CORNWALL, Ontario – A former city resident who was once part of the ownership group of an Ottawa basketball franchise that has found itself in hot water over its new name and logo is no longer affiliated with the team.
Denis Sabourin, an Ecole secondaire la Citadelle graduate, issued a statement via Facebook where he explained that he and the team parted ways weeks ago.
In an e-mail exchange with Seaway News he explained his reasoning.
“I stepped away from the team because the ownership group did not have the same business attitude and ethical standards that I believe in,” said Sabourin. “I officially stepped away from the team in January.”
The team announced on Tuesday that it had decided on the moniker “Tomahawks” and a logo that featured a basketball with wings.
An outcry followed from critics and aboriginal groups that suggested the new name was offensive and the team quickly said it would change it.
“I was very disappointed in their choice of name and logo,” said Sabourin. “I believe that they should have gotten a proper brand consultant or company after I left. They should have also considered one of the repeated name suggestions by the fans. There was over 500 suggestions given from the ‘name the team’ campaign.”
Sabourin owns an advertising agency (Xactly Design & Advertising) in Ottawa. It’s through that venture that Sabourin became involved with the National Basketball League franchise.
He was initially approached for advertising and promotion with the team, but decided to invest as an owner, too.
Sabourin said he would like to get back into sports ownership in the future.
