Ottawa literally kicked off the holiday weekend Friday -- for the first time in six years the city enjoyed a Canadian Football League game. Ottawa's new team, the Renegades, took on the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a contest reminiscent of the glory days of Ottawa football.

The history of gridiron gladiators in the nation's capital dates back to 1876, when the city's team was called the Ottawa Football Club, a name changed to the Ottawa Rough Riders 12 years later.

Former CFL star Tony Golab, 83, was thrilled to see football return to the capital, after being absent for more than half a decade.

"I am just so pleased ... Ottawa fans are the best fans I ever met," says Golab.

In the 1940's, there was no bigger star in Ottawa than the speedy fullback war hero dubbed the "Golden Boy."

Golab is part of Ottawa's football legacy -- a legacy that was derailed in recent years, much to the chagrin of fans in the city.

The old Rough Riders franchise was plagued by money and morale problems, as well as a string of owners. The Renegades were born following a name-the-team contest when one of those owners refused to give up the Rough Riders moniker.

It was a fresh start for a football tradition that's only 10 years younger than Canada itself.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Football League is hoping a reinvigorated Ottawa franchise will spur a return to the game's roots across the country.

Gone are the days of U.S. expansion and big ticket players like Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, an American star signed to the Toronto Argonauts in the early 90s who ultimately fizzled north of the border.

Friday's game, which Ottawa lost 30-27, was a reminder of a simpler time in CFL history. And the fact that the Renegades played their first game against the league's remaining Rough Riders team wasn't lost on fans, who hope the contest will kick off a new era in football on fields from Vancouver to Montreal.