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Poll: Should Macon Bacon baseball change their name? If so, what should it be?

The Macon Bacon play at historic Luther Williams Field, located in Carolyn Crayton Park east of downtown Macon.
The Macon Bacon play at historic Luther Williams Field, located in Carolyn Crayton Park east of downtown Macon.

Are the Macon Bacon getting fried out?

Macon’s collegiate baseball team is currently under fire for its name, which according to a Washington D.C. -based physician, is bad for fans’ health.

This comes straight from a letter written to Macon Bacon’s president, Brandon Raphael.

In the letter, a nonprofit organization called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said: “Macon Bacon’s glorification of bacon, a processed meat that raises the risk of colorectal cancer and other diseases, sends the wrong message.”

The Macon Bacon originally got its name from fan voting in 2017. There were over 1,500 suggestions, some of which included Macon Heat, Macon Hits, Macon Noise and Macon Soul, but Macon Bacon got the most attention and votes among fans.

Anna Herby, nutrition education program manager at the committee, wrote the letter to Raphael encouraging him to open back up the voting to allow fans another chance at suggesting a team name. Her suggestion was “Macon Facon Bacon,” in honor of a vegetarian option.

The committee even went so far as to post a billboard in Macon that said: “Macon: Keep Bacon Off Your Plate.”

A nonprofit Committee urged the president of Macon Bacon baseball team to change its name. They also posted this image on a billboard in Macon.
A nonprofit Committee urged the president of Macon Bacon baseball team to change its name. They also posted this image on a billboard in Macon.

However, Raphael made a statement about the team name, allowing fans to breathe.

“Macon Bacon will be sizzling forever and will not consider a name change, ever,” he said. “Everybody loves the name, and we do, too.”

Surrounded by cheering fans, Raphael shut down any rumors of a name change and said: “Bacon is forever.”

Want do you think?

If your answer was yes, write your team name suggestion below. Here are a few ideas:

  • Soul
  • Hits
  • Peaches
  • Eggs
  • Braves
  • Noise

This story was originally published June 30, 2023 at 10:50 AM.

Chelsea Madden
The Telegraph
Chelsea is a service journalism reporter who began working for McClatchy in 2022. She was born and raised in Middle Georgia and lives in Forsyth. She attended Wesleyan College for undergrad and a few years after that, went to SCAD for an MFA in writing. Outside of work, Chelsea likes to watch Netflix, read books in the thriller genre and chase her toddler around.
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