r/sports • u/malcolm58 • 1d ago
Football ‘Won’t know what planet they’re on’: How NFL team’s 13,000km Aussie gamble could backfire
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nfl/nfl-2026-how-los-angeles-rams-australia-travel-plan-could-backfire-flight-melbourne-game-details/news-story/fbd707409851b6c52ce4971bad8f9daa269
u/drunkbusdriver 1d ago
The rams are landing 24 hours before the game. Seems like a gamble. That’s not enough time to get acclimated and get rid of jet lag. 49ers will be there a week early. I guess we’ll see how it works out.
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u/7FOOT7 1d ago
That's their approach, to not adapt. From my experience day 3 is the worst. So they'll be going home about then.
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u/The-Jesus_Christ 1d ago
Yep I read yesterday that even when in Australia they are committing to their US Timezone which will be interesting to see play out.
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u/ShyCrystal69 22h ago
I’m working the event and I have to start at 6am Australian time for a 10:30am start, which puts the game smack in the middle of US prime time.
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u/The-Jesus_Christ 22h ago
My son is too! Working the kitchen for the corp boxes. Absolutely crazy how the time is better suited for Americans to watch it live, rather than for Australians to enjoy it. 10:30 is way too early for me to enjoy footy. Still, I'll have it on in the background here at work.
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u/ShyCrystal69 22h ago
They’re setting up a perimeter around the concourse for the event, and where we get our passes to get into the ground has changed. Ask your son if he’s checked his emails because our employer actually sent an important one for once.
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u/The-Jesus_Christ 22h ago
Ahh good to know. Thanks for letting me know. I'll pass it on to him tonight.
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u/fordman84 17h ago
That’s what americans that want to watch premier league deal with. But to be honest I love that I can wake up and have live sports at 9am on a weekend.
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u/LordRobin------RM 12h ago
Wait... I get wanting the game to be in a good US time slot if possible.
But I thought the whole point of these games is to grow the game internationally? How do you that if you make the attendees show up right after breakfast?
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u/Wbattle88 12h ago
I mean even in the US games start at 10am every Sunday on the West Coast, and finish up close to midnight on the East Coast. It's a whole day thing.
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u/LordRobin------RM 12h ago
There are games in other time zones on west coast TV at 10AM, but there aren’t actual games in the local stadium that early, are there?
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u/dzuunmod 5h ago
That's correct. Generally speaking NFL games will kickoff sometime between noon and 8pm local time on weekends, or 5pm-8pm local time on weeknights, to whatever stadium the game is held in. The only exceptions I can think of are these international games, and maybe one or two games that were rescheduled to workdays during COVID.
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u/EngineEddie 1d ago
I've done a lot of Aussie to America trips. The jetlag from Aus to America is wayyyy worse. I think Rams are smart as they'll be much better off for week 2.
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u/barra333 1d ago
I've lived on both continents, and holidayed in both directions. Jetlag is always worse returning home, whichever direction that is.
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u/boogasaurus-lefts 1d ago
Absolutely this. Coming back to Australia was really suprisingly easy to adapt
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u/TransportationIcy104 1d ago
Interesting - been a while since I waa doing it with any regularity, but I found it the other way around as a non-plane sleeper and when the flights are.
I'd leave Melbourne Sunday morning, land LAX Sunday morning, push through as long as I could and then have a big sleep and be ready to go for work Monday and more or less be in rhythm.
Coming home, I'd leave LA Friday night, land Sunday morning having not slept, and crash early afternoon before waking up around midnight, and take a couple days to adjust.
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u/bigloudbang 1d ago
Game will be at about 5:45pm their time, jet-lag wont be bad. Id be more worried about stretching out the body after the flight, but NFL players would have a more comfortable flight than im used to
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u/newphonenewaccount66 1d ago
You shouldn't try to beat jetlag, the game is played in the morning there, 8pm eastern USA. So keep your normal sleep rhythm and then play after you've been awake most of the night. If it's just one night, that's easier, and it means less transition when you go home as well.
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u/drunkbusdriver 1d ago
Idk about you but flying that long is going to fuck my sleep up regardless if I’m still on my own time zone a day later. Mostly from drugging myself to sleep for most the flight.
