Garcia said she reached out to Johnson in May to ask about his interest in buying the XFLGETTY IMAGES
New XFL part-owner Dany Garcia said her conversations with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson about buying the league started in May, noting it was a property she had been "tracking for some time," according to a Q&A with Dan Gartland of SI.com. Garcia said, "In May, I called Dwayne and I said, 'We have something really big and very, very important to do. Would you like to do this with me?' And that started it all." Garcia: "I wished we had been in that conversation right at the beginning. Unfortunately, obviously what happened with COVID and live events led to this moment." Below are excerpts from the Q&A, some of which have been edited for clarity and brevity:
Q: Was there something in particular that got you excited about pursuing the opportunity to buy the XFL?
Garcia: I was so impressed with the quality of play. I was very impressed with the production of the product. I loved the new rules. I thought the XFL did a wonderful job of breaking the barrier between the athlete and fan and allowing you to have the real sense of ownership. ... For me, the XFL is not a spring league, it's not a junior league. It's football.
Q: You've invested in a lot of different businesses and I'm wondering, when you decide to invest in a company, what sort of opportunities appeal to you?
Garcia: I'm looking for projects that are sound, sustainable, are surrounded by people who want to do good, who are looking for diversity and inclusion. That's extremely important. And I'm looking for projects that move the needle, that make an impact -- and the XFL does absolutely that.
Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge you're facing with the XFL?
Garcia: The biggest challenge is going to be COVID, which is kind of obvious. The other challenge that we have, which is actually an opportunity, is making sure that the quality of football continues to stay there but also building the relationship between the viewer and what they're seeing -- not just from a macro point of view, making these incredible athletes important to them, making them understand where they actually came from (SI.com, 8/5).
