Arena Football, Anyone?

Congrats to MHS alum Chris Jackson, now playing for the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. As a gesture of thanks for Morrisville's support of the Soul's 13-3 season, the Soul is handing out free tickets to all township residents who show up Tuesday, July 1, from 4-7 p.m. at Williamson Park for "Chris Jackson Day."

Soul Morrisville Playoff Promotion Gain National Attention

PHILADELPHIA, June 27 -- The Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League is offering free tickets for its July 5 playoff game to all 10,096 residents of the team's star wide receiver's hometown in a holiday weekend promotion that CNBC has suggested might be the "best ever."

Star player Chris Jackson, a candidate for the Arena League Offensive Player of the Year, grew up in Morrisville, a Bucks County town just outside of Philadelphia, before heading to the west coast and developing into an elite athlete who is now on the verge of the league's all-time receiving records. The Soul, owned in part by rock star Jon Bon Jovi, acquired Jackson in free agency before the 2008 season, bringing him home and filling a talent need on the field.

As a gesture of thanks for the town's support of the Soul's 13-3 season, the Soul is handing out free tickets to all township residents who show up Tuesday, July 1, from 4-7 p.m. at Williamson Park for "Chris Jackson Day."

It is unusual for such large numbers of tickets to be available for the team that leads the league in attendance, but the Wachovia Center game landed on Saturday, July 5, at 7 p.m. That date and time has been locked in because of live television commitments and it is smack in the middle of the Independence Day weekend, when thousands of Soul fans will be on pre-arranged holiday at the Jersey Shore, planning to watch the game on ESPN.

"We're a close-knit, sports-oriented town. People have been wearing Chris Jackson jerseys all season, so this is great for us," said Morrisville Borough Council President Nancy Sherlock. "Here in Morrisville, we know who our neighbors are and we support them. We're thrilled to count Chris Jackson and his family as our own."

CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell's Friday blog headline reads: AFL's Philadelphia Soul: Offering the Best Sports Promotion Ever? with Rovell commenting, "How crazy is that? Talk about a cheering section."

"We just don't do things halfway," said team General Manager Rich Lisk. "So, the Philadelphia Soul is all in for Morrisville, in honor of Chris Jackson."

By virtue of its successful regular season, the Soul is the first seed in the playoffs with the July 5 opponent to be determined during this weekend's games. If the team wins July 5, it hosts the National Conference Championship Game the following weekend. The Arena Bowl is scheduled for July 29 in New Orleans.