Last weekend the Alliance of American Football kicked off their inaugural season. For our local team, the San Antonio Commanders made a splash on the national stage with their 15-6 victory over the San Diego Fleet. Although it wasn’t a particularly high scoring game for the Commanders, their defense shined bright.
One particular Commanders defender made a bone-crushing sack on San Diego Fleet Quarterback Mike Bercovici. The sack was made by the 6-4 and 239 linebackers Shaan Washington. The former Texas A&M Aggie’s play took social media by storm, comments were made from former and current NFL players celebrities alike.
While the play was exhilarating and just pure fun to watch, the city’s reaction and support were far more than what anyone could’ve predicted. Despite the grim, wet, and cloudy weather, fans showed up to tailgate and show their support for the team. Over 27,000 were in attendance at the Alamodome for the nationally televised game.
Many feared this would turn out to be another USFL disaster. Many players from the former San Antonio team the “Gunslingers” were failed to be paid as checks bounced and no answers were given. The support at the time was underwhelming.
The NFL teams like the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans have major support from San Antonio as do other teams. With the fight for San Antonio as an NFL city dying, the Commanders have found a home here with the AAF. The excitement from this one game and team proves how much San Antonio is a football City.
This Sunday, the Commanders will face off against the Orlando Apollos. The Apollos kicked off their season with a big 40-6 win against the Memphis Express. The high powered Apollos offense will face the intense defense of the newly fan nick-named “Sack Antonio Commanders” in a matchup to get the league and fans alike talking.
Considering how many showed up last week to the Commanders game, expect an even bigger crowd at the Alamodome this Sunday. The game starts at 3pm and will be broadcasted on the CBS SportsNetwork.