McVay: No More Australia Trips After Rams Loss — SkimNews
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- Sean McVay told reporters "We're not playing in Australia ever again, I hope," while preemptively warning the quote would be "taken out of context"
- The Rams were beaten 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne Cricket Ground despite entering as betting favorites to win the Super Bowl
- The 49ers arrived in Melbourne a week in advance while the Rams traveled the day before the game, a scheduling choice that drew scrutiny after the blowout
- The NFL holds a multiyear agreement to return to Australia (no matchups yet announced), and the Rams are one of four teams — alongside the Seahawks, Eagles, and Raiders — granted Australian marketing rights through the Global Markets Program
- McVay likened his reset to the "Men in Black" memory-wipe scene, saying he wants to move on quickly to a Week 2 Monday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants
- History is unkind: only four teams, and none since the 2007 Giants, have started a season 0-2 and gone on to play in the Super Bowl
Why it matters: McVay's bluntness comes at an awkward moment: the Rams were preseason Super Bowl favorites, and their decision to arrive just one day before a 27-7 loss to a division rival invited immediate scrutiny. With a multiyear NFL agreement to return to Australia and the Rams holding marketing rights there, his 'never again' hope is unlikely to hold.
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