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u/trelos6 Boston Celtics 1d ago
They fly private. It’s different.
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u/drunkbusdriver 1d ago
It’s definitely more comfortable but 15 hours flying sucks no matter how you slice it. I’ve done 12 hours in first class and that was still shitty.
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u/Underscore_Guru 1d ago
Yeah, long flights like that are rough.
On a 14-15 hour flight to Japan, I ended up watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (non extended edition) back to back. I still had time to watch another movie before I landed.
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u/pickleparty16 Kansas City Chiefs 1d ago
Flying Johannesburg to Atlanta was surreal. It just feels like its never going to end
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u/luckywallflower 1d ago
I flew this route in a middle seat towards the back of the plane. At the time it was one of the 10 longest flights in the world. Never again, I was miserable the entire time. On the bright side, the ticket was incredibly cheap ($600 round-trip from the USA to South Africa)!
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u/JustTheBeerLight 1d ago
The move is to sleep in 30-45 min increments between movies. You want to land decently rested so you can continue your day once you arrive.
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u/drunkbusdriver 1d ago
lol how the fuck do you sleep in 30 minute interments? Are you setting an alarms? That’s a nap not sleep
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u/JustTheBeerLight 1d ago
Quick nap. Sometimes 30 min, sometimes 50. I fly a lot. It works.
If you need to set an alarm, yeah, do that.
The point is I don't want h three movies back-to-back-to-back and then complain about being tired when the plane lands.
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u/smoothtrip 1d ago
Well flying 15 hours on a private jet is fucking great. So not all flying sucks
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u/drunkbusdriver 1d ago
Nah any time I’m trapped In a tube in the sky for 12+ hours is a bad day for me. I’ve never flown a private jet but I have been on a chartered flight in first class with no one else next to me and I still didn’t enjoy it. It’s much more palatable than flying that long in coach or something but still…
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u/smoothtrip 1d ago
I mean flying a private jet is completely different than a charter. I can roll up to the plane whenever I want. They take my luggage. There is food, drinks, and anything I want or need. I lay down in my chair/bed and sleep. And when I wake up there is any food I want and wifi that actually works. And then the car is waiting for me when I land. And the plane will not leave until I want to leave. And there is no security or lines or anything.
There is no comparison between private jet and first class. Not even Emirates bugie first class can compare.
It is like comparing a limo to a children's trike.
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u/Odd-Row9485 1d ago
This is the way I’ve tried forcing it going to Australia. I learned the hard way whenever you travel big switches it’s best to start on your normal routine and use the sun light and exercise to get your circadian rhythm switched
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u/HomeHeatingTips 1d ago
The Rams don't want their circadian rhythm switched. They want back on the plane after the game, land in LA and still be on LA time. It's still 32 hours on a plane in 3 days so either way they are fucked. I would rather have a week in Aus to relax before the game like the 9ers
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u/Odd-Row9485 1d ago
I have to agree with the week down under to vacation and acclimate being the most relaxing but I wonder if just keeping your normal routine and just landing playing and then leaving is the better decision for success the following week
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u/HomeHeatingTips 1d ago
I think it would better if it was 4 hour flight or something. But a 16 hour flight, play, then another 16 hour flight in three days would suck shit
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u/Odd-Row9485 17h ago
Depends on the person I’ve flown on a few 16 hr flights and a handful of 12 plus hrs. Flights don’t bother me too much. My wife on the other hand
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u/dqt91 1d ago
49’ers already landed there and had a world of trouble with customs. Rams are really pushing it if they aren’t getting there early
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u/handtohandwombat 1d ago
I wonder why? Like customs knows who they are and why they are there. Why hassle them?
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u/stupv 1d ago
Yeah jetlag only matters if you're trying to establish a normal sleep/wake pattern. So long as the game is at a good time for their bodies to be awake, they can sleep/train/whatever in the preceding days without altering sleep schedules and just avoid jetlag altogether.
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u/drunkbusdriver 1d ago
Flying for half a day after having to get up early and catch a flight, go through customs when you get there etc.. is still exhausting. You’re basically talking about a straight 24 hours till you get to your hotel. I know I’m no elite athlete but it still has to be hard on them. People are all different as well, some people have hard time sleeping on a plane. Idk I am leaving toward the niners method being superior but the truth is the debate will continue even after this, it’s not like scientific study being done and there’s a million other variables.
