Before Jonathan Allen became one of the Washington Commanders leaders and star defensive tackles, he spent his high school years living in Ashburn, Virginia, where the Commanders are headquartered. So, he understood the magnitude of the team being sold this week to Josh Harris.
On Friday, Allen and some of his teammates joined in the festivities celebrating the sale that rid the team of Dan Snyder with some of its fans. Usually reserved, Allen expressed his gratitude to Commanders fans for helping usher in the change of ownership.
“I’m a big believer of if you do not like an owner, or you don’t like a product, you don’t support it,” Allen told David Aldridge of The Athletic. “Now, it hurt me as a player, because I want you to support it. But, nothing speaks louder than money. And the fans spoke with their money, and by their lack of support. And, kudos to them. Now that we’ve moved on to a new regime, and things are starting to go on the up-and-up, you can just feel that excitement to really come back to support us.”
Allen is entering his seventh year with the Commanders. The first six have been dreadful from a team perspective. He was used to playing and winning championships in front of enormous crowds at the University of Alabama.
The type of energy the Crimson Tide faithful brought on Saturday and around the SEC trumped what a typical Sunday at FedEx Field has been for Allen. Still, he has pushed through with his leadership and play despite the distractions for the Commanders presented by its owner, Dan Snyder.
Allen is a two-time Pro Bowler and earned himself a four-year, $72 million contract extension. Still, the energy of the team’s fan base has not been warranted until the sale this week.
“I’ve waited seven years to see the fan base like this,” Allen boasted on Friday at the Commanders pep rally.
Fans of the team have waited even longer. Since its last Super Bowl title during the 1991 season, the enthusiasm has dimmed a great deal, especially after Snyder purchased the team in 1999.
Last season, Washington ranked last in the NFL in home attendance, a year after being second-to-last. The fans showed they had enough of the Snyder regime and all the heartache that followed during his nearly 24 years of ownership.
Allen acknowledged he remembered when the Commanders drafted Robert Griffin III in 2012 and how boosted the fans were then. Those moments were seldom after that. The franchise became the laughingstock of the NFL.
The last three years have been the worst. Sexual harassment allegations, money woes, and constant negative headlines seemingly outnumbered the wins. Time for a change was never more needed. The Commanders fans turning away its money and support, ultimately helped the league realize it needed to rid itself of Snyder.
Now Harris and his investors’ group, which includes NBA legend Magic Johnson, hope has been restored in the region.
“As a fan, if you want change, that’s how you do it. And they did it,” Allen added to Aldridge.
Hopefully, now, Allen and his teammates can focus on their efforts on the field instead of worrying about the shenanigans of the organization off the field.
