A Georgia summer collegiate baseball team has been asked to change its official name from the Macon Bacon to something less offensive to non-meat eaters and those who subscribe to plant-based diets. Nevertheless, the Georgia residents who attend Macon Bacon baseball games love their pork products and do not want to remove ties to almost everyone’s favorite part of the pig – the bacon.
In a move to get the Macon Bacon to change their baseball team name to something less offensive to vegans and vegetarians, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine wrote a letter to the baseball team urging them to consider an official name change. According to a report published by WMAZ-TV, the physician’s group has also taken a more public approach by buying space on a billboard imploring fans of Macon Bacon to “keep bacon off your plate” as processed meats raise a person’s risk of developing some forms of cancer.
Anna Herby, who works as the group’s nutrition education program manager, wrote the letter to the baseball team’s president, informing them that they needed to change their name to something that does not promote eating meat products that put people at risk of developing some types of dangerous cancers.
“Macon Bacon’s glorification of bacon, a processed meat that raises the risk of colorectal cancer and other diseases, sends the wrong message to fans,” Anna Herby wrote in the letter.
The Macon Bacon is a relatively new team for Georgia fans. The team first played in the Coastal Plains League back in 2018 after fans voted to pick the name Bacon for the team. The team also has a mascot named Kevin, who actor Kevin Bacon found delightful enough to pose for a photo on Instagram with a Macon Bacon baseball hat on his head.
The Physicians Committee, which is based in Washington State, wants Macon Bacon to change its official name to Macon Facon Bacon, which refers to the “plant-based option” available in some grocery stores.
Meanwhile, Team President Brandon Raphael said the Macon Bacon fans love the “lighthearted and playful nature” of the team name. He also confirmed that the Macon Bacon ballpark sells “a plant-based option” for fans who don’t want to eat processed meat.
“The Macon Bacon do not view ourselves as a glorification of an unhealthy lifestyle,” Raphael’s statement said. “Rather, we pride ourselves on being a fun-natured organization focused on bringing families and communities together of Middle Georgia and beyond.”
Pork is one of the most popular foods among baseball fans all over the nation. According to an estimate from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC), major league baseball fans consume about 19.1 million hot dogs and about five million sausages every season.
However, processed meat like bacon and hot dogs are thought to increase a person’s risk of colon cancer and other health problems.
