Some people within sports media have been critical of the Los Angeles Rams' travel plans to Australia. The team landed in Melbourne barely a day before their season opener, with an itinerary that has them set to fly back right after the conclusion of the contest.
The most vocal criticisms have been launched by San Francisco 49ers' beat writer David Lombardi. Lombardi, who is in Australia covering the team for The San Francisco Standard, spoke about the Rams' lack of participation in fan events before launching into a critique of the franchise's fanbase.
An actual "business trip" would involve the Rams taking the time to actually grow their brand. There's a reason the Rams don't even own LA. It's related to their current mentality. Moving to Anaheim
and then St. Louis severely hurt the cultivation of a fan base. 49ers benefit https://t.co/5AzUvyFvZu
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 8, 2026
Lombardi has often gone out of his way to paint a narrative that shines on San Francisco, and for team president Kevin Demoff, Lombardi has taken it too far. Striking back on social media, Demoff teased Lombardi for his overt love of quarterback Brock Purdy.
It’s nice to see you taking a break from your Brock Purdy obsession to start to care about how we run our team and the decisions we make. I simply can’t understand why you and the rest of the 49ers media is so obsessed with the Rams brand but I take it as a compliment! https://t.co/aKnhLWZwZq
— Kevin Demoff (@kdemoff) September 9, 2026
Demoff told CNBC that while the Rams won't be in Australia very long this time around, they did send several players there over the course of a year, holding other community events in that time.
“For us, this is a year-round effort, and I would much rather win the game and grow the market the other 51 weeks a year than focus on having our players here for that week,” Demoff said.
In the meantime, Lombardi has continued to push the narrative that the 49ers have taken over Melbourne and that the team's recent community efforts have outpaced what the Rams did throughout the year.
And when it comes to results, based on speaking to actual Aussies on the ground in Melbourne, it’s clear that the Rams’ yearlong efforts have paled in comparison to what the 49ers have done for a week https://t.co/MoCGWAXCSy
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 9, 2026
The truth is that we have no idea which way Melbourne will sway as both teams launch Australia into an exciting new era for consuming American football. For Demoff and his team, the season opener will kicko off an exciting campaign by the franchise to expand its influence into the Pacific, opening up Australia as a potential future hub for NFL international games.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams president fires back at 49ers reporter, calls out his 'Purdy obsession'
