Baseball Team Wants to Put a Fan’s Dad Bod on T-shirt Giveaway

By Joseph Myers

Yes, the dad bod has become synonymous with fatherhood, and its accompanying extra pounds and loss of muscle tone have made the topic a comedic goldmine. The Madison Mallards are looking to make it a marketing masterpiece, too, as the summer collegiate baseball team is overseeing a dad bod contest, through which the winner will have his physique added to a T-shirt giveaway that all fans will receive for a promotional night.

https://twitter.com/MadisonMallards/status/1103364749591482370

Since we love said top (dubbed a “shirsey”) and have our own fair share of dad bods around the office thanks to our affinity for pizza, the Promo Marketing team finds this idea absolutely brilliant. We now have to give kudos to the Northwoods League team not only for helping young players with diamond-based glory on their minds to gain valuable experience, but also for commending dads who, well, might have come to find donuts as irresistible as their significant others.

Through March 15, the Wisconsin-based team is accepting front and back images of fathers who are proud of their dad bod prowess, with the Northwoods League, which is celebrating its 25th year, noting on the Mallards’ webpage that bodies “big or small” can enter the contest. Proving that it can pay not to be a gym rat or health nut, the victor will receive tickets to the Mallards’ Father’s Day tilt, have the honor of tossing out the first pitch, see his mug presented on the video board and be the subject of a public address announcement.

While most folks might not have heard of the Northwoods League, it is actually a reputable collection of teams that fields 21 clubs in the U.S. and one in Canada. It has also given MLB a nice stream of players, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, and while all of that is all well and good, the attention that this promotion will draw could very well outshine the feats of all of those players. OK, that might be a bit hyperbolic, but we cannot hide our bias over how humorous and on-point we find this concept.

We would like to thank the Madison Mallards for unleashing this promotion on the world. Not only have they taught us a new word (come on, how many of you had known what a “mallard” is? You can’t “duck” our judgment if you’re lying), but they have also put us on notice, as we have only four days left to hit up buffets, shun general fitness practices and bask in the joys of slovenliness. This should be fun! For those who are looking to join us in making the masses find us revolting, visit this link to enter. We dare you to challenge us.