Taste Flav admittedly doesn’t know a lot about water polo, however the Public Enemy rapper is all in on the U.S. Girls’s staff this summer time after they journey to Paris for the 2024 Olympics. After the rapper responded to a remark by staff coach and three time gold-medal-winning captain Maggie Steffens calling for assist for the staff earlier this yr, the dynamic duo appeared on CBS Mornings collectively on Monday (July 1) to speak about their unlikely partnership.
Flav — who has signed a five-year sponsorship deal for each the lads’s and girls’s U.S. water polo groups — was wearing his most interesting crimson, white and blue staff USA olympic gear for the chat, together with, in fact, an infinite, blinged-out Crew USA medallion. “These ladies out right here… the ladies’s water polo staff they on the market bustin’ their butt to make United States look good,” Flav informed co-hosts Nate Burleson and Gayle King.
“And so they chasin’ this dream, what I’m sayin’?,” Flav stated of the staff that scored back-to-back-to-back gold medals in 2012, 2016 and 2020. The Public Enemy hype man admitted that he didn’t know a lot in regards to the sport earlier than and had solely seen it briefly on TV throughout earlier Olympics. However when his supervisor confirmed him Steffens’ submit about how staff members — like many Olympic athletes — should have two or three jobs to assist their sports activities careers he stated he needed to get entangled.
“I used to be positively shocked. I used to be actually excited,” Steffens stated of her response when Flav responded to her submit and pledged to assist out. “When Flav responded it was positively not who I anticipated. However it has been a fantastic, stunning expectation and relationship that has modified and he’s actually opened up a variety of doorways and really been a hype man for us. It’s been superb.”
On Could 4, Steffens wrote in an Instagram submit that she and her fellow athletes may actually use some monetary assist earlier than this summer time’s video games. “You all are really the staff behind the staff and we really feel it and we’d like it! Lots of my teammates aren’t simply badass champions, but additionally lecturers, enterprise homeowners, coaches, physicians assistants, and extra. Some might not know this, however most Olympians want a 2nd (or third) job to assist chasing the dream (myself included!) and most groups depend on sponsors for journey, lodging, dietary assist, lease/lodging, and easily affording to dwell nowadays,” Steffens wrote on Instagram in paying tribute to her hard-working mates.
Father of 4 women Flav, 65, responded on the time, “AYYY YOOO,,, as a woman dad and supporter of all ladies’s sports activities – imma personally sponsor you my lady,,, no matter you want. And imma sponsor the entire staff. My supervisor is in contact along with your agent and imma use all my relationships and assets to assist all y’all much more. That’s a FLAVOR FLAV promise.”
Throughout their interview Flav stated that he’s since realized that the intensely bodily sport by which gamers can swim in extra of two miles throughout a match whereas treading water more often than not is “one of many hardest video games to play.” Blown away by the quantity of labor they put into their sport for what is usually little or no remuneration, Flav stated he was joyful to step in, which Steffens stated has already made a distinction.
“He’s all the time making us snort and positively brings a variety of positivity,” Steffens stated of the shine Flav has introduced amid the nervousness that has begun to creep in because the July 26 opening date for the Paris video games approaches. “To have Flav’s actually constructive, optimist and enjoyable vitality it brings a fantastic perspective to our staff.” After Flav famous that he can swim, Steffens pledged to get the rapper within the pool to check out his water polo expertise.
In a shock that lit up Steffens already beaming face, Flav revealed that his sponsorship will include a Virgin Voyage cruise in addition to a $1,000 bonus. “That’s superb,” a shocked-looking Steffens stated with a large grin on her face. “I’m elated, that’s superb. Thanks a lot!”
For now, although, Flav is planning to be in Paris to cheer the staff on and, he added, he hopes his effort will open the doorways for different celebs to sponsor Olympic athletes.
Take a look at Flav and Steffens beneath.