Eagles tix: Cheerleader finals, draft party

Once upon a time, Philadelphia sports fans were asked to buy tickets just for games.

Then came carnivals for good causes.

This month alone, two other pay-your-way events are offered by the Eagles: the final cheerleading auditions on April 23, and an NFL draft party on April 26.

Yesterday, only 90 "VIP" tickets remained for the Saturday draft party, according to marketing coordinator Anthony Dagrosa.

For $75, fans get to hobnob with some current and former players, tour Lincoln Financial Field, see the debut of the new cheerleading squad, and watch the first round of the NFL draft, emceed by Dave Spadaro and Merrill Reese, inside a club lounge.

These paying customers will join more than 5,000 other loyalists who were given free tickets on April 1.

Fans can even watch the draft on one of a huge screens that overlook the field, Dagrosa said.

Food and drink, including two beer tickets, are included. For tickets or more information, go to www.philadelphiaeagles.com and under the NFL Draft logo on the right, click on "VIP tickets."

The cheerleaders at the party will have been freshly chosen just three days before, during a night of competition at the Annenberg Center's Irvine Auditorium.

Fans can see the 7 p.m. event live either by buying a $20 ticket and attending (click on "Final Audition Show" on the Eagles home page) or by watching a free webcast on the Eagles site.

Last year's webcast had 30,000 viewers - just during the event, according to cheerleading director Barbara Zaun.

Judges will assess the pom-pom pomp and circumstance, awarding marks for fitness, dancing, beauty and public speaking.

Talk about pressure: Every year, each veteran has to take on newcomers to earn a spot, Zaun explained.

Tickets are sold for about 700 of the auditorium's 1,000 or so seats, making this the fourth finals held before a paid crowd, she said.

On March 15, nearly 300 women auditioned at Lincoln Financial Field, with 100 moving on to the semifinals, where they competed with 24 members of last year's squad.

Sixty made it to the April 23 finals, including all 24 returnees.

Since 38 spots are up for grabs, at least 14 newcomers are bound to make the team, Zaun said.

Having a crowd is partly to reward the squad's "dedicated fan base," but also to test the auditioners.

"If they can't perform in front of 1,000 people, they can't perform in front of 67,00-plus that we have at Eagles games," she said.

Making the squad changes a woman's life, Zaun said.

In early May, it's off to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for the annual Eagles calendar shoot.

The off-season schedule includes training camp, corporate events and the annual carnival.

Ticket aren't available yet for the carnival, because no date has been set, Dagrosa said. It's likely to be in late August.

Dates for training camp are also yet to be determined, he said.