- 7 weeks ago
Ann Killion, who covers the 49ers for the San Francisco Chronicle and is live from Australia for 49ers-Rams, joins Willard and Dibs to share her experience in Melbourne and to preview the game.
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00:00Some of us had to get up earlier than others. Some of us have to cover a football game that's
00:04happening at 1030 in the morning, right?
00:07Not us some of us have a four-year-old daughter with a bead in her ear
00:12Well, I was just trying to build up some compassion for Ann Killian right now, not you
00:16Oh, no, my heart goes out to Ann Killian. Free trip to Australia
00:19To like watch football, but those expense reports can be a bear. You got to figure out where to log
00:24in
00:25At this point, and the Chronicle's not what the Chronicle once was. I mean, she's there
00:29The Vegemite not be covered. Well, let's find out. River Island's guest line
00:33The great Ann Killian, San Francisco Chronicle, is on the scene. Hello, Ann
00:40Good day, May. How are you? Oh, good day
00:43So good. How does it look? Paint the picture. What are you looking at right now?
00:49Well, I'm looking out at a park that surrounds the beautiful Melbourne Cricket
00:54grounds. I sent you a picture of the inside of the stadium, which is just wild
00:59There's this little tiny rectangle in the middle of a giant circle
01:03And, you know, the sight lines are going to be worse than they are at Levi's, which is saying something
01:08So, yeah, it's going to be interesting. The fans are super far away from the action
01:15But anyway, the sun has just come up. The trams are full. People are pouring in
01:21I would say 49er fans seem to be in the majority
01:25But there are a lot of Ram fans
01:27And then there's a whole bunch of
01:28I'm going to represent the Bengals today
01:31fans, like all sorts of different jerseys
01:34That's kind of random
01:35I just wonder about like the overall saturation effect
01:39and of the NFL
01:40into Melbourne
01:42Is it one of those things where
01:44they've been all about the NFL for a long time
01:47or are they still kind of mostly newbies?
01:50I think they're mostly newbies
01:52A lot of people I've talked to say they don't understand the rules
01:55Which is turnabout's fair play
01:57I cannot figure out what the rules are in AFL
01:59So, but I do think, you know, the Rams have cultivated this market supposedly
02:07They've had the international marketing rights since 22
02:11Seattle also has them
02:12Now yesterday, I went to a Seattle pub
02:15with the great Vic Taffer
02:17trying to watch the game
02:18It was packed
02:19I could not get in
02:22And they seem like legit Seahawks fans
02:26with Aussie accents
02:27Like they had the jerseys
02:29They had the 12s going
02:30So, I think Seattle's done a good job of marketing
02:34You know, but I think it's a novelty
02:36I was down here for the 2000 Olympics
02:40That's my only other trip to Australia
02:42And what really hit me then was
02:44was what a fabulous sports country this is
02:48They just love sports
02:49So, they're super happy to adopt our sport
02:54maybe for the weekend
02:55I don't think for long term, though
02:57Ann Killian is with us here
02:59on Willard Dems 95-7 The Game
03:00She's inside the stadium right now
03:02The game about three hours away
03:04Almost exactly
03:05So, Ann, I think to the point you're talking about
03:08I was curious for your perspective
03:10on something like this
03:12This is a lot
03:13My gosh, what it takes
03:15to move two football teams
03:17across the world
03:18for this one Netflix experience
03:20I know the locals are loving it
03:22but just the view from 10,000 feet
03:25Is this a good idea?
