alumni too, is the Double E," Ambrosie said. "I think the Double E is a big part of Larry's plan going forward. So I think largely that's what will be the identity of this organization. Frankly, I'm very comfortable with that.
"Have we talked about it? We did, as part of getting to know one another, and the one thing Larry and I were very quick to agree on, we didn't disagree on anything, we agreed that the 'Double E' is the brand that matters the most."
Interest in the team has steadily dropped even before COVID-19 shut down the 2020 CFL season.
The team closed the upper bowl of Commonwealth this season, but even with that, the lower bowl is often more than half empty. It's a long way from the 1970s and '80s, when a football ticket was a hot item. The team has won 14 Grey Cups, including five straight from 1978 to 1982.
Thompson is a longtime first-row season-ticket holder. He said he attended his first CFL game back in 1972.
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