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ALLENTOWN — 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.
"We were really unaware of any negative connotations with the word 'pork chop,'" he said. "If it offended a few, it's a few too many."
Guillermo Lopez, vice president of the Latino Leadership Alliance, said he was called "pork chop" when he worked at Bethlehem Steel decades ago.
"If my parents were alive, they'd be having fits," said Lopez, among those who complained to the team. "It meant much more to them than it does to Puerto Ricans now in the Lehigh Valley."
The online Urban Dictionary, which accepts entries from readers, says Pork Chop is a racist term used to refer to people of Puerto Rican descent.
PorkChop had been submitted by 32 fans. The replacement name, Ferrous — from the Latin word "ferrum," or iron — received the most fan nominations, with 235.
The team moved to Allentown from Ottawa — where it was known as the Lynx — following the 2007 season. Construction is wrapping up on a new stadium in east Allentown.
In March 2006, Major League Soccer renamed its Houston franchise the Dynamo after critics said the first nickname it chose, Houston 1836, was anti-Mexican because it referred to the year Texas gained its independence by defeating Mexico.
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- Groups: Open Minded
- Regions: United States , Puerto Rico , Mexico , Canada , Philadelphia
 | Formerly Pork Chop, the mascot's new name is Ferrous | Top News | Tue Dec 4 | 1 |
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{"commentId":1239412,"authorDomain":"biggerthebetter"}
So will supermarkets and butchers be boycotted and targeted next???
{"commentId":1239412,"threadId":"184671","contentId":"1139695","authorDomain":"biggerthebetter"}
#1 - Tue Dec 4, 2007 12:14 AM EST{"commentId":1239749,"authorDomain":"ironpigs"}
What folks don't know is that the term Pork Chop was and still is used as a racist term in the Allentown and Bethlehem areas for years. Folks would refer to us as pork chops to demean Puerto Ricans, trust me I have been called it. Although the name does fit, it is a term that has unfortunately been tossed around in a negative tone.
{"commentId":1239749,"threadId":"184671","contentId":"1139695","authorDomain":"ironpigs"}
#2 - Tue Dec 4, 2007 5:36 AM EST{"commentId":1240684,"authorDomain":"whackedman"}
Although the name does fit, it is a term that has unfortunately been tossed around in a negative tone.
The best way to eliminate a negative connotation with a word is to associate the word with something positive. What this incident has accomplished is a cementing of the phrase Porkchop as a racial slur. I.e. -- Now everyone knows what to call Puerto Ricans to make them angry.
Way to go Guillermo aka: Porkchop.
{"commentId":1240684,"threadId":"184671","contentId":"1139695","authorDomain":"whackedman"}
- 1 vote
#3 - Tue Dec 4, 2007 12:35 PM EST{"commentId":1240711,"authorDomain":"obsidianspider"}
I have lived in Allentown my whole life and have never heard the term "pork chop" to mean anything derogatory.
{"commentId":1240711,"threadId":"184671","contentId":"1139695","authorDomain":"obsidianspider"}
#4 - Tue Dec 4, 2007 12:48 PM EST{"commentId":1240724,"authorDomain":"obsidianspider"}
I have lived in Allentown my entire life and have never heard the term "pork chop" used as something derogatory.
{"commentId":1240724,"threadId":"184671","contentId":"1139695","authorDomain":"obsidianspider"}
#5 - Tue Dec 4, 2007 12:51 PM EST{"canLink":false,"threadId":"184671","isPrivate":false}
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