The Madison Mallards announced today that they are ending a promotional relationship with Chick-fil-A over the chain restaurant’s support of anti-LGBT organizations.
A May 16 Facebook post by the Mallards urged fans to come to the Chick-fil-A East Madison location to “hang out with us.” Details of the promotion are not clear, but the post contained a photo of the Mallards’ mascot at the Chick-fil-A location.
Virtually all of the comments on the post were negative, some threatening to boycott the team’s games this summer.
The team changed course today, posting a comment to that post and a new post that reads, in part, “For nineteen years, the Mallards have prided ourselves on building an experience focused on fun and inclusion while working hard to stay away from the sometimes negative energy that can surround day-to-day life around us. In that spirit, today we are announcing that we are ending our relationship with Chick-fil-A. What was intended as a simple promotion has evolved to associate us with something that we don’t stand for: the support of anti-LGBTQ organizations. Simply put, our corporate values do not align. We made a mistake not realizing the negative impact of our decision and the people this would offend and for that, we sincerely apologize.”
A Mallards representative did not immediately respond to a message seeking further comment.
The company that owns the Mallards, Big Top Entertainment, also owns several other Northwoods League baseball teams across Wisconsin as well as Forward Madison FC and Green Bay Voyageurs soccer teams.
The Mallards begin Northwoods League play at Warner Park on May 28.