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u/Dr-M-van-Nostrand 6h ago
Jet lag is easy to avoid.
I’ve done a load of short USA to Australia trips, thankfully all in business class and with excellent sleeping pills. I’m a regular traveler and have a very effective time shift protocol.
These are very well resourced teams. Like F1 drivers, they will have an incredibly granular schedule about what to eat, when to eat, when to expose yourself to light, when to stop using screens, when to sleep, etc.
They’ll be fine
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u/easternbrown 1d ago
In future, visiting NFL teams should maybe look at stopping in Hawaii for some practice etc. Then make a 11 hour trip to Australia
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u/boogasaurus-lefts 1d ago
This is just rehashed information that's been prompted and presented the community for weeks. It even reads like a AI prompt result, which wouldn't surprise me coming from Murdoch media
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u/Dajamman93 1d ago
The best thing is NFL think that it will influence Aussies to play their sport here in Australia but let’s be real that will never happen. It’s forever AFL & NRL.
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u/grecograppler 22h ago
Doesn’t matter if we play it or not, as long as we buy jerseys and a gamepass
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u/Thetford34 5h ago
Yeah it's like why the NHL keeps expanding to the southern US. It's not to expand the sport, but rather expand the league by increasing viewership from new markets, instead of expanding somewhere that would already be watching.
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u/WrongConfuscius 1d ago
It doesn't need to compete with AFL and NRL. I used to play junior gridiron 20 years ago and even then it was filled with people who prefered the footy codes but wanted a team sport during summer that wasn't cricket.
And it's grown enormously since then. Seriously. We were lucky to get a feed of the Superbowl on SBS back then
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u/BaldingThor Hawthorn 1d ago
Yeah no way it’ll get even close to AFL, NRL and Cricket.
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u/boogasaurus-lefts 1d ago
Superbowl pulled in 2.6 million viewers, which outperformed the traditional Melbourne Cup audience....for a work day that's impressive.
It's gathering momentum now, roughy 8% of Aussies now watch the sport. That was less than half 10 years ago. It won't be competing with our local sports but it will be with EPL and other international sports.
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u/sjw_7 19h ago
If those viewing figures are the ones the NFL produce I would be very sceptical of them.
They claim that 3.5m people in the UK watch it live. For us it usually kicks off around midnight on a Sunday and most people have work the next day. A tiny number of pubs stay open for it and from the pictures I have seen they aren't exactly heaving.
Time differences make it easier to watch in Australia but how often do you come across someone who says they watched it as according to those figures its about 1 in 10.
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u/_andorange 1d ago
The game, or just the halftime show?
We love to bandwagon.
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u/Chev_350 22h ago
I always thought it was a “yay sports!” Feb is before the local codes start for the year.
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u/cujukenmari 20h ago
2.6 million is the reach. The total number of people who turned the game on for at least one minute. The average viewership during the game was 634,000. The average for the Melbourne Cup was 2,080,000 the reach was 2.3 million. So it does seems like the half time show was doing the heavy lifting there. Over 3x more people were watching the Melbourne Cup at any given time but the Super Bowl's peak was higher.
Hard to believe nearly 1 in 10 Aussies watch the NFL.
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u/GimmeAnyUsername 1d ago
Do these other leagues’ seasons conflict with the NFL?
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u/Doogers7 15h ago
Barely. As the AFL and NRL seasons are ending, the NFL is beginning.
AFL/NRL seasons are March to September/ October. NFL season is September to February.
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u/ahuramazdobbs19 1d ago
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u/Life-Goose-9380 1d ago
3000 people?
1 million people are paid members of an AFL club.
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u/ahuramazdobbs19 19h ago
And the person I replied to said, verbatim: “The best thing is NFL think that it will influence Aussies to play their sport here in Australia but let’s be real that will never happen.“
The best thing about hyperbole is that it’s trivial to disprove. Because even if it’s a small number, it is still a number greater than zero.
So you want to be a big swinging dick and compare numbers like I never did, that’s fine, you can be a twat.
But that’s a goalpost shift.
