After six years of having their logo virtually the same, featuring “Boudreaux the Nutria”, the New Orleans Zephyrs of the Pacific Coast League have significantly altered their appearance.
The Zephyrs are calling the primary logo the “Fleur de Z” and features the word Zephyrs and a “stylized” baseball bat.
Boudreaux is still the mascot, well loved throughout the community and by its fans ,according to Jessica De Oro, the Zephyrs’ director of promotions and merchandise.
“He’s well-loved, and we don’t want people to get upset, because we’ll never get rid of him, but at the same time, he doesn’t travel well. A lot of people in other cities don’t know what a nutria is, and we wanted something that will immediately let everyone know that we’re from New Orleans.”
It seems like just a logo change but it symbolizes the heart and soul of New Orleans. The Fleur de Lis has become a symbol of strength and pride in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
“[The logo] signifies that we’re committed to New Orleans and proud to represent the area,” said De Oro. “Katrina might have slowed us down, but we’re still here and still going strong.”
De Oro has stated that the Zephyrs’ navy blue will remain as the team’s primary color, but a metallic silver tone is going to replace the green in the old logo.
“New Orleans is known for its opulence, with Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, to name a few, and we felt silver was an appropriate representation of that”.
The new logo, developed by Ohio-based Rickabaugh Graphics, will be implemented slowly but surely over the next few months.
Devon Teeple is an author for the Business of Sports Network, which includes the Biz of Baseball, the Biz of Football, the Biz of Basketball and the Biz of Hockey. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies.
Devon is a former student within Sports Management Worldwide’s Baseball General Manager Class. Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective and is a intern with The Football Outsiders and contributor with the Plymouth River Eels.
Currently, Devon is a Branch Manager at a financial institution in Southern Ontario Canada. He can be reached at devon@thegmsperspective.com or devon@businessofsportsnetwork.com
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