HOUSTON (KIAH) – Jim McIngvale, or Mattress Mack, is known for his love of the Astros, but he’s also known for his love of the entire city of Houston.
“All of us in Houston are excited about the Astros. They bring unity and excitement, they are a great tremendous asset to our city,” Mattress Mack said about the Astros making it back to the World Series.
Many Houstonians would agree with his sentiment about the Astros, but they would also add Mattress Mack to the list. Whether it’s free mattresses if the Astros win it all for people who buy them at Gallery Furniture, his signature commercials telling people “Free, free free”, and of course how can you not mention when he opened the doors of his stores during Hurricane Harvey.
If you’ve ever wondered when the fandom began, go all the way back to 1981. Mattress Mack has been around for the Nolan Ryan and the Jose Cruz years, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, the back to back to back 100 loss seasons, and of course the 2017 World Series victory.
“I’ve been an Astros fan for 40 years, been really following them closely the last 10 or 12 years. Been a sponsor for the last years, I’m a huge die hard Astros fan,” said McIngvale.
Aside from the mattresses and the Astros, McIngvale is also known for placing large bets on the team. This year he’s placed a $2 million bet with a payout of $22 million if the Astros win the title.
“If the Astros win the World Series we’re going to give back about $20 million in free mattresses. All covered by our insurance we made which is why we made the bet,” McIngvale said about his bet.
Now let’s see if the Astros can score a few runs and then add a little insurance themselves to bring back the 2021 World Series title.
