Eli Manning -- Lacrosse Star?!
CNBC Sports Business Reporter
Say you're the National Lacrosse League, you get 8,000 fans a night and you're looking for more people to sample your product. You can't just tell people it's free: The way society works, no one will want to go.
So you have to qualify it, make it seem very inclusive -- to make people feel special as if they are earning it.
That's exactly what the NLL's New York Titans are doing next Thursday. Any fan who shows up in an Eli Manning jersey or is named Eli gets a free ticket to the team's home opener.
Fans must show a valid ID that says their name is either "Eli," "Elisha" or "Elijah." Now that's inclusive.
In fact, if you look at the chart, the name Eli is as popular as it has been in at least 15 years.
According to the Social Security Administration, the name Eli was the 139th most popular male name in the United States in 2006. (We assume this has nothing to do with Eli Manning).
Popularity of Eli:
| Birth Year | Rank |
| 2006 | 139 |
| 2005 | 152 |
| 2004 | 160 |
| 2003 | 191 |
| 2002 | 197 |
| 2001 | 214 |
I guess if there's a problem with this, it's not exactly encouraging the young ladies to get involved in the NLL. If they wanted to do that they should have honored his brother Peyton as well. Peyton was the 138th most popular girl's name in 2006.
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