03:27No, it's insane
03:29I mean, it's really insane
03:31And, you know, I mean
03:32the one thing football coaches want to do
03:34is control all the controllables
03:36and there's not a lot of control
03:37in this situation
03:38And I think, you know, the 40
03:40And, you know, I wrote a column earlier this week
03:43but sleep scientists around the world
03:45are rejoicing over this
03:47like real-life experiment
03:48to see how this plays out
03:50because, you know, the 49ers
03:52really did try to control
03:53as much as they could
03:55by coming here a week early
03:56really trying to adjust
03:58trying to make it feel
04:00sort of normal for their players
04:02The Rams have taken
04:03the exact opposite strategy
04:05and while they may think
04:07trying to stay on
04:09California time
04:09makes it feel normal
04:11I would kind of argue with that
04:13just because
04:14you know, after you get off that plane
04:16no matter if
04:17even if you've slept well
04:19it's just you've been on a plane
04:20for 16 hours
04:21you end up with that weird brain fog
04:24because, you know
04:26even though the time
04:27might be kind of close to home
04:29it's still a whole different day
04:30and you're aware of that
04:32and you're trying to talk
04:32to your family
04:33and like I saw Matt
04:35a little bit of Matt Stafford's
04:36press conference last night
04:38and he had that
04:38little brain fog look
04:40in his eye
04:40I gotta say
04:41so it's gonna be really interesting
04:43to see how it plays out
04:45but to your bigger point
04:46no, I think it's kind of ridiculous
04:48it kind of speaks to
04:50how the NFL treats their players
04:52in many ways
04:53and, you know, you saw what happened
04:55yesterday
04:55at Lumen Stadium
04:57when the starting quarterback
04:59goes down hard
05:00on an artificial surface
05:02that was grass
05:03six weeks ago
05:04for the World Cup
05:05and they tore it out
05:06and put in
05:06the hard fake stuff
05:08like, I just feel like
05:10NFL players
05:12are not the top priority
05:13for the NFL
05:15nor have they ever been
05:16and I do think that last night
05:17Ann was a great
05:18stark example
05:19of exactly what you're describing
05:21based on what we saw
05:22in the World Cup
05:23but to that point
05:24like the facilities there
05:26you talked about
05:26the grandstands
05:28being super far away
05:29from the field
05:29but beyond that
05:30it looks to be
05:32a pretty awesome
05:33epic grass field
05:36Yeah, I think the field
05:37is going to be really good
05:38I think
05:39I think
05:40you know, I think
05:41the teams have been
05:42well, I mean
05:43I can't speak for the Rams
05:44because they're spending
05:4528 hours here
05:46but the 49ers
05:48have raved about
05:48you know, the way
05:49they've been treated
05:50their facilities
05:51their ability
05:52to get all their work in
05:54you know, and it's funny
05:55because the 49ers
05:57I mean, we
05:58I mean, you know
05:59the Rams fans
06:00don't even fill up so far
06:01so we can't really
06:02expect them to fill up
06:03a 8,000 mile away
06:06100,000 feet stadium
06:08but the 49ers
06:10beyond just their
06:11you know, that they have
06:12a big traveling fan base
06:13have really leaned into this
06:15and kind of
06:17you know, the media
06:19the Australian media
06:20has been just soaking
06:21it all up
06:22and asking them
06:22their funny questions
06:23have you ever done a
06:24a shoeie
06:25whatever the hell that is
06:26or all these
06:27you know
06:28and so
06:29the 49ers
06:30have been creating
06:31content for a full week
06:32and I think
06:33that, you know
06:34Australians are really
06:35fun-loving people
06:37who like it
06:38when you like their country
06:39and
06:40and, you know
06:41so they're really
06:41leaning into that
06:42so I kind of feel like
06:43the 49ers
06:46have won the
06:48week
06:48that doesn't mean
06:49they'll win the game
06:50though
06:51Do you want to tell
06:52everybody what a
06:52shoeie is, Anne?
06:55I think it's where
06:56you celebrate by drinking
06:57out of your
06:58your shoe
06:59Yeah
06:59that's what
07:00our producer
07:02Mark Grandy says
07:03it's pouring a beer
07:04into a shoe
07:04and then drinking it
07:06Yeah
07:07and I think rugby guys
07:08I used to be married
07:09to a rugby guy
07:09so rugby guys
07:10do that a lot
07:11yeah
07:12they drink out of anything
07:13let's be honest
07:14Wait, has a shoeie
07:15ever happened in your kitchen?
