In a Las Vegas meeting room, rapper and hype man Flavor Flav stood before the Clark County Board of Commissioners to make an appeal for the U.S. Olympic women's hockey team. The team, which won gold in February, had been the subject of a presidential slight when Donald Trump spoke of inviting them to the White House as an afterthought. Flavor Flav, a self-proclaimed "girl dad," proposed hosting a celebration in their honor, dubbed "Flavor Flav's SHE Weekend," scheduled for July 16-19.
The idea for the weekend was born out of Flavor Flav's social media post in February, where he offered the team a "real celebration and invite" after Trump's comments. According to Rhiannon Rae Ellis, Flavor Flav's manager, the tweet turned into a "movement" aimed at creating "lasting social change in women's sports." The event's website claims that over 100 athletes from the Winter Games, including members of the women's bobsled and skeleton teams, will be honored. A parade down Las Vegas Boulevard is planned, and the women will receive ceremonial keys to the Strip.
However, the involvement of Flavor Flav, a man with a rap sheet of violence against women, raises questions about whether women's sports are so starved for male advocacy that they'll take anybody. Flavor Flav's history of promoting himself as much as his causes has led some to wonder if the support comes as second billing. Despite this, the U.S. Women's hockey team deserves the celebration, and Flavor Flav's efforts have brought attention to women's sports. The team's star, Hilary Knight, has become social media besties with Flavor Flav, who promised to send the entire hockey team to the ESPYs, glam and wardrobe included.
Flavor Flav's involvement in women's sports is not new. He was the official sponsor and hype man for the U.S. Women's water polo team, which finished fourth at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He gave $1,000 to each woman on the team and helped gin up media appearances and other opportunities for all water polo athletes. While his efforts have brought mainstream publicity to women's sports, it's unclear whether his influence is the right kind of advocacy. As the SHE Weekend approaches, it remains to be seen whether Flavor Flav's vision for women's sports will lead to lasting change or if it's just another self-promotional stunt.
The SHE Weekend is set to kick off on July 16, with a parade down Las Vegas Boulevard and a ceremony where the women will receive ceremonial keys to the Strip. Whether Flavor Flav's efforts will make a lasting impact on women's sports remains to be seen.
Source: Yahoo Sports