"We’re going to keep it" - MiLB team St. Paul Saints defend 'Ozempig' mascot name despite criticism over weight loss drug association

The St. Paul Saints, the MiLB affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, have faced criticism recently due to the renaming of their team mascot, a pig now known as "Ozempig." This name was a play on the name of Ozempic, which is a weight loss drug.

People online were quick to call out the name, as they felt it demeaning to those struggling with their weight. NBA reports that the team's release of the name Ozempig came with a story of the pig's weight gain and how it vowed to change its lifestyle after a doctor's visit amid heart concerns. This only exacerbated the issue for many.

The name was selected after it received nearly 2,300 votes in an online poll by The Star Tribune (on startribune.com). There were other contenders in the poll, such as "Sloppenheimer," "Porky Blinders," and "Malibu Lardie."

Saints vice president and media relations director Sean Aronson gave a statement addressing the online backlash:

“In today’s world, people don’t want to be diminished, they don’t want to be made to feel a certain way and I’m not going to tell them how they feel is wrong. But I can tell you there was no ill-intent, there was no maliciousness, there was never even a discussion in the room when we were going over the name that hey, this may offend some people.”

He also mentioned that they would not be changing the name:

“We knew how we originally came up with the name and we’re good with it but we did discuss it and decided we’re going to keep it."

Role of the St. Paul Saints' mascot throughout the season

The St. Paul Saints' mascot plays a fairly active role over the season, bringing balls to the umpires, affectionately known as a "ballpig." According to NBC, due to the pig's continuous growth over the year, the Twins' affiliate replaces the mascot with another pig midseason.

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Some previous names for the team's mascot include:

• Porknight
• Paisley Pork
• Alternative Fats
• Slumhog Millionaire
• Notorious P.I.G.
• Piggy Smalls
• Boarack Ohama
• Garrison Squealer
• Kevin Bacon

For those wondering what happens to the pig at the end of their tenure as mascot, it seems the ballpigs go into retirement rather than be slaughtered.