07:18No
07:19No, but at parties
07:20I've been at
07:21Okay
07:22No, I'll take it
07:24Oh, that's amazing
07:24Okay
07:25I mean, of all the
07:26athletes like
07:26the rugby player
07:28to do the shoeie
07:28that seems to me
07:30to be pretty extreme
07:34You don't know
07:34your rugby players
07:35I think
07:35Yeah, I mean
07:36I feel like
07:37George Kittle
07:37would totally do a shoeie
07:38but anyway
07:39Anne Killian
07:40is with us
07:41By the way
07:42to that point
07:42that you're bringing up
07:43like
07:43which Niner player
07:45or players
07:46have you seen
07:47really dive in
07:48like really kind of
07:50soak it in
07:50and become the media
07:51darlings out there
07:54Well, I think
07:55Kittle
07:55just his mindset
07:56is Australian
07:57like he's a perfect
07:58Australian
07:58but you know
08:00Warner came into
08:01his press conference
08:01and said good day
08:02and gave us
08:04a little tutorial
08:05on how to pronounce
08:06Melbourne
08:06and not Melbourne
08:09and you know
08:10the one who's
08:11really kind of
08:12surprised me
08:12because he was
08:13the one guy
08:13who did not
08:14want to come on
08:14this at all
08:15has been Kyle
08:16he's just been
08:17light and funny
08:18and seems like
08:20he's really
08:21enjoying himself
08:21now maybe that's
08:22because not only
08:23was he dreading
08:24it anyway
08:26but then he had
08:27broken ribs
08:27and a concussion
08:28and you know
08:29nobody wants to
08:30get on a 16 hour
08:30flight feeling like
08:31that and so
08:32once he survived
08:33all that
08:33and got here
08:34and you know
08:35was able to kind
08:36of keep things
08:36under his control
08:37I think he's
08:38really kind of
08:38leaned in a little
08:40bit and he seems
08:41like he's been
08:41having kind of fun
08:42we'll see what
08:43happens today though
08:44right do you feel
08:45like they feel
08:46confident in terms
08:47of their assimilation
08:48that they got there
08:49a week plus
08:50in advance
08:51do they feel like
08:52that they're
08:53in the right space
08:54as far as their
08:55schedule goes
08:57I think they feel
08:58very much that
08:58they made the right
08:59choice
08:59I mean I think
09:00that that's
09:01come out clear
09:02and they're careful
09:02not to diss the Rams
09:04but I think
09:05that just
09:06because you do
09:07you know you
09:08you wake up
09:09in the middle
09:10of the night
09:10at like one o'clock
09:11in the morning
09:11your eyes are wide
09:12awake and you're
09:13like oh I'm not
09:13going back to sleep
09:14and it doesn't
09:14matter if
09:15you know the
09:16time is appropriate
09:17to to what
09:20it is at home
09:21you know it just
09:21it doesn't matter
09:22it's still you
09:23haven't slept
09:24enough it's super
09:25weird and it
09:26creates like I
09:27said like this
09:28brain fog now
09:29the Rams will
09:30have you know
09:30all NFL players
09:32are going to have
09:33all this adrenaline
09:33and be all
09:34amped up
09:35and you know
09:36like that's
09:37going to get
09:37them through
09:38but but
09:39but I do
09:40think just
09:41from a strategy
09:43standpoint I
09:43think the 49ers
09:44strategy made
09:46way more sense
09:47but you know
09:48the Rams are
09:49probably the more
09:50talented team
09:50so does talent
09:51outweigh strategy
09:52yeah I would
09:53say that possibly
09:55that that's true
09:56yeah I look at
09:57the final score
09:58tonight and I
09:58don't think we're
09:59going to have
09:59some sort of
10:00perfect final answer
10:01on the travel
10:01plans that we've
10:02all discussed
10:03but what
10:03what about
10:04this and I
10:05know that the
10:06two somewhat
10:08significant injuries
10:09have happened
10:10since the 49ers
10:11arrived in Sam
10:12O and and
10:13Alfred Collins
10:14the defensive line
10:15is thin on the
