Maggie Steffens requested for extra assist for the U.S. girls’s water polo staff, and the captain acquired one notably stunning response.
From a clock-wearing rap icon.
Moved by Steffens’ Instagram put up, Taste Flav has stepped ahead to assist the U.S. staff because it goes for an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal on the Paris Olympics this summer season. He’s finalizing a deal that can make him a USA Water Polo sponsor and the official hype man for a program looking for a much bigger highlight.
The 65-year-old Flav, a founding member and hype man with Public Enemy, has jumped headfirst into his new duties, highlighting among the staff’s finest gamers on social media. He is also planning to observe the ladies’s staff play in Paris.
“After I come out and I watch this water polo staff … ‘USA! USA!’ Yo, I’m going to be the largest hype man that they ever had of their life,” he informed the AP on Friday. “I’m going to be larger than any cheerleader that that they had of their life. I’m going to cheer this staff on, and I’m going to cheer this staff into profitable a gold medal.”
Profitable has been the standard outcome for the U.S. girls’s staff for the reason that 2012 Olympics. But it surely hasn’t attracted the identical consideration or assist as equally dominant American applications, largely as a result of water polo stays a distinct segment sport all through many of the world.
That — together with a little bit nostalgia — prompted Steffens, 30, the final remaining member of the 2012 staff, to put up on Instagram. Whereas expressing gratitude for the chance to play and her love for her sport, she additionally inspired anybody studying the put up to take a look at her staff and highlighted the fixed monetary wrestle for many Olympic athletes.
“We’ve gotten a whole lot of feedback you already know of ‘Oh, it’s so cool what you’ve accomplished. Bummer you’re not a soccer participant or a basketball participant, as a result of your staff can be getting far more publicity or far more assist,’” Steffens stated Friday from Paris, the place the staff is on a coaching journey forward of the Olympics.
“And as an alternative we’re nonetheless type of the place we had been at 12 years in the past, which for me isn’t my objective. I’ve at all times wished to propel the game ahead.”
Enter Flav, who was inducted with the group Public Enemy into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame in 2013. Flav’s supervisor introduced the put up to his consideration, and he determined he wished to assist.
“One factor about me, I do know what it feels wish to wish to see a dream come true,” stated Flav, who is understood for sporting an enormous clock on a series round his neck. “I do know what it feels wish to wish to obtain a objective, and I’m the kind of individual that, if I see you attempting, then I’m going to do no matter I can that will help you.”
Steffens stated it was “very surreal” when Flav — whose authorized title is William Jonathan Drayton Jr. — reached out. Requested what she knew about Flav and Public Enemy earlier than the connection, Steffens promptly imitated Flav’s frequent “Taste Flav!” declaration.
Steffens is likely one of the oldest gamers on the U.S. staff, however she stated Ryann Neushul, 24, had Public Enemy in her prime 5 on the music streaming service, Spotify. A few the staff’s coaches and Steffens’ household additionally had been excited concerning the partnership.
“My complete household was like ‘Is that this actual? Flav is a part of the water polo world now?’” Steffens stated. “I used to be like ‘I don’t know what’s happening, however I wish to put on a clock proper now and that’s how I’m feeling.’”
Steffens and the U.S. staff even have one other high-profile supporter in Taylor Swift. They attended the musician’s Eras Tour live performance on Friday night time at La Défense Area — the venue for the ladies’s water polo ultimate on Aug. 10.
Ladies’s nationwide staff supervisor Ally Beck reached out to Swift’s camp and stunned the staff with the tickets. Flav stated he additionally contacted Swift’s staff, however the tickets had already been authorized.
Flav, who’s engaged on one other tour with Public Enemy that would start later this yr, then held up a T-shirt together with his image that learn “KING SWIFTIE.”
“I’m proud to assist Taylor. … Taste Flav is a Swiftie, the king of all of the Swifties,” he stated.
That’s one other connection Flav has together with his new favourite staff.
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