Who Is 'Mattress Mack?' The Astros Meme And Legend Explained

On the professional baseball side of social media, there is a man named Jim McIngvale, also known as Mattress Mack, who's been nicknamed Gangsta Mack during the 2022 MLB World Series, mostly due to a $10 million bet he placed on his Houston Astros to beat the Philadelphia Phillies. If it comes true, he'll get a whopping $75 million payout.

This isn't the first time Mack's been in the spotlight for his high-stakes, sports-betting habits. He's done the same for football and for World Series' of the past. He's also well-known in the Houston area, a household name even. This makes his hatred of Phillies fans even more potent in Texas meme circles.

So, who is this man? How is his income so disposable? What are all of these "Mattress Mack" memes about? Let's explain.

Who is 'Mattress Mack,' aka Jim McIngvale?

It's safe to say that the man's been around for a long time. First of all, he's 71 years old, born in Starkville, Mississippi in 1951. He grew up in Texas though, attending high school in the Dallas area. After college where he played NCAA football, McIngvale decided to start a business, Gallery Furniture, in 1981.

His business is what he became known for throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, mostly due to his TV advertisements. He was the face of the company in them, talking directly to the camera, hence the nickname "Mattress Mack."

How Much Has 'Mattress Mack' Bet on Sports?

It's safe to say that Mattress Mack accumulated a lot of wealth from his Gallery Furniture business. Of course, this is evident in his history of multi-million dollar sports bets on some of America's biggest games.

For instance, in 2019, he placed over $13 million dollars on the Houston Astros to win the World Series. In 2020, he bet over $1 million dollars for the Tennessee Titans to upset the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. In 2021, he bet $3.436 million on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccs to win Super Bowl LV. This last one actually paid out for him, earning him $2 million in one go.

What Are All of the 'Mattress Mack' Memes About During the 2022 World Series?

Due to Mack's love for the Houston Astros, he's bet a whopping $10 million on them this year to win the World Series, beating the Philadelphia Phillies. If this occurs, Mack will win up to $75 million, being one of the largest cash payouts in legal sports betting history.

So, most of the memes are coming from this tension. After every game of the World Series so far, videos have been dropping that show Mack's reaction after losses and wins. Of course, he's wildly upset when the Astros lose but he displays pure ecstasy when they win.

What is the 'Gangsta Mack' Meme?

Drawings and photoshopped pictures of Mattress Mack have been surfacing on Twitter lately that show the man iced out with chains, grills and tattoos, nicknaming him "Gangsta Mack." Why? Well, it's all because of one video that showed Mack cursing out some Phillies fans after a loss this month.

Naaaaaaa Mack is a gangster I love this guy pic.twitter.com/O58hSlqGiN

— JC The Bronx Mattress Mack (@CantH0LDMe) November 2, 2022

After that, an artist on Twitter named HOC_STUDIOS shared an illustration of his, and thus, the "Gangsta Mack" image macro was born. Since then, many meme creators have been using the image and others, painting Mack as a no-f***s-giving bada**, as in, someone who would bet an entire life's savings on his favorite team.

For the full history of Mattress Mack, be sure to check out our entry on him here for even more information.