DON'T MESS WITH KATE
Kate Upton's legendary 'salute' reminds fans she and JV are ready for New York
Dec 5, 2022, 5:12 pm
News erupted on a relatively quiet Monday, December 5 that Houston Astros superstar ace and Cy Young Award-winnerJustin Verlander inked a deal with the New York Mets.
According to the New York Post, Verlander, a free agent, agreed to a two-year, $86 million deal with the Mets, with a vesting, third-year option for $35 million. While that's huge news in the world of pro baseball, Verlander's superstar model wife Kate Upton has been also trending on Twitter.
No surprise there, as cover girl and fashion influencer Upton boasts more than 6 million followers on Instagram alone and one of the most followed models on the globe. But it's not a cover shot or sizzling bikini pic making the rounds, but rather, a video of the supermodel shooting the bird to Philadelphia Phillies fans.
Upton, an oft-smiling mom and wife, had no problem backing down from Philly Fan with a double-barreled, middle finger salute. While the audio is hard to decipher, we're guessing Upton didn't edit her smack talk in the dubious City of Brotherly Love.
Plenty of local talk (if one is interested in that sort of thing) points to the Mets being the team for "real" NYC baseball fans, while Yankees fans are said to be band-wagoning, late to games, and full of corporate partners. It's also good optics that Verlander didn't bolt for the team that the Astros dispatched in a four-game sweep on the way to their second World Series title.
Houston fans will no doubt miss Upton, who wed Verlander, gave birth to darling daughter Genevieve, and essentially broke the internet when she donned a retro Astros jacket — making it an instant sellout — all while here in the Bayou City. As transplants from there regularly point out, Houston is notoriously friendlier than the Big Apple.
But, something tells Upton, who has proven that she's not afraid to go publicly potty-mouthed in defense of JV, will have zero problem handling any mouthy NYC fans.
Upton clearly gives zero bleeps when defending her man. Kate Upton/Twitter
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CultureMap is gearing up for the exciting return of The Tailgate, our all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit.
For the event’s third year, we’re partying in EaDo at 8th Wonder. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11, and tickets are already on sale.
Attendees can look forward to sports-inspired bites from some of their favorite Houston restaurants, premium cocktails, memorabilia from Texas legends, and plenty more game-day fun.
Popular Houston restaurants and chefs will create tailgate-inspired dishes for attendees to sample and vote for their favorite. Participants include:
- 1891 American Eatery & Bar
- Big City Wings
- Comfort Foodies
- The Halal Guys
- J Bar M
- Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
- Kokoro
- Layne's Chicken Fingers
- Loro
- Mainely Sandwiches
- Pizaro's Pizza
- Ramen Tatsu-Ya
- Saint Arnold Brewing Company
- Southern Jerks
- Stuff'd Wings
- Taste Kitchen + Bar
- Thai Tail
- The Waffle Bus
- Uchi
- Uchiko Houston
Attendees can look forward to food from favorite Houston restaurants and premium cocktails.Photo by Marco Torres / @MarcoFromHouston
Following up on the success of last year’s Ultimate Sports Bar Showdown, we’ll soon be asking readers to vote for their favorite wing joint of 2024. Our editors have put together a list of 16 candidates that will go head-to-head in a bracket-style tournament we're calling the Ultimate Wing Showdown. Your winner will be revealed at the party.
The event will also shine a spotlight on local sports organizations, including the Texans, which will raffle off a CJ Stroud-signed White Panel Football. The Astros will show off their Shooting Stars dancers as well as the 2017 and 2022 World Series Trophies, and their Shuttle Crew team will bring prizes. Houston soccer stars the Dynamo and Dash will raffle team-signed jerseys.
Attendees can expect more fun, games, and prizes courtesy of our event sponsors and local vendors, including Verizon, HOWDY, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Houston Powder Coaters, Holey Moley Golf Club, Mizzen+Main, Shipley Do-nuts, and more.
Fan favorite Astros broadcaster Julia Morales will be there with her cult favorite apparel line, Shop Baseball, Y'all.
We'll keep you up to date on all things Tailgate-related in a special editorial series of stories leading up to the event.
A limited number of Early Bird tickets are on sale now at discounted rates of $35 for general admission (regularly $50) and $60 for VIP (regularly $75).
All tickets include bites by participating restaurants, complimentary premium beverages, and access to fun activities throughout the event. VIP tickets come with one-hour early entry, access to a dedicated VIP bar, an exclusive meet-and-greet with one of Houston's top athletes, and more perks for an elevated experience.
Head here to buy your tickets now.
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The Tailgate is sponsored by Verizon, HOWDY, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Houston Powder Coaters, Holey Moley Golf Club, Mizzen+Main, Shipley Do-nuts and more to be announced.