When John Rocker isn’t getting kicked off “Survivor” or being grilled by TMZ for a comment on U.S./Cuba relations, he lives a quiet life of signing autographs and being interviewed by Vice.
The 20-minute documentary, “The Real Kenny Powers?,” explores the former Atlanta Braves relief pitcher’s influence on Kenny Powers in HBO‘s “Eastbound and Down.” In the doc, Rocker invited Vice out on the town in Cooperstown, N.Y., where he is every much the celebrity he was in his heyday. The film gives Rocker a fair shot, and is sympathetic to the controversial athlete.
The doc notes that the Kenny Powers character grew out of Will Ferrell’s impersonation of Rocker on Saturday Night Live. Ferrell would go on to produce “Eastbound and Down,” giving rise to the belief that Powers is Rocker, albeit amped up a notch. Rocker acknowledges his influence on the character, and he doesn’t seem to care. He also said he had a drink with Ferrell about a decade ago and they laughed about the skit.
Check out the documentary below, and learn more about Rocker’s take on the media and his work helping homeless veterans get off the street.