Baseball Mascot Gets New Name After 'PorkChop' Is Deemed Offensive

FoxNews.com ^ | 12/3/2007 | AP

[weef]

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Two days after naming its mascot "PorkChop," the Philadelphia Phillies' new Triple-A affiliate abruptly dropped the moniker after receiving complaints from Hispanics that it was offensive.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, whose mascot is a large, furry pig, had selected PorkChop from more than 7,300 fan submissions. The team, which begins play in 2008, announced Monday that the mascot will be named "Ferrous" instead.

General Manager Kurt Landes said he heard from several Hispanics who said PorkChop was derogatory.

[visualops]

When I lived in Charleston (SC) I printed name tags for 2 black bank security guards and the names were “Ham” and “Poke Chop” lol

[Caipirabob]

Still, I can’t figure out why Pork Chop is offensive.

In Connecticut in the late 70's-early 80's "pork chop" was a what they called the Portuguese who lived there. Never met any myself. If the girls I dated or their families spoke another language it was usually Spanish.

Interesting on reflecting that I would come to love speaking Portuguese and Spanish so much I use it every day now.

[Old Professer]

“Tater salad?”

[visualops]

Well, Guillermo, I find the big chip on your shoulder really offensive!

[Caipirabob]

Sorry, I should point out that this was the Trumbull/Bridgeport line.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

My two cents on this P.C. nonsense!: Dear Mr. Landes,
You give baseball a bad name, not your mascot. How can you justify running from someone who said he was called porkchop where he used to work? You are pathetic! Grow a set of balls! You’re P.C. panties are showing!

Not a fan!

[HeadOn]

Sent to General Manager, Kurt Landes:

“From your website:

“...the name was promplty changed when it was brought to the attention of team officials that the initial name could potentially be offensive to members of the community.”

Please. What a bunch of hooey. The offended people are too busy out looking to be offended to come to your ball games anyway. Pork Chop was a good name. PC is ruining this country, and the English language.”

[gimme1ibertee]

Absolutely RIDICULOUS....
About as bad as the family about to lose their beloved German Shepherd because he attacked an ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT who worked for a landscaping company. See article (video) on FOXNews.com. The story really ticked me off.

[gimme1ibertee]

He deserves the day off,don’tcha think? :)

[NRA2BFree]

Two days after naming its mascot "PorkChop," the Philadelphia Phillies' new Triple-A affiliate abruptly dropped the moniker after receiving complaints from Hispanics that it was offensive.

LOL! I guessed that one wrong. When I saw the headlines, I was sure that CAIR was crying again. How, pray tell, does "porkchop" offend Mexicans? The ACLU and liberal judges have created a nation of whiners and wimps.

[gimme1ibertee]

LOLOL!!! Now THAT’S a winner!!

[NRA2BFree]

To Guillermo Lopez - Get a life, Pork Chop!

He would like "fatass" better? LOL!

[NRA2BFree]

Do I have to change my screen name?

Yeah, you racist. LOL

[Proverbs 3-5]

From Seinfeld:
The Maid

INT. MONK'S RESTAURANT - DAY

George and Jerry sit at their usual booth.

GEORGE: Well, Jerry, I been thinkin'. I've gotten as far as I can go with George Costanza.

JERRY: Is this the suicide talk or the nickname talk?

GEORGE: The nickname. George. What is that? It's nothing. It's got no snap, no zip. I need a nickname that makes people light up.

JERRY: You mean like...Liza!

GEORGE: But I was thinking...T-bone.

JERRY: But there's no "t" in your name. What about G-bone?

GEORGE: There's no G-bone.

JERRY: There's a g-spot.

GEORGE: That's a myth.

George takes a bite of his sandwich and gets a piece stuck to his chin.

JERRY: T-bone, the ladies are gonna love ya.



EXT. KRUGER'S OFFICE BUILDING - DAY - ESTABLISHING

KRUGER: Let's order lunch.

INT. MEETING ROOM - DAY

Everyone is gathered around a large conference table.

KRUGER: Mary, I will have a chef's salad.

MALE WORKER: Turkey sandwich.

GEORGE: T-bone steak.

KRUGER: For lunch?

