IronPigs Mascot Deemed Offensive To Portuguese

Wiggity wham wham wazzle! The stuffed pig above is not an example of suicide food but is the new mascot of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (note the lack of a space), the new minor league affiliate of the Phillies.

He was all slated to be named Pork Chop — or possibly PorkChop — until a little offensiveness got in the way. Apparently, Pork Chop is a slur against Latinos. Enrico of The 700 Level says it’s on Urban Dictionary, so it passes the “If it’s on the Internet, it must be true” test.

Urban Dictionary, though, says it’s a term of endearment for Portuguese. Nonetheless, Portugal withdrew its ambassador to the IronPigs and the name had to be changed to Ferrous, which is from the Latin for non-offensive. (The Jewish Exponent had already rejected its other mascot choice, Orthodox Hamster. And don’t even ask how they feel about a pig mascot.)

The leader of the Latino Leadership Alliance, though, called in to complain and said he was called “pork chop” when he worked at Bethlehem Steel. “If my parents were alive, they’d be having fits,” he told the Associated Press “It meant much more to them than it does to Puerto Ricans now in the Lehigh Valley.”

The mascot will be backed by his sidekick, Creepy Camouflaged Farmer.

Don’t Call The Fat, Furry Pig ‘PorkChop!’ [The 700 Level]