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Lehigh is Long Gone, but the Eagles Will Hold Two Public Practices in August
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The Eagles got rid of remote training camp eight years ago, in a move that was a bummer. Lehigh was fun, sort of like a rite of passage for Birds fans who got to see their favorite players and maybe get an autograph. Maybe Jason Babin would give you his sweaty undershirt and take a picture with your kid.
This year, at least the fans will have some kind of way to see their home town team, via two public practices that will take place at Lincoln Financial Field:
Tickets for the team’s two public Training Camp practices will also go on sale Wednesday, June 2 at 10 AM. The Eagles will host its first public practice of the 2021 season at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, August 8 at 7 PM, with a second public practice scheduled for Sunday, August 22 at 7 PM.
Fans can purchase public practice general admission tickets for $10 by visiting Ticketmaster.com. There will also be an option to purchase a $25 VIP ticket that will provide fans with a special on-field experience at the practices. All ticket proceeds for the public practices will benefit the Eagles Autism Foundation and its mission to fund innovative autism research and programming. Seating at Lincoln Financial Field will be on a first-come, first-served basis. All individuals over the age of 2 will require a ticket for entry. There are no ticket limitations per customer and parking for the public practices will be free.
This the new norm, and it’s good that they are raising money for the Eagles Autism Foundation. Any money that can be allocated for a good cause can never be criticized.
But the thing that leaves a sour taste in your mouth is that, back in 2019, the Eagles were one of just two teams that did not offer a free public training camp session. Lehigh used to be free, and the optics surrounding those sessions were positive. It was a fan-friendly thing that allowed people a chance to see their team up close. Now you’ve got to pay to go down to the stadium and you’ve only got two opportunities to do that.
The worst thing about it was that Don Smolenski gave a somewhat underwhelming explanation for the changes on Cataldi’s show back then, saying that they were limited in what they could with the NovaCare Complex while also talking about a lack of interest in fans going down to the Linc. I know we’re beyond the point of asking professional football players to leave their families and stuff themselves in college dorm rooms in August, but there’s gotta be a way to get fans more involved in 2021, and open up these sessions in a way that at least somewhat resembles what Lehigh (and West Chester) were all about.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com