‘No Choice!’ Commanders’ Antonio Gibson Reacts to Fans’ Change

With new owners in place the Washington Commanders fan base is reaching new levels of excitement for the new season and running back Antonio Gibson has taken notice.

ASHBURN, Va. - The Washington Commanders are looking forward to the season under new quarterback Sam Howell and with new assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy joining the staff.

But the Commanders roster is growingly increasingly aware of another reason to get excited for the year to come, and if you're reading this you're likely part of that.

"You have no choice but to notice it," Washington running back Antonio Gibson said when asked about the fan reaction to the team's ownership change. "The crazy memes, the comments...Hopefully, that change is how they come out and support us."

Over the weekend, veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen joined receiver Terry McLaurin at the team's pep rally in FedEx Field and told the crowd in attendance he'd been waiting his whole career to see the fans as excited as they currently are. 

What the Commanders players have been seeing to this point may only be the beginning, however, as a team source told Commander Country that as many as 10,000 tickets have been issued for this Saturday's training camp practice. 

Dubbed 'Back Together Weekend' by the NFL the entire league will be celebrating every team in full swing of their season preparations, but for Washington, there seems to be even more reason to celebrate a new sense of unity. 

New majority owner Josh Harris has shared several memories in his first week from his childhood and walking into historic RFK Stadium to watch his beloved burgundy and gold play on Sundays past. 

Oftentimes, those games resulted in wins, and because of it, the fans developed a taste for being proud football fans. A flavor they hope to experience again soon. 

Harris' 'man of the people' persona has resonated so far with the fans, and the roster is having a hard time not feeling the buzz - not that they'd want to.

With more Commanders fans than ever under the new name expected in Ashburn for training camp this year, that sense of pride and community should only grow from here. 

And if Washington gets back to winning the sights at FedEx Field won't bring back memories of RFK, but the sounds and wins happening within it just might.

Find David Harrison on the Locked On Commanders podcast or text him directly at (202) 760-2188.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Washington Commanders? Click Here.

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Want even more Washington Commanders news? Check out the SI.com team page here