On Sept. 9, San Francisco 49ers mascot Sourdough Sam posed for a photoshoot with Clo the Cow, the mascot of Clover Sonoma, a new team sponsor. The photographer had to find the right angle for the shoot, so as to best capture Sam's unyielding blue eyes, full beard, and perpetual wide-mouthed smile, while also not calling too much attention to the orange skies that draped the Bay Area in an unsettling haze.
Four days later, on Sept. 13, Sourdough Sam was back at Levi's Stadium for the 49ers season opener.