Problem with Blocks: Data too long for column 'delta' when inserting active_<em>default</em>_group_ads

Somehow em tags are being inserted around the ad group name default and when Drupal tries to create a Block table entry, the length of the entry for the field delta is too long. It is trying to insert the value

active_(em)default(/em)_group_ads (Where the parens should be substituted with less than and greater than signs to form a valid tag)

When I change the group name from default to deflt, it allowed the entry to be inserted but the Block names all have the em tags in the name