Minor-league team plans fake Te'o girlfriend bobblehead night
A minor-league baseball team is seizing the opportunity to capitalize on the Manti Te'o hoax with an attention-grabbing promotion.
The Florence (Ky.) Freedom, an independent team, announced Thursday that it is planning a Manto Te'o Girlfriend Bobblehead Day on May 23.
Only there's no bobblehead. An empty box will be given to the first 1,000 fans entering the park that would hold the bobblehead of the Notre Dame linebacker's imaginary girlfriend.
The Freedom isn't stopping there. The team will have a pretend kiss cam for fans to kiss their imaginary friends, and stage an imaginary food fight in the kids' area and an air guitar contest. And one section in the 3,100-seat ballpark will be reserved for fans to sit with their imaginary friends, girlfriends, boyfriends or spouses.
"There's not a lot to do to get attention in January," Freedom general manager Josh Anderson said. "You have to find some way to get the buzz."
The Freedom obviously is hoping for a boost in attendance. Last season, the team averaged about 2,000 fans per game.
Anderson said the ballclub isn't worried about offending anyone after the the story broke Wednesday that Teo's' girlfriend was not a real person and that Notre Dame said he was a victim of an online hoax.
"This will be the best kind of bobblehead a fan could get," Anderson said. "Fans can make the bobblehead out to be whatever they want it to be."
