Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson says MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum saw failed CFL-XFL partnership as ‘amazing opportunity’

Photo: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson took to social media on Saturday to defend MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum after he expressed his displeasure with the structure of the CFL.

Larry was a great partner & advocate who I found to be a gutsy visionary who saw an amazing opportunity to grow the game of football that we all love – in a very exciting & electrifying way for the FANS.

The Twitter thread originated with a quote from TSN’s Dave Naylor in which he suggested that Tanenbaum remains upset that other teams weren’t more receptive to a possible CFL-XFL partnership. The league announced they were working towards a potential collaboration in March 2021, though talks fells apart three months later.

The Rock was not tagged in the thread, which is why it was surprising to see him respond. The well-known wrestler, actor, producer, and entrepreneur has 16.2 million followers.

Tanenbaum recently expressed his displeasure regarding the structure of the CFL, saying the league’s franchise valuations have remained low relative to other professional league and blaming community-owned teams for their unwillingness to embrace change.

Montreal Alouettes’ owner Gary Stern also replied to the Twitter thread in support of Tanenbaum.

Why is a man who has a great passion for sports , a great visionaryfor sports in general , a true leader and an ardent believer in the cfl , being put down for presenting his ideas and views . I personally thank you Larry and glad to have you in this great league of ours .

The XFL is currently planning a return to the field in February 2023 with Johnson, Dany Garcia, and RedBird Capital serving as its new owners.