A Georgia physicians’ group has put up a billboard and written a letter to Macon Bacon urging them to reconsider their name.
The Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine bought a billboard on Interstate 16. It asks fans to “keep bacon off your plate.” They also sent a letter to team president Brandon Raphael, accusing them of promoting processed meat and urging them to consider renaming the collegiate summer league baseball team to something plant-based.
“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,” the letter from nutrition education program manager Anna Herby, DHSc, RD, CDCES read. “I urge you to update the team’s name to Macon Facon Bacon and promote plant-based bacon alternatives, such as Facon Bacon or Mushroom Bacon, that will help your fans stay healthy. As for Kevin, Macon Bacon’s mascot, he can reveal that he is actually plant-based bacon.”
The letter also explains cancer risks that come with eating meat, specifically food items sold at in their concession stands.
“To help fight cancer and cardiovascular disease in your community, you should encourage fans to consume delicious, healthful plant-based foods instead of menu items like 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon, Bacon Wrapped Bacon, Steak Cut Bacon, Bacon Cheeseburger, Bacon Dog, Bacon Loaded Cheese Fries, Bacon Loaded Mac N Cheese, and Bacon Chips,” the letter read, encouraging fans to “set a good example for fans and stop promoting bacon.”
The Macon Bacon responded with a statement of their own.
“While we are disappointed in the disapproval of our branding from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the Macon Bacon do not view ourselves as a glorification of an unhealthy lifestyle; rather, we pride ourselves on being a fun-natured organization focused on bringing families and communities together of Middle Georgia and beyond,” Raphael said.
“We take great pride in the Macon Bacon naming rights (which our fans named), as we get to witness the smiles and laughter from our fan base – who have supported our branding since our inception — that stems from the brand’s lighthearted and playful nature. We are a family-friendly organization and we are extremely grateful for our fans.
“While we certainly offer bacon-based options on our concessions menu, our organization has developed a menu that is full of other dining variations to ensure that our fans have choices as to what they consume while enjoying their time at the ballpark, which includes a plant-based option. That was obviously not mentioned in the group’s complaint.
The Macon Bacon were founded in 2017.
[Fox News]
