Grant Cohn, that 49ers reporter everyone loves to hate, just pulled off the most bizarre stunt: he’s gone absolutely viral in Australia. While the San Francisco 49ers were gearing up for their international season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on September 7, 2026, Cohn wasn’t just covering the game, he was living his best life and documenting every minute. He’s the veteran sportswriter who always finds a way to make himself the story, and he definitely did it again, making headlines in a whole new continent.
The “Oxygen on the Moon” Tour Takes Off
Cohn’s videos of him eating local Chinese food, trying pub meal deals, and even watching Australian rules football (AFL) exploded online. It wasn’t just 49ers fans watching, either. These posts snagged the attention of local Australian media, and Cohn himself couldn’t believe it. He compared his culinary and cultural safari down under to “showing people that there’s oxygen on the moon.” He told 9News Melbourne’s Trent Kniese, “I think Americans might be a little bit more interested in what Australia is like than what’s gonna happen in this game. Maybe that’ll change in a few days, but right now it’s like I’m reporting from the moon is there air there? Is there oxygen? Wow, there’s oxygen in Australia. It’s incredible.” Talk about a shocking take on an international NFL game!
From Controversial Critic to Cultural Ambassador
If you’ve followed Cohn’s work, you know this whole “cultural ambassador” vibe is a complete zag to his usual style. Normally, he’s known for hard-nosed criticism of the 49ers, often facetiously calling himself the team’s “quality control coach.” He’s the foil to other reporters who might offer a more “homer-friendly” take. Cohn’s reputation has led to confrontations and criticism from multiple players, including Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, and Kyle Juszczyk. He’s always turned those feuds into content for his YouTube channel, like when he went back and forth with Kinlaw, who’s now with the Commanders, and just *reveled* in the attention, even using a screenshot from that interaction as his X avatar. He even made two separate videos addressing Juszczyk’s single post about him, insisting he doesn’t “want to look at [Juszczyk’s] ass, or any player’s ass” in the team locker room. It’s wild, but that’s just Grant Cohn. You gotta think it runs in the family too, as his dad, Lowell Cohn, was a longtime sports columnist who had a spat with former Niners coach Chip Kelly over Colin Kaepernick and once compared PED users in baseball to murderers.
So what’s next for the newly minted Australian microcelebrity? Will this lighter side of Grant Cohn stick, or will the “quality control coach” return once the 49ers are back stateside? It’s definitely something to keep an eye on as the regular season unfolds.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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