GEORGE: Well, I am just a T-bone kinda guy. Love that T-bone. In fact, you might as well call me--

WATKINS: That sounds good. I'll have one, too.

KRUGER: Watkins, you're havin' a T-bone?

WATKINS: I love 'em.

KRUGER: Well, then we should call you T-bone.

GEORGE: Uh, no. No, we shouldn't.

KRUGER: T-bone!

ALL (chanting): T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone! T-bone!



JERRY: Hey, T-bone!

GEORGE: No. No T-bone.

JERRY: No T-bone?

KRAMER (from bathroom): Hey, is that T-bone?!

JERRY: No! There's no T-bone!

KRAMER: Well, why no T-bone?!

JERRY: Why no T-bone?

GEORGE: 'Cause Neil Watkins from accounting is T-bone!

EXT. KRUGER'S OFFICE BUILDING - DAY - ESTABLISHING

GEORGE: Excuse me. Can I talk to you for a second there, Watkins?

INT. KRUGER'S OFFICE BUILDING - DAY

George and Watkins stand just outside the conference room talking.

WATKINS: It's T-bone.

GEORGE: The thing is...I'm supposed to be T-bone.

WATKINS: Heh heh. You're not a T-bone. You're a perfect George.

GEORGE: What? Now, you listen to me!

Kruger and a few other people watch George through the window of the conference room door.

KRUGER: Hey, look at George. He's givin' it to T-bone. He's jumpin' up and down like some kind of monkey. Hey, what was the name of that monkey that could read sign language?

WATKINS: All right, you can have T-bone. Stop crying.

GEORGE (sniffling): I'm not crying. And I shouldn't have said that about your wife. Please accept my apologies.

Watkins and George enter the conference room.

GEORGE: Ok, everybody, uh...I have an announcement to make. From now on, I will be known as-

KRUGER: Koko the monkey.

GEORGE: What?

ALL (chanting): Koko! Koko! Koko! Koko! Koko! Koko! Koko! Koko! Koko! Koko!



INT. MEETING ROOM - NIGHT

Everyone is gathered again around the conference table. George is standing introducing the newest employee.

GEORGE: This is our new Vice-president of Acquisitions, sir.

KRUGER: So you're just hiring new people now? That's your job, to hire people?

GEORGE: Yes?

KRUGER: Ok, good enough for me, Koko.

George sits down.

KRUGER: Ahem. Now, what's your name?

COCO: My name is Coco. Coco Higgins.

GEORGE: Coco?

KRUGER: We can't have 2 Cocos. So I guess you're back to being George.

GEORGE: Well, it was a hell of a ride.

KRUGER: All right, the Grace building. There's a big stain on the front. How do we get it off?

COCO: When I was a little girl in Jamaica, my Gammy taught me to take a wet rag and in a circ--

GEORGE: Ah, excuse me, Vice-president Coco, no one cares about your Gammy.

COCO: What did you say about my Gammy?

GEORGE: Forget Gammy.

KRUGER: Who's Gammy?

GEORGE: There's no Gammy.

KRUGER: Maybe there should be a Gammy.

GEORGE: Oh, no.

KRUGER: George.

ALL (chanting): Gammy! Gammy! Gammy! Gammy! Gammy! Gammy! Gammy!

GEORGE: Gammy's gettin' upset!

[AngelesCrestHighway]

I guess “fatass Mexican” is out.

[the OlLine Rebel]

IronPigs? Oh, I get it - pig iron!

Talk about offensive! As a player!

As for this mascot thing - I expected this was a problem for Moslems. Guess there aren’t many around, because they’d be complaining about the official team name, much less mascot.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

“I expected this was a problem for Moslems. Guess there aren’t many around, because they’d be complaining about the official”.....give it time, there will be now.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Actually, I think that’s good. Finally some academic panache to popular culture. :D

[tophat9000]

I have live in Hispanic neighborhoods most all my life and never heard this one... is this some east coast thing?

Call the mascot "Carnitas"

[the OlLine Rebel]

‘Guillermo Lopez, vice president of the Latino Leadership Alliance, said he was called “pork chop” when he worked at Bethlehem Steel decades ago.’

I was called - frequently, and derogatorily - “troll” when I was in middle school.

I am now offended by all the FReepers who use that horrid term when labeling certain kinds of posters.