Maggie Steffens asked for more support for the U.S. women’s water polo team, and the captain received one particularly surprising response.
From a watch-wearing rap icon.
Moves Steffens’ Instagram postFlavor Flav stepped forward to help Team USA as we are talking about an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal at Olympic Games in Paris this summer. He is finalizing a deal that will make him the sponsor of USA Water Polo and the official promoter of a program seeking greater attention.
Flav, 65, a founding member and promoter of Public Enemy, has thrown himself into his new responsibilities, highlighting some of the team’s best players for 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!’ Yo, I’m going to be the biggest hype they’ve ever had,” he told the AP on Friday. “I’m going to be bigger than any fan they’ve ever had in their lives. I will cheer this team on and cheer them on to win the gold medal.”
The victory has been a routine result for the U.S. women’s team since the 2012 Olympics. But it has not attracted the same attention and support as similar dominant American programs, mainly because water polo remains a niche sport in much of the world.
That, along with a little nostalgia, prompted Steffens, 30, the last remaining member of the 2012 team, to post on Instagram. While expressing 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 Olympic athletes.
“We got a lot of comments saying, ‘Oh, that’s so cool what you did.’ It’s a shame that you’re not a football or basketball player because your team will get a lot more attention and support,” Steffens said Friday from Paris, where the team is on a training trip for the Olympics.
“And instead we are still where we were 12 years ago, which for me is not my goal. I’ve always wanted to push the sport forward.”
Enter Flav, who along with Public Enemy was 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.
“I know one thing: I know what it’s like to want a dream to come true,” said Flav, who is known for wearing a large watch on a chain around his neck. “I know what it’s like to want to achieve a goal, and I’m the kind of person that if I see you trying, I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
Steffens said it was “very surreal” when Flav, whose legal name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr., reached out to him. When asked what she knew about Flav and Public Enemy before their connection, Steffens immediately imitated Flav’s frequent line “Flavor Flav!” declaration.
Steffens is one of the oldest players on Team USA, but she said 24-year-old Ryan Neuschul put Public Enemy in the top five on the music streaming service Spotify. Several of the team’s coaches and Steffens’ family were also excited about the partnership.
“My whole family was asking, ‘Is this true?’ Is Flav part of the water polo world now?,” Steffens said. “I thought, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I want to wear a watch right now, and that’s how I feel.’
Steffens and Team USA also have another high-profile supporter in Taylor Swift. They attended the Eras Tour musician’s concert on Friday night at La Défense Arena, site of the women’s water polo final on August 10.
Women’s team manager Ellie Beck addressed Swift’s camp and surprised the team with tickets. Flav said he also contacted Swift’s team, but the tickets had already been approved.
Flav, who is working on another tour with Public Enemy that could begin later this year, then held up a T-shirt with his photo and the words “KING SWIFTIE” on it.
“I’m proud to support Taylor. … Flavor Flav “Swifty, the king of all Swifties,” he said.
This is another connection between Flav and his new favorite team.