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A beef between two San Francisco 49ers reporters might be more intriguing than the team’s upcoming game against the Washington Commanders.
On SI 49ers reporter Grant Cohn unleashed on his fellow 49ers reporter, David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard, during a live stream rant on Thursday night.
“I can’t stand David Lombardi. Here’s why: Dude, it’s bad enough that he’s a fan of the team that he covers. But he thinks he’s on the team!” Cohn said.
He then mentioned how Lombardi never asks a question at postgame press conferences because he’s in the locker room instead.
“You know what he’s doing? Hugging the players! And congratulating them as if they won together… He thinks he’s on the team, and it does bother me,” Cohn continued.
He then imagined how 49ers players must feel about this random journalist hugging them after the game, as if he played any part in the team’s victory.
“It’s not your job to bro-out with the players! There’s supposed to be professional distance,” Cohn added. “This f–king guy pretends to be a journalist, and takes shilling to the next level. Shilling isn’t even a good word for what he does.”
Warning: Graphic Language
Cohn went viral for his food reviews and other stream-of-consciousness rants about various elements of Australia’s culture when the 49ers were there to face the Los Angeles Rams to start the NFL season.
Cohn doesn’t have the strongest reputation among 49ers players, blunt, confrontational style that holds them accountable. And this alleged difference between he and Lombardi is the source of Cohn’s gripe.
Lombardi hasn’t responded to Cohn’s comments yet.