Physicians committee calls for Macon Bacon to change name
"Fans voted on the name in 2018, so Macon Bacon is our name, and that's the way it's going to stay."
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Macon Bacon are under scrutiny from The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine for glorifying bacon, and wants the team to change its name.
Along Highway I-16, the committee placed a billboard urging Macon Bacon fans to “keep bacon off your plate” as a part of an initiative to combat cancer. In addition to the billboard, the committee sent a letter to the Bacon’s president, urging them to change their name and discontinue the promotion of an unhealthy lifestyle.
“Well, first I thought it was a joke because, you know, we always get kind of crazy fan mail here, which is a lot of fun,” said Bacon President Brandon Raphael. “But as I started realizing that this was more of a serious tone, I really sat down and had a chance to read it and collect my thoughts a little bit about what this was about.”
Once President Raphael collected those thoughts, he knew only one course of action should be pursued.
“Fans voted on the name in 2018, so Macon Bacon is our name, and that’s the way it’s going to stay,” said Raphael.
The Bacon provide a wide selection of game-day classics, including several menu items that feature bacon. However, they also cater to vegan and vegetarian fans by providing plant-based options. Beyond the food and any perceived promotion of an unhealthy lifestyle, the Bacon are primarily focused on offering the community a source of entertainment.
“That’s really what it’s about. We’re here for baseball. We’re here for entertainment. We’re here for families. And there’s nothing better to promote that than something for folks to do in the evening time or for the summer,” said Raphael.
Despite the complaints from the physicians committee, the Bacon have recently garnered significant national attention, with the majority of the feedback being overwhelmingly positive.
“What we’ve heard is support. We’ve heard all these people saying thank you for not changing your name. Thank you for doing this. Merchandise orders from all over the country, which is not the reason why we did it,” said Raphael. “We just wanted to make it known that we’re not interested in changing our name for anybody because we are the Macon Bacon, and we are the team of the community here.”
