Snoop Dogg: America’s cheerleader at the Olympics

There are few individuals who have grow to be extra synonymous with the 2024 Olympics than Snoop Dogg.

When there’s an American athlete vying for a medal in Paris, there’s a digicam able to pan to the American rapper cheering within the stands.

He has been seen dancing alongside the US girls’s gymnastics staff, dressing up in equestrian gear to assist American horseback riders and even making an attempt out judo expertise.

Snoop Dogg’s enthusiasm for the video games has injected a brand new power into the Olympics that’s fascinating viewers in Paris and the web alike, and making for a extremely watched summer season video games, in accordance with NBC viewership numbers.

After a number of clips went viral from Snoop Dogg’s time internet hosting a spotlight present with comic Kevin Hart on NBC’s streaming platform Peacock throughout the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – the community gave the rapper an excellent larger position in 2024: particular correspondent.

However Snoop Dogg has seemingly taken the position to the subsequent degree changing into a cheerleader for American athletes whatever the sport.

He began his video games with an integral position: he was among the many closing torchbearers of the Olympic flame earlier than the sport’s opening ceremony final week.

The 52-year-old, whose full title is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr, carried the torch by way of the streets of Saint-Denis within the north of Paris, dwelling to the Stade de France Olympic Stadium.

And whereas the position of particular correspondent and his torch-bearing job have been introduced forward of time, Snoop Dogg’s constant presence and excessive power for the American athletes has been a particular shock for viewers.

“We’ve been pleasantly shocked by his reputation, however you by no means ever underestimate Snoop Dogg,” Molly Solomon, NBC’s government producer of the Olympics, informed reporters this week.

She described him an “ambassador of happiness”.

When the US girls’s gymnastics staff competed earlier this week, Snoop Dogg was dancing within the stands and sporting a t-shirt with Simone Biles’ face on it.

Elsewhere in Paris, he has cheered on tennis star Coco Gauff and volleyball star Kelly Cheng, amongst numerous others.

On Saturday, he joined American superstar chef Martha Stewart in watching the equestrian occasions, whereas decked out in horse driving gear.

He participated in promotional judo occasion throughout the video games the place he was awarded an honorary black belt and bought a swimming lesson from American-swimming nice Michael Phelps.

Some have recommended the rapper’s presence has been a defining consider higher scores.

Starting on 26 July, the day of the opening ceremony, the five-day whole viewers common was 34 million viewers when combining daytime and primetime protection, an NBC Sports activities launch mentioned.

That’s up 79% from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics the place viewership suffered due to the pandemic.

However past the scores and the web coalescing, Snoop Dogg mentioned he’s simply having fun with himself.

By no means “in his wildest desires” did he count on to play this position within the Olympics, he informed NBC Nightly Information’ Lester Holt in an interview recalling watching the Olympics on TV when he was youthful.

“I am the largest child within the crowd,” Snoop Dogg mentioned.