How the 49ers, NFL made ‘seamless’ travel plan to Australia
“As the 49ers and the NFL collaborated over the past four months to move their football operation nearly 8,000 miles from the Bay Area to Melbourne, a unique challenge emerged of ensuring no California soil hitched a ride into one of the most isolated, ecologically guarded nations on the planet. Australia enforces some of the strictest biosecurity measures in the world. Introducing any sort of invasive species, insects or plant disease could lead to ecological and/or economic disaster, per the Australian government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. And while the cleaning process didn’t need to be over the top — the goal was to eliminate any large clumps of dirt or grass — it added a layer of consideration as the Niners prepared for departure….In this unchartered operational territory, some of the obstacles that 49ers and NFL officials pointed to include visa and passport acquisition; finding a plane big enough to carry the team comfortably; figuring out how to get through customs and security at the Melbourne airport; ensuring the practice facilities, hotel and stadiums were properly set up for an NFL team; and then how to break it all down and get back to California.
The preparation started back in March, Valentine said, when the NFL asked the Rams and 49ers to send any items they would want but didn’t immediately need for Week 1 to a cargo ship in New York. That cargo ship also carried an additional 60,000 pounds of equipment from the league, including goal posts, Gatorade products and coolers, field equipment (chains, pylons, etc.), practice site equipment and medical gear.
The ship departed on April 15 and arrived a little more than two weeks ago. And lest anyone believe Australia didn’t take its biosecurity efforts seriously, customs agents denied San Francisco’s supply of protein powder from entering the country.”
Will Nick Bosa, George Kittle have Week 1 pitch counts? 49ers mailbag (paywall)
“Yes. Somehow Samuel, one of the most recognizable names in the sport, has flown under the radar this summer. Unlike most of his receiver and running back teammates, he didn’t miss any practices after signing with the team. And he’s looked good when he’s been out there.
I’m not saying he’s back to looking like 2021-season Deebo. But 2023-season Deebo seems reasonable. The 49ers also have not been shy about giving him carries and talking about using him as a running back. So not only is Deebo back — wideback is back….I expect we’ll be talking about pass rush/defensive ends as the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaches. The 49ers will have a lot more five-man fronts and call more blitzes than in previous years. So their pass-rush and sack numbers might look good at a glance. But will it be anything more than a clever comb-over to disguise a bald spot? Keep an eye on points allowed per game, which last year was a respectable 21.8 despite all the missing players and lowly sack numbers.”
Why 49ers rookie De’Zhaun Stribling refuses to see himself as a star: ‘I’m just a man’ (paywall)
“When he came in, he was very businesslike,” said George McDonald, the Ole Miss wide receiver coach at the time. “He knew what he wanted to accomplish.”
Aisha realized he was all grown up by then, a far cry from the 5-foot-nothing high school freshman who loved to surf and play kendama, a Japanese skill toy that was all the rage at Hawaii recesses during the mid-2010s. Stribling curbed the surfing habit for obvious reasons. He still owns a few kendamas…
…Some players like the attention success brings. Stribling, his mom attested, would rather avoid it. He never wanted to be a role model or leader in the “rah-rah” mold. If his example was worth following, then fine.
“He doesn’t want to have to mouthpiece it to say, ‘This is who I am,’” Aisha said.
An athlete’s why can be revealing. Aisha never asked him what his was. “I always just assumed,” she said. “I don’t like the assumption I have. I just assumed it was that he wants to make his family proud.” What’s wrong with that? “I always tell him I’m proud of him,” she answered. “I’m proud of you. ‘Haven’t done anything yet.’ I’m proud of you. ‘Haven’t done anything yet.’”
There’s a Hawaiian pidgin term for a person of Portuguese descent: podagee. Locally, it’s often an endearing way of identifying someone who talks a lot. Stribling seems more soft-spoken, unless he is with those who know him well enough to know he is a podagee, too.”
How wife Jenna, life at home make 49ers star Brock Purdy a better quarterback
“It allows me to be a better quarterback and everything because I understand, I am loved,” Purdy told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I have an amazing wife, an amazing daughter, and a second baby on the way, and everything is OK.
“And now I get to go and play free and play hard for them, and it’s been better.”
The Purdys, who make their offseason home in the Nashville area, still prioritize going for walks and grocery shopping as a family.
“We love and crave those things,” Purdy said.”
49ers release first official depth chart
“During the preseason, Collins played like a player who is still nursing an injury. He wasn’t forceful. He didn’t initiate things. He was too reactionary, and he often leaned on the player blocking him instead of trying to dictate the action or disengage. That’s something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Because Gracen Halton was supposed to be the pass rush specialist. If he’s not going to play right away after missing all of this time, then it puts more pressure on the rest of the defensive line — or Keion White when he kicks inside — to produce.
The defensive line rotation is anyone’s guess if Sam Okuayinonu is out or if Romello Height can’t play.
Malik Mustapha returning to practice is a great sign. He’s the player with the highest ceiling, perhaps in the entire secondary.”
BONUS: Magpie swooping: Inside the Australian bird’s annual reign of terror
“Streets and parks become a battleground, as the birds – descending from above and attacking from behind – swoop down on anything they fear poses a threat to their offspring.
High up in their nests, they rule over their kingdom with an iron claw, while on the ground, humans dust off their protective hats – traditionally a plastic ice-cream container – and duck for cover.
At times drawing blood, their ambushes can cause serious injuries, and in a handful of cases, death.
…But they also say magpies can interpret simple gestures like running through their territory as a slight, and not only can they recognise individual faces – they tend to hold a grudge.
“Let’s say you’ve shown some kind of response by waving your arms or trying to hit the bird away from you,” says animal behaviourist and Emeritus Professor Gisela Kaplan, who literally wrote the book on magpies.
“That act is a declaration of open war. A magpie interprets that as a sign of aggression and will then always swoop that person from then on, every year.
“[And] somebody of a similar build, a similar height and hair colour may get mistaken in their fury, or anxiety.”
…But if all else fails, beg for mercy. Although authorities usually warn against feeding wild birds, Prof Kaplan suggests leaving a peace offering like a little bit of bread or meat to win the magpies’ favour.
“You can make friends with magpies… they tend to be very diplomatic,” she says.”
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