Maggie Stevens asked for more support for the US women's water polo team, and the captain received a particularly surprising answer.
From the rap icon who wears the watch.
Move by Stevens posted on InstagramFlavor Flav stepped forward to help USA team She also won an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal Paris Olympics this summer. He's finalizing a deal that will make him a sponsor of USA Water Polo and the official publicity man for a program seeking a bigger spotlight.
65-year-old Flav, a founding member and hype man for Public Enemy, has jumped into his new duties, highlighting some of the team's best players on Social media. He also plans to watch the women's team play in Paris.
“When I go out and watch this water polo team… 'USA! USA!' “Oh my God, I'm going to be the biggest hype man they've ever had,” he told the AP on Friday. I will root for this team, and I will root for this team to win the gold medal.
A win has been the usual result for the U.S. women's team since the 2012 Olympics. But it has not attracted the same attention or support as similarly dominant American programs, largely because water polo remains a niche sport in most parts of the world.
That — along with a bit of nostalgia — prompted Stevens, 30, the last remaining member of the 2012 team, to post on Instagram. While she expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to play and her love for her sport, she also encouraged anyone reading the post to check out her team and highlighted the ongoing financial struggles of most Olympians.
“We get a lot of comments you know about, ‘Oh, what you did is so cool.'” “The problem is that you're not a football player or a basketball player, because your team “He will get more publicity or more support.”
“Instead, we're still the same as we were 12 years ago, which for me is not the goal. I've always wanted to move the sport forward.”
Enter Flav, who along with the group Public Enemy were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Flav's manager brought the post to his attention, and he decided he wanted to help.
“One thing about me, I know what it feels like to want to see a dream come true,” said Flav, who is known for wearing a large watch on a chain around his neck. “I know what it feels like to want to achieve a goal, and I'm the type of person that if I see you trying, I'll do everything I can to help you.”
Stevens said it was “pretty surreal” when Flav – whose legal name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr. – reached out. When asked what she knew about Flav and Public Enemy before the call, Stevens immediately imitated Flav's recurring chant “Flavor Flav!” a permit.
Stevens is one of the oldest players on the U.S. team, but she said Rhian Nicholl, 24, was in the top five players on the music streaming service, Spotify. Two of the team's coaches and the Stevens family were also excited about the partnership.
“My whole family was like 'Is this real?' “Fluff is part of the water polo world now,” Stevens said. “I said to myself: 'I don't know what's going on, but I want to wear a watch now and this is how I feel.'
Stevens and the US team also have another high-profile supporter Taylor Swift. They attended the Eras Tour concert on Friday night at La Défense Arena – the venue for the women's water polo final on August 10.
Women's National Team Director Ally Beck reached out to Swift's camp and The team was surprised With tickets. Flav said he also contacted Swift's team, but the tickets had already been approved.
Flav, who is on another tour with Public Enemy that could begin later this year, held up a T-shirt with his picture reading “KING SWIFTIE.”
“I'm proud to support Taylor. Flavor Flav is a Swiftie, the king of all Swifties,” he said.
This is another connection between Flav and his new favorite team.