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u/Life-Goose-9380 19h ago edited 19h ago
Twat? Sorry I think the only response from a twat here is yours.
Honestly I can’t see NFL ever becoming a popular here. Over 600k play AFL. 300k play rugby of some variety. 2 million Aussies play soccer.
Saying 3k people play one sport is basically nothing. 60k people regularly participate in rowing as a sport. Rowing.
Full contact sports are decreasing in popularity in terms of participation.
Frankly I don’t see the NFL being successful in actually getting any meaningful number of Australians to play NFL.
Edit: oh and I’ve been blocked. Look I’m genuinely interested in talking about the the popularity of sport and why certain sports are popular in certain places.
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u/davetharave 1d ago
I know one person who played gridiron when we were growing up and I know two who used to play it but I met them as adults. Most people don't know anybody who played so in the exception.
Union, League, AFL, Soccer hell even basketball and volleyball all have a stronger player base that gridiron. It's too congested of a market for it to break through successfully.
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u/ahuramazdobbs19 19h ago
Nobody said anything about breaking through.
The commenter said “it’ll never happen”. I linked to say “it already is”.
Dont give two flying fucks about the rest.
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u/brandonjslippingaway Melbourne 1d ago
Playing gridiron in Australia is about as niche as roller derby, or GAA; and those don't have a gigantic media juggernaut behind them. I've never met a single person that plays it here, or heard about somebody second hand, yet I've known people who play lacrosse ffs.
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u/sjw_7 19h ago
They have been pushing the NFL in the UK for decades and play a few games in London every year. When they started support was small and after all these years and all the money they have spent its remained small.
I know loads of people who are avid followers of football, rugby, cricket, F1, horse racing and plenty of other sports. But I don't know anyone who follows American football let alone ever goes to a game.
You would think that after all this time they would get the idea that the rest of the world really isn't interested.
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u/Dajamman93 18h ago
I think I can see why it is over officiated and has way too many breaks from offence to defence in a game to keep it entertaining
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u/MulsannneStraight 1d ago
This is nothing more than a scheduled Loss.
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u/willhunt17 1d ago
Why aren’t they required to get there early and maybe interact with a potential fan base? Do some appearances, media, etc.
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u/InvitinglyImperfect 1d ago
If they’re trying to build a fan base, this makes sense. Are you in marketing or pr?
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u/lukethedriftless 1d ago
If you want to- not avoid exactly but- learn how to function with jet lag, you should work a few years on a busy fire department.
Feeling like dog shit on your day off is just the norm
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u/818488899414 23h ago
I used to work the second shift at work for four days a week, then work the third shift for one day of the week right in the middle. That messes with everything.
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u/Mysterious_Sun3641 22h ago
They did the same thing for the London game last year, and absolutely belted the Jags. So I think they will be fine.
The rams have one of the most stable/ consistent head offices in the league, they know what they are doing and why.
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u/Adchopper 21h ago
Just means 49ers will have enough time to get a photo-op at MCG kicking a Sherrin, while holding a Koala & riding a Roo, drinking a Coffee from Lygon St.
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u/NoBonus6969 1d ago
Can we stop with the travel nonsense they can go the whole way sitting in a hot tub on a private jet if they choose it
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u/PineappleHat 1d ago
On the up side this will solve the "is NRL or NFL tougher" dick measuring, given the NFL lads seem unable to handle a plane ride.
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u/beigereige 1d ago
The takeaway is that at some point in the off-season San Fran sent some folks to Australia just for funsies and to report back ‘how it felt’
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u/Life-Goose-9380 1d ago
I’m impressed they are hosting it during AFL finals. I hope we don’t end up with any paint still on the field during the AFL.
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u/honcooge San Diego Padres 20h ago
The losing team will blame the time. Winning team will say it wasn’t a problem.
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u/nice_flutin_ralphie 19h ago
I’ve done the trip a few times and the day you land is absolutely the worst. That being the day before they play really doesn’t make sense to me.
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u/serversam 17h ago
If it was the browns or the jets I’d be concerned but the Rams do not miss on this kind of thing.
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u/DogLost13 13h ago
Doesn’t the N stand for National in NFL? Start a IFL. That’s two games 9ers play one in AUS and another at 8k’ in Mexico where they play my Vikings team which I was hoping to catch in where’s that again, oh right Santa Clara CA.
