Flavor Flav, the 65-year-old clock-wearing rap icon and hype man for Public Enemy, has stepped forward to support the U.S. women’s water polo team as they aim for their fourth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics this summer. Moved by team captain Maggie Steffens’ Instagram post highlighting the lack of support and attention for the water polo team, Flav is finalizing a deal to become a sponsor for USA Water Polo and serve as the team’s official hype man, eager to cheer them on and help them win gold.
Since the 2012 Olympics, the U.S. women’s water polo team has been consistently successful but has not received the same level of attention and support as other dominant American sports programs. Steffens, the last remaining member of the 2012 team, took to Instagram to emphasize the financial struggles faced by most Olympic athletes and to bring awareness to the lack of recognition for her sport. This prompted Flav to offer his support, citing his own experiences with pursuing dreams and achieving goals as reasons for wanting to help the team.
Flav, also known as William Jonathan Drayton Jr., reached out to Steffens after his manager brought her Instagram post to his attention. Steffens, who was familiar with Flav and Public Enemy before the connection, described the experience as “very surreal” and expressed excitement about Flav becoming a part of the water polo world. Flav’s involvement has brought a sense of novelty and excitement to the team, as he plans to highlight players on social media and attend their matches in Paris.
Steffens and her team have found support from another unexpected source in musician Taylor Swift, who surprised the team with tickets to her concert in Paris. Flav also reached out to Swift’s team with plans to support her, creating a connection between his support for the U.S. water polo team and his admiration for Swift. The unexpected partnership with Flav and the support from Swift have brought excitement and enthusiasm to the team as they prepare for the Olympics and aim to continue their winning streak.
Flav, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 with Public Enemy, is known for his enthusiastic persona and iconic style. As he finalizes his sponsorship deal with USA Water Polo, Flav is eager to bring attention and support to the women’s team as they strive for gold in Paris. Both Flav and Swift’s support have brought a new level of excitement and recognition to the U.S. women’s water polo team, highlighting the importance of community and support for Olympic athletes.
