  Initial data for evolving black-hole binaries can be constructed via many
techniques, and can represent a wide range of physical scenarios. However,
because of the way that different schemes parameterize the physical aspects of
a configuration, it is not alway clear what a given set of initial data
actually represents. This is especially important for quasiequilibrium data
constructed using the conformal thin-sandwich approach. Most initial-data
studies have focused on identifying data sets that represent binaries in
quasi-circular orbits. In this paper, we consider initial-data sets
representing equal-mass black holes binaries in eccentric orbits. We will show
that effective-potential techniques can be used to calibrate initial data for
black-hole binaries in eccentric orbits. We will also examine several different
approaches, including post-Newtonian diagnostics, for measuring the
eccentricity of an orbit. Finally, we propose the use of the ``Komar-mass
difference'' as a useful, invariant means of parameterizing the eccentricity of
relativistic orbits.
