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Houston businessman Jim 'Mattress Mack' McIngvale called Philadelphia Phillies supporters the "worst fans ever" while addressing a now-viral incident that took place after the Houston Astros' Game 3 loss at Citizens Bank Park.
"I was told they are the worst fans ever. I expected the best and I got the worst," McIngvale told KHOU on Wednesday (November 2).
A video shared online showed McIngvale, 71, who placed a $10 million futures bet on the hometown Astros to win the World Series earlier this year, repeatedly yelling "f*** you" while being held back by two people.
McIngvale told KHOU that the incident stemmed from a "drunk guy" referencing the Astros' infamous 2017 cheating scandal -- which Major League Baseball investigated and confirmed that the Astros had illegally used a camera system to steal signs during their World Series run, as well as part of the 2018 season -- specifically mentioning former American League MVP Jose Altuve.
"When they said ‘Altuve’s a f—king cheater, he’ll never make the Hall of Fame,’ that sent me over the edge," McIngvale told KHOU.
"I stand up for Houston when they're right and I stand up for Jose Altuve," McIngvale added. "Jose is one of the greatest Astros of all time, he's a great person and a great ambassador for Houston."
On Wednesday morning, McIngvale tweeted, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21," seemingly in response to the incident going viral.
The now-viral video came hours after McIngvale praised the notorious Philly sports fans for their hospitality, sharing multiple videos of himself signing autographs for Phillies fans.
"The City of Brotherly Love has really earned its name. I’m overwhelmed with how welcoming this city has been. Bless you, Philadelphia, PA, but my beloved @astros are still going to win tonight," McIngvale tweeted prior to Monday night's loss.
"Now I know why they call it the City of Brotherly Love," McIngvale tweeted in a separate post showing his interaction with opposing fans. "These @Phillies fans couldn’t be nicer. Our @astros are still going to win tonight!"
The Phillies defeated the Astros, 7-0, tying a World Series single-game record with five home runs hit on Tuesday night, all of which came off Houston starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr., which was also a record for most allowed by one pitcher in a World Series game.
Houston tied the series, 2-2, with a 5-0 win in Game 4 on Wednesday (November 2) night, with starter Christian Javier and relievers Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly combining to throw the second no-hitter in World Series play and the first ever combined postseason.