10:16other hand if
10:17you go back to
10:18earlier this summer
10:19the idea that
10:20Bosa and Kittle
10:20would both be off
10:22of the injury
10:22report on this
10:24night I think
10:25that's an upset
10:25in a good way
10:26so do the
10:2749ers consider
10:28themselves healthy
10:29right now or
10:30not
10:32I don't think
10:33so I mean I
10:34think they would
10:35say that but I
10:35don't I don't
10:36think they do
10:36because of the
10:37lack of depth
10:39on the defensive
10:40line and I
10:40think you know
10:41I don't care
10:42what they say
10:42you don't want
10:43Bosa on a
10:44heavy snap count
10:45so and I
10:47think you know
10:48I know fans
10:49and boosters
10:51are really thrilled
10:52about Kittle
10:52and Bosa being
10:53off the
10:55injury report
10:56I am very
10:57leery of it
10:58and I've
10:59seen you know
11:00people who
11:00rush back from
11:01injuries get
11:02hurt right away
11:02because they're
11:03overcompensating
11:04with something
11:05else and I'm
11:07not sure that I
11:07fully trust the
11:0849ers medical
11:11staff which you
11:12know just nothing
11:14against them but
11:14there's anecdotal
11:15evidence that you
11:17know things can be
11:17questionable so you
11:19know I think I
11:21think there's things
11:21to be leery of
11:22going into this
11:23game and it's
11:25another reason that
11:26I think they were
11:26smart to get here
11:28and have a week
11:29because from the
11:31sleep scientists I
11:32talked to they say
11:33that you know
11:34traumatic injuries
11:35can happen more
11:36often after long
11:37flights just because
11:38the body's not ready
11:40so you know I think
11:41the Rams have to be
11:42kind of concerned
11:42about that because
11:43they did just get
11:44off a plane you
11:45know not that long
11:46ago but yeah I
11:48mean I I don't
11:49know you know it's
11:50the first game of
11:51the season would
11:52you ever go into
11:54the first game of
11:55the season saying
11:56yeah the 49ers
11:56look completely
11:57healthy I mean
11:58that's just not
11:58the way they
11:59roll so I yeah
12:02I would I would I
12:04just I just don't
12:05want to see Kittle
12:06and Bosa taking
12:06heavy snap loads I
12:07mean I just think
12:08it's it's that's
12:09that's a dangerous
12:10recipe it feels like
12:12the Niners are going
12:12to rely on a lot of
12:13rookies and young
12:14players to step up
12:16and do things in
12:16this game tonight is
12:17there any one rookie
12:18that you're going to
12:19have your eye on
12:20thinking that they
12:21might be the one to
12:22have the most impact
12:23tonight
12:25well obviously
12:26everyone's looking
12:27at struggling I
12:27mean just considering
12:29you know how weird
12:30the receiver room
12:31has been over the
12:32last couple years
12:33with both through
12:35weirdness and injury
12:37and everything and
12:38so I think everyone's
12:39very eager for there
12:40to be a receiver of
12:43the future you know
12:44I mean obviously Mike
12:45Evans is here but you
12:46know to see a draft
12:48pick turn into
12:49something so that's
12:52be the one guy but
12:53don't ask me about
12:54football Dan come
12:55on I'm in Australia
12:57I'm having experience
12:58yeah this is this is
13:00a columnist on a trip
13:02to Australia Dan
13:03she's been covering
13:04the league Mark and
13:05and for a very very
13:07long time I want
13:08X's and I want O's
13:10Killian and I want
13:11them now
13:13yes I haven't
13:14been covering the
13:14league for a long
13:14time but not yeah
13:17so so yeah not like
13:20how much are they
13:20going to play the
13:21nickel tonight
13:21I mean what are we
13:23doing
13:26what is your takeaway
13:27from the the
13:28experience the one
13:29you've had
13:32well I mean I think
13:33it's great I mean I
