The Missoula PaddleHeads, who earlier this offseason made a splash when they announced their new name and logo after two decades as the Missoula Osprey, unveiled their uniform set today. The set, which would debut in what is at the moment a hypothetical 2020 season, includes a classic pinstriped home jersey, a somewhat non-traditional road uniform, a tie-dyed alternate, and two road gray alternates.
“We wanted to make sure we had a strong mix of uniforms,” said the team’s director of marketing and public relations Taylor Rush, who is safely sheltering in place in his home in Missoula. “If you liken it to our logos, we have the moose in the tube that’s a very fun, kind of outlandish logo, and you compare that to the M with the antlers, which is a more typical branding, we wanted our uniforms to reflect that.”
One jersey that jumps out, which Rush said will likely be used primarily as a Sunday alternate, is a tie-dyed alternate that reflects the town’s personality.
“It was one reflection of the lifestyle in Missoula, where people from outside of Missoula say, ‘Oh, it’s a hippie town,'” Rush said. “We don’t mind owning that. We think it’s great.”
The primary road uniform is notable for the fact that the script across the chest is neither the geographic signifier Missoula nor the team name PaddleHeads, but the nickname ZooTown.
“Within the state, Missoula is known well as ZooTown, and even in the region,” Rush said. “It’s something that the community loves and the community stands behind.”
The two gray alternates have a more traditional road jersey feeling about them. Alternate 3, which Rush designed, features a custom font that Rush describes as “new to the brand,” which the team uses in its social media. According to Rush, Alternate 3 might be used as a road alternate or for batting practice.
“Alternate 2 was fun and simple,” Rush said, “but we wanted try to liven it up a little bit more.”
The PaddleHeads are currently scheduled to debut Friday, June 19, when they take on the Idaho Falls Chukars, though it will almost certainly be substantially later than that.
