The Legend of Mattress Mack

[Coach Andy Mac]

Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is a businessman from Texas who owns and operates the Gallery Furniture retail chain. Mattress Mack has become sort of an internet sensation for the exceptionally large wagers he places on sporting contests, most recently with his record-setting total $9.5 million dollar bet on the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI.

Not only is Mack notoriously famous for gambling gigantic sums on sports contests in his personal life, but he uses a similar approach in his business. Mack offered Gallery Furniture customers a full “reimbursement to those who spent $3,000 or more” on furniture from popular brands like Sealy, and Tempur-Pedic if the Bengals were to win. He also has run this same promotion for the Astros in the past. Unfortunately, Mack lost his massive bet when the Bengals lost Super Bowl LVI, but as a result did not have to reimburse customers. 

Mack played football himself in college for the University of North Texas. Coming out of college, Mack and his wife moved to Houston to run the furniture store that started “as a small business” and eventually grew to the $200 million annual business it is today. At the start of their business venture, Mack and his wife used to sleep in the store, and Mack, as a last resort when initially struggling financially, invested his last $10,000 to air a TV commercial. The commercial became a huge success when Mack spoke at a rapid-fire pace to get his whole message to fit in the 25 seconds allotted. At the very end of the Gallery Furniture advertisement, Mack exclaimed, “We will save you money!” The slogan “save you money!” stuck to this day and so did McIngvale’s nickname, Mattress Mack. 

Read more:  http://thecollegevoice.org/2022/02/28/the-legend-of-mattress-mack/

Edited February 28, 2022 by Coach Andy Mac

[ColoradoEagle]

Has he ever gotten back behind the program? If not, I don't see the relevance.

[Mike Jackson]

I just wish he held back 3 million off his bet on the Bengals to buyout Seth.  If you going to throw money away🤷🏽‍♂️

[Cr1028]

3 hours ago, ColoradoEagle said:

Has he ever gotten back behind the program? If not, I don't see the relevance.

You mean since the outdoor practice facility?

[ColoradoEagle]

5 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

You mean since the outdoor practice facility?

Yes. 

[Jonnyeagle]

4 hours ago, ColoradoEagle said:

Has he ever gotten back behind the program? If not, I don't see the relevance.

You mean since he paid for the athletic center? Or paid for the entire team and their families to go to Andrew Smith’s funeral?  Or the countless times he came to the rescue for an underfunded football program?  Or the practice facility he named?  Or when he played football here in college?

[ColoradoEagle]

Yes. Since then. Has he had any meaningful involvement or even showed up to any games since 2006? It’s an honest question. 

[Udomann]

16 hours ago, ColoradoEagle said:

Yes. Since then. Has he had any meaningful involvement or even showed up to any games since 2006? It’s an honest question. 

Grateful we have folks like you to police the forum content! Keep contributing that fine content sir, I look forward to the next edition of "why is this here", while myself wondering, "why is this here?"

[ColoradoEagle]

31 minutes ago, Udomann said:

Grateful we have folks like you to police the forum content! Keep contributing that fine content sir, I look forward to the next edition of "why is this here", while myself wondering, "why is this here?"

I don't even know who you are.

[Udomann]

26 minutes ago, ColoradoEagle said:

I don't even know who you are.

I am a purveyor of fine and curated internet content like yourself. Unlike you, I grew up watching mattress mack on TV from the proud city of Cut N' Shoot Texas ( look it up). So I rather enjoyed the piece on his association with UNT.

I didn't know how much he had contributed, just knew he used to be a big booster

 

[ColoradoEagle]

13 minutes ago, Udomann said:

I am a purveyor of fine and curated internet content like yourself.

This got me. 😂

Quote

Unlike you, I grew up watching mattress mack on TV from the proud city of Cut N' Shoot Texas ( look it up). So I rather enjoyed the piece on his association with UNT.

I didn't know how much he had contributed, just knew he used to be a big booster

He basically dragged the school and AD through the mud 15 years ago, highlighting in a humiliating way how poor athletics was at the time. To my knowledge (and I'd gladly be corrected!) he's not been involved since.

Edited March 1, 2022 by ColoradoEagle

[Udomann]

2 hours ago, ColoradoEagle said:

He basically dragged the school and AD through the mud 15 years ago, highlighting in a humiliating way how poor athletics was at the time. To my knowledge (and I'd gladly be corrected!) he's not been involved since.

He's certainly given more for the program than I ever will.

When I get closer to his I can start judging better, I hope.

[untjim1995]

15 hours ago, Udomann said:

He's certainly given more for the program than I ever will.

When I get closer to his I can start judging better, I hope.

So basically, never complain if you aren't a big moneyed booster...you must be RV

[Udomann]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

So basically, never complain if you aren't a big moneyed booster...you must be RV

Yes, that's exactly what I said. And I can't wait to read where I said that too! I love a good mystery.

[UNTLifer]

Mattress Mack is all about Mattress Mack.  He isn't doing one thing or spending one dollar unless he is in the limelight.

[Coffee and TV]

The first impression I got of Mattress Mack was from my freshman/sophomore roommate who grew up in Houston, he was surprised we didn't have Furniture Galleries and I didn't know of the dude's commercials. He just straight up described the dude as making all of his money in drugs and that the furniture store was just a front lol. I'm sure if that was still the case today something would have been uncovered in the last 20 years, but it's funny that that was my first impression to later hearing that he was an alum and built the new practice facility. 

[ColoradoEagle]

8 minutes ago, Coffee and TV said:

 I'm sure if that was still the case today something would have been uncovered in the last 20 years, but it's funny that that was my first impression to later hearing that he was an alum and built the new practice facility. 

Just to be clear, we're talking about an outdoor football field with goalposts, not the IPF.

[Coffee and TV]

28 minutes ago, ColoradoEagle said:

Just to be clear, we're talking about an outdoor football field with goalposts, not the IPF.

And at some point threatened to take that money back if they didn't name it after Darrell f-ckin Dickey of all people...

[Pavlovs Eagle]

On 3/2/2022 at 12:43 PM, Coffee and TV said:

He just straight up described the dude as making all of his money in drugs and that the furniture store was just a front lol.

Maybe your friend was mixing up local Houston wealthy people folklore with Tillman Fertitta who is just another generation of the storied Fertitta crime family from Galveston?

[Rudy]

On 3/1/2022 at 3:45 PM, Udomann said:

Grateful we have folks like you to police the forum content! Keep contributing that fine content sir, I look forward to the next edition of "why is this here", while myself wondering, "why is this here?"

It's a valid question.  He threw a temper tantrum when NT fired his buddy, and he demanded we name the practice facility after his buddy, or he'd take his money elsewhere.  Even after holding the school hostage with his money, and NT giving in to his demands, he told the school to piss off and now supports cougar high.  So it IS a valid question, regardless of how you feel about him.

[Udomann]

17 hours ago, Rudy said:

It's a valid question.  He threw a temper tantrum when NT fired his buddy, and he demanded we name the practice facility after his buddy, or he'd take his money elsewhere.  Even after holding the school hostage with his money, and NT giving in to his demands, he told the school to piss off and now supports cougar high.  So it IS a valid question, regardless of how you feel about him.

To be fair, the day I wrote that comment was after seeing 4 threads in a row of people complaining that stuff didn't belong in the football forum, even if football related. Felt like a bunch of folks were policing things, so it annoyed me.

I don't check anything but Football and Basketball, otherwise the content on here would be dead. and I like content. It gives me a reason to keep drinking.