13:34I love you know
13:35international travel
13:37I was not originally
13:38supposed to come on
13:39this trip and and I
13:40was in Hawaii on a
13:42vacation and you know
13:44had to go Maui
13:45Honolulu Honolulu
13:46Sydney Sydney Melbourne
13:48I'm going to go back
13:49I'm going to go to
13:50Sydney tomorrow and
13:51and spend one night
13:52because it was much
13:53cheaper to fly out of
13:53Sydney but I think
13:56the experience is fun
13:58I think I think it's
13:59kind of cool that the
14:01NFL you know wants to
14:02embrace it I mean
14:03let's face it they want
14:04to sell jerseys
14:06worldwide and from
14:07judging from here
14:08they're doing a good
14:09job of that but like
14:11we said at the
14:11beginning I mean I
14:12don't I don't think
14:13the NFL is going to
14:14make any inroads I
14:15don't think you
14:16could have a game a
14:17year here I mean I
14:18just think it's insane
14:19it's too too much of
14:20it a big ask but I
14:22mean it's a cool
14:23experience for sure
14:26you know this is a
14:27this is a great
14:28country I would
14:29recommend everyone
14:29come to Brisbane if I
14:31mean to Melbourne if
14:32they can because it's
14:34a very beautiful city
14:36you know it's a great
14:37travel log for the
14:38city of Melbourne but
14:40as an NFL site it's
14:42weird let's face it
14:43you know let's load
14:44two planes full of
14:45giant human beings
14:47and ask them to go be
14:49elite on the other
14:50side of the world it's
14:51a weird concept
14:52what's the best meal you
14:54had there
14:57we had a meal of
15:00Asian fusion at a
15:01place called Coda
15:02that was fantastic
15:05um and uh had a little
15:08french food last night
15:09with Matt Barrows and
15:10my call my new
15:12colleague Harrison
15:12Rich and uh and then
15:15let's see we have
15:17another a place called
15:18Chin Chin I think we
15:19have a reservation at
15:20tonight but yeah the
15:21food's pretty good it's
15:22very there's some very
15:24nice restaurants here
15:25I've always heard go to
15:27Australia for the Asian
15:28fusion I've always heard
15:29that oh it's good a bit
15:31there's a huge Asian
15:32community in all of
15:34Australia but definitely
15:35here in Melbourne
15:36um and thank you so
15:38much enjoy your morning
15:42yeah it is a weird time
15:44to be covering an NFL
15:45game I'll tell you that
15:46yeah it's 749 in the
15:48morning there right now
15:50it is our our media
15:52shuttle bus left at 630
15:55wow the sun was not up
15:57oh my goodness and it's
16:00and don't and let's not
16:00forget it's it's winter
16:02here like it's cold oh
16:04yeah what's the weather
16:04report what's the what's
16:05the weather report for the
16:06game here oh well I it's
16:08a little cloudy right now
16:09but the sun's coming up and
16:10I think it's supposed to be
16:11about a high of 61 so it's
16:13kind of like March um but I
16:17I had a hard time because I
16:18was I had to pack for two
16:20seasons uh when I went on
16:22my vacation to Hawaii so I
16:24sent my Hawaii clothes home
16:26with my partner and and but I
16:29didn't pack well enough like
16:31it's it's a little chillier
16:33than I expected okay it's
16:34about 101 here in San
16:36Francisco today so uh go
16:38ahead and enjoy the briskness
16:40what the heck is up with
16:42that yeah no it's an oven in
16:44it is burning here and it's
16:47unbelievable that is crazy
16:50yeah that is crazy I want to
16:52get back to the nice fog but
16:54it'll by the time I get home on
16:56some sometime on Sunday maybe
16:58the fog will be back it fog
16:59back tomorrow so by the time
17:00you get here it'll all be
17:02fine and good for you and
17:04okay good and thank you thank
17:06you so much we appreciate it
17:09all right enjoy the game guys
17:10you too and Killian