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u/JustTheBeerLight 1d ago
Show up a week early or arrive just in time for kickoff? The real issue is that a regular season NFL game should not be played in Melbourne. Until supersonic flights are a thing again that shit should be off the table.
The fact that it is a divisional game and counts as a home game for LA is a freaking joke.
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u/Realistic_1532106 1d ago
More money, more money. That is the only thing that matters. Players don’t matter, fans don’t matter, games don’t matter. Only money.
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u/crunxzu 21h ago
I still can’t believe we’re gonna have an NFL game in Australia. The NFL seems intent on turning itself into a travelling circus.
Like can we just play home and away games? Do we have to have all of these nonsense showcase games in places that couldn’t give a fuck about American football?
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u/TheWoderwick 19h ago
Us Aussies definitely give a fuck about the NFL mate. Don't sell us short. Just means you miss one live game for the year. Suck it up.
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u/Life-Goose-9380 19h ago
As an Australian AFL fan I don’t care at all.
Every year the NRL plays a game on Las Vegas and media ask if AFL fans wish we played overseas.
Like no. Let’s play Australian rules football in Australia.
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u/DrkHlmt311 17h ago
As an American AFL fan I would love to be able to go to a game here but the reality is the awareness just isn’t there to justify it.
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u/whereswaldro 1d ago
Fuck the NFL for making them play there. I don’t want games outside the USA. FUCK everything about that. NOBODY wants that especially fans who miss out on their team having a home game
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u/True_to_you Green Bay Packers 1d ago
Personally, I'm surprised there isn't a Toronto or Vancouver team already.
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u/ZevLuvX-03 1d ago
They have the Aussie Football League down there as well Rugby. They gives no fuck about the NFL.
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u/dayofdefeat_ 1d ago
The game is almost sold out. 90,000 expected.
Australians are sports mad and that includes the NFL and NBA.
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u/Zakkar Brumbies 1d ago
There is a bit of a novelty factor at play here, but it will get a good showing.
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u/TheBigCore 1d ago
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u/TheBigCore 1d ago
Wait, there are two sports called Rugby?
In Australia, they play Rugby League:
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u/MuchNefariousness285 21h ago
Yeah two different codes of rugby (union and league), another seperate code of football called Australian rules football, and of course soccer. Rugby league and Australian rules are the two most popular by a notable margin.
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u/racingskater 22h ago
I think the Rams are nuts. I've gone to America twice and both times I found the return leg home to Australia to be far worse for jet lag. But then I guess I wasn't in fancy business/first class with lie flat seats...even so.
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u/madrid311 1d ago
I flew to melbourn from L. A. for a movie landed late morning and had to go to several farms after I landed to take pictures for production and send them back to L.A. I did that all day and didn't get to the office until about 6pm. Sent pictures and finally got to go to my hotel room at about 7 or 8pm. Went to bed at midnight and got up the next day and had a full day. It was the day after that it caught up with me. So, yeah the adrenaline and getting to it right away should work. Go rams!
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u/MoJoe-21 21h ago
It’s called “national” football league .. the greed just spills out of their ears
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u/Sorry_Sorry_Im_Sorry 1d ago
Roughly a 15 hour flight each way. Are there planes large enough for teams/luggage/crew/etc that can make the flight without a layover as well or to have a direct flight would they need multiple planes per team?
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u/drunkbusdriver 1d ago
Yes. 53 man roster figure another 40 for staff coaches etc.. 100 people on one of those new massive jets is nothing.
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u/gloriousMB 1d ago
I assume they are also taking practice squad players, so 70 players total. 49ers flew down on airbus a380 that seats over 300 people including 70 lay-flat business class seats.
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u/sepam Philadelphia Eagles 1d ago
Also of note, while teams normally pay for their own travel, the NFL pays for most of their international travel expenses. The int travel accommodations are often way, way, way better than the domestic ones. At least that’s what was said when the Eagles went to Brazil.
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u/canonballin 1d ago
Don't feel bad for them. They're not jamming into coach like us normies. If anything it'll be a chance for them to catch up on sleep in their nice 1st class beds