Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Meet The Surprising Sponsor Behind Olympic U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team

The Daily Wire
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PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 27: Flavor Flav, rapper and hype man for the U.S. women's water polo team stands for a portrait outside the Aquatics Center before the opening match between the U.S. and Greece at the Paris 2024 Olympics Games on July 27, 2024 in Paris, France. In May, U.S. water polo captain Maggie Steffens put out a call for sponsorship and Flavor Fav made a financial contribution to the women's team for the Paris Olympics. (Photo by Jessica Koscielniak/The Washington Post via Getty Images)Jessica Koscielniak/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The United States women’s water polo team got a surprising response when Team USA Captain Maggie Steffens put out a call for sponsors to help the team — which has won three consecutive Olympic gold medals and is battling for a fourth in Paris.

Flavor Flav, the American rapper born William Jonathan Drayton Jr., stepped up — and in addition to offering to financially support the whole team, appointed himself the team’s official hype man as well.

The unlikely partnership began with an Instagram post in May, in which Steffens explained that because water polo was less visible than some other sports, even three-time gold medalists like herself were holding two or even three jobs in order to keep up their training.

“Many of my teammates aren’t just badass champions, but also teachers, business owners, coaches, physicians assistants, and more. Some may not know this, but most Olympians need a 2nd (or 3rd) job to support chasing the dream (myself included!) and most teams rely on sponsors for travel, accommodations, nutritional support, rent/lodging, and simply affording to live in this day and age. Especially female sports and female athletes,” she said in part.

 

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A post shared by Maggie Steffens (@maggie.steffens)

Flavor Flav responded: “AYYY YOOO,,, as a girl dad and supporter of all women’s sports – imma personally sponsor you my girl,,, whatever you need. And imma sponsor the whole team. My manager is in touch with your agent and imma use all my relationships and resources to help all y’all even more. That’s a FLAVOR FLAV promise.”

In addition to sponsoring the team financially, he promised to be “the biggest hype man” and “the biggest cheerleader” that any on the team had ever seen.

 

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A post shared by Flavor Flav ⏰ (@flavorflavofficial)

The rapper has been as good as his word, rocking a water polo cap and Team USA jersey in the stands at the Paris Olympics — with the signature clock around his neck declaring that it’s water polo time. He even went so far as to get in the water and play with the team prior to their appearance at the Olympics. “This ain’t easy,” he said with a laugh, but after some encouragement from the ladies, he added, “My crew says I did good.”

Another sponsor has stepped up since, offering to support the U.S. Women’s Rugby Sevens team after their surprise win over Australia — which earned them their first-ever medal in Olympic competition, a bronze. Michele Kang, owner of several women’s soccer clubs, pledged $4 million in donations to the team earlier this week.

Flavor Flav cheered her support, and put out a call for even more sponsors to come forward and do the same.

“This is the type of commitment and support ya boy has been pushing for,!!! Thank you to Michele [Kang] for stepping up BIG TIME with @USARugby … this ain’t small y’all. WHO’S NEXT.”


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