When it comes to the NFL creating a schedule for the San Francisco 49ers, there are only two options: Either one of the most amenable slates in football or a tribute to an ancient slog on foot from 14th century Kamchatka to Yakutsk in the middle of cold, dead winter.
Kyle Shanahan was right when he went off on the NFL’s plan to schedule the 49ers in the season opener…in Australia…telling reporters at the coach’s breakfast this week, “I don’t see any pro.” He added sarcastically that he was “so fired up. That was our goal, to travel 19 hours away to play a game.” Because the 49ers’ Australia game is the first week of the season, there was no option to request a bye like most teams who travel internationally get the courtesy of doing. The 49ers are going to effectively lose a travel day and stuff a group of 52 poor souls who just suffered the equivalent of a high speed car accident on a plane for 15 hours, muscles throbbing, into airline seats. Then, play again roughly seven to 10 days later.
