CJ Stroud just found easiest way to infuriate Astros fans after wardrobe backlash

Generally speaking, players of other sports in a given city typically support the other hometown teams. There are exceptions in some cases, with Mike Trout's hometown Eagles fandom a famous example, but you generally don't see opposing fandoms flaunted too much, especially in season. However, Houston Astros fans were treated to a minor betrayal over the weekend courtesy of Texans quarterback CJ Stroud.

Obviously, Stroud is a big name in football circles after getting picked second overall in 2023 and going on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Football is big business in Texas, and with Stroud, it looks like the hometown Texans are going to be a force to be reckoned with for a long time.

Unfortunately, Stroud didn't exactly endear himself to Astros fans over the weekend with his choice of headwear. During the Texans' preseason game against the Panthers, Stroud was seen on the sidelines wearing a Mariners hat and, uh, Astros fans noticed.

CJ Stroud betraying Astros by wearing Mariners hat is drama we didn't even know we needed

Just to be clear, Stroud's HatGate is not an actual controversy. Guys in other sports should be welcome to wear whatever they want, and it isn't like Stroud was chanting "Go Mariners" at the Houston crowd. We see people of all stripes wearing all sorts of teams' hats as fashion statements and nothing more.

In fact, Stroud said as much when he was asked about his hat after the backlash he received online. While Stroud admitted that he probably has hats from every team to go with whatever fit he is going with on any given day, he went out of his way to say that he supports the Astros "and the Dodgers because I’m from L.A."

Ignoring the gross Dodgers fandom for a moment, this is truly a nothingburger of a controversy, but a funny one, as they were legitimately saying that Stroud should not be allowed in Daikin Park after wearing a Seattle hat. Still, this is a bit of a cautionary tale that when the hometown team is in a tough division race with a team, you may want to keep that team's gear out of your outfit rotation until the coast is clear.

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