49ers coach loses birthday amid flight to Australia

Under normal circumstances, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris would likely have done something special to celebrate his milestone 50th birthday on September 3. Instead, Morris spent much of the day aboard a plane over the Pacific Ocean during the 49ers' 15-hour flight to Melbourne, Australia.

Morris and the 49ers departed Northern California on Wednesday, September 2. While it was still Thursday, September 3, in the United States when the team arrived in Melbourne, it was already Friday, September 4, local time. In other words, Morris effectively flew right past his birthday.

Of course, Morris likely celebrated ahead of the 49ers' departure for Australia. Still, it's one of the more interesting quirks that highlights just how drastic the time change is for a team playing overseas. San Francisco will open its regular season this week with an NFC West showdown against the Los Angeles Rams at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The 49ers' early arrival was intentional, giving the team several days to acclimate to the significant time-zone difference.

"Some guys feel good and feel great, and then you talk to them five hours later, they're like, 'Never mind, that left,'" head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday morning, which was Sunday night in the United States. "Some guys started off bad, and then feel good later. For me, I feel my most normal today. So, however many days, I think this is the third day. But I'm doing good, and I think most of the guys are doing real good, too."

Meanwhile, the Rams are taking a completely different approach to their trip to Australia. Los Angeles won't arrive in Melbourne until just a day before kickoff, then will face the 49ers before flying home, making for a quick turnaround for the Southern California team.

We'll soon find out which approach works best when the 49ers and Rams clash in Week 1.