Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is in the midst of preparing to unleash his Summer blockbuster on the world. Disaster flick San Andreas will be in theaters soon, but for now he sat down with Sports Illustrated to discuss wrestling, and why DeflateGate doesn’t really matter.
The Rock defends Patriots for DeflateGate ... kind of
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The former Miami Hurricanes linebacker believes it’s more about the defense doing their jobs than worrying about what the quarterback is doing with the football:
”We were raised in an environment at the University of Miami where Ed (Orgeron) would say, “We don’t give a f---,” explained Johnson. “You go after the quarterback the exact same way. You pin your ears back and get after it. And if the quarterback is able to get the ball off, then it’s your fault.”
Johnson didn’t fully answer whether he thought it was cheating or not, but he was a lot more candid about his cousin, Roman Reigns and his reception by WWE fans:
“The only advice I gave Roman was that you need to stay the course,” said Johnson. “It’s a unique dynamic and relationship you have with the fans in wrestling. They’re passionate, just like you’re passionate, but they know it’s a work, just like you know it’s a work. It’s this fine balance you have to find between just staying the course and continue to cut your teeth every night by putting in good performances.”
Reigns is still getting lukewarm receptions following his big 2014 push. It’s important to remember that The Rock wasn’t always loved either. Sometimes it’s about being in the right place at the right time and with the perfect charisma -- something Reigns has lacked so far.
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