Not everyone is excited about the NFL’s historic Australian fixture later this year – and San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan is top of the list.
The 49ers mentor was quizzed about the opening game of their season, in which they will play rivals the Los Angeles Rams in a first-ever regular season clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in September.
And he didn’t hold back, making it very clear that he was less than enthused about the prospect of kicking off his season with a trip to Australia – and the 20-hour flights and logistical nightmares that come with it.
“I don’t see any pro. It’s cool for the league to play globally. I think that’s awesome. But as far as the team doing it, no, there’s not much benefit to it,” Shanahan said on Monday in the US.
“Sometimes it’s nice to get a bye week after but doesn’t happen in Week 1.”
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When asked about his reaction to the news that his team was going to be involved in the landmark clash on Australian soil, Shanahan gave a response dripping with sarcasm.
“I was so fired up.” he said.
“That was our goal to go 19 hours away to play a game.
“We’re going back in time or into the future. We either gain a day or lose a day, I can’t remember which.
“…We’ll deal with it. And I think there’s (nine) international games. We’ve got two of them, so we’re fired up about that.”
The fixture, which will take place at the MCG on September 11 (AEST), will kick off at 10.35am to accommodate the US TV audiences.
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