Flavor Flav is making sure the U.S. Women’s Olympic hockey team gets the celebration they deserve. The Public Enemy hype man extended a formal invitation to the gold medal-winning squad to join him in Las Vegas after their historic victory at the Winter Olympics.
The Backstory
The American women’s team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime last week, securing gold in a thrilling match. Their win mirrored the U.S. men’s team, who also beat Canada 2-1 in overtime. However, controversy erupted when President Donald Trump invited only the men’s team to attend his State of the Union address on February 24.
Trump later added the women’s team as an “afterthought,” joking that he would be impeached if he didn’t. The late invitation drew criticism from commentators and fans who felt the women’s achievement was not given equal respect.
Flavor Flav Steps In
In response, Flavor Flav took to X to offer a real celebration. “If the USA Women’s Hockey team wants a real celebration and invite,,, I’ll host them in Las Vegas,” he wrote. “Do some nice dinners and shows and good times. I’m sure I can get a hotel and airline to help me out here and celebrate these women for real for real.”
Flav has long been a vocal supporter of U.S. women athletes. He previously hyped the women’s teams at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and even supported the bobsled and skeleton squads during the Milan Cortina Games.
Team’s Response
The women’s hockey team politely declined Trump’s invitation, citing academic and professional commitments. In a statement, they said: “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement. Due to the timing and previously scheduled commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate.”
Public Reaction
The offhand nature of Trump’s invite sparked backlash. Veteran sports journalist Keith Olbermann criticized the move, saying any men’s team members who accepted the invitation were showing “indelible stupidity and misogyny.”
Flavor Flav’s gesture, however, has been widely praised as a genuine show of support. His Vegas invite highlights the importance of celebrating women athletes equally and ensuring their achievements are recognized on the same level as their male counterparts.
