Alex Bregman & Houston Welcomes Its Hero At The 2022 World Series Parade

Tiko Texas11/15/2022 3:30 PM

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I didn't get any sleep the night before the parade. Game 6 had happened, I was several shots in, and going out to celebrate. We had gotten a second hour of partying and it seemed to make the night never end. I honestly didn't quite understand what was going on. It was happening way too fast, way too big, way too spontaneously.

I thought about reaching out to Dave, asking for a flight to Houston to cover content on the parade, and a 1 person camera crew to capture an interview with Bregman. But although I had spoken to Bregman about interviewing him, things weren't cemented. PLUS, I was still a lil in my feelings about not being able to attend any game in the World Series, so pride mainly took over at that point.

I went ahead and just bought the ticket, shit Barstool was paying me every 2 weeks. I can afford this. It won't kill me. I think that's the thing about myself. I believe I'm strong enough to face almost anything and rarely can ever ask for help. I do think this can be a a bit of a hinderance. Nothing's really done without help. We all need help.

Regardless, I bought the $400 ticket on my Visa and made my way to Laguardia. On the plane, I see Rone. Nick, KB & Fastoolie are in Houston. Hell yea! (Except Rone. Fuck Rone. Jk. Kinda.) Anyways, We had all talked about them experiencing Texas together and they had finally made it to the lil piece of heaven that is Texas.

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When I landed, it felt like landing home after just winning a championship, but wait - that's exactly what it was. I did indeed win it with the Astros. Idgaf what anyone has to say about it. I celebrated with them, I cried with them, I laughed with them. I hurt with them. I won with them. I swept with them. I planned with them. I prayed with them. I was there in spirit every single step of the way. I think our spirits meshed in some way that i do halfway feel part of this win.

Who knew when I walked into that stream that me and my taco hat, I would get this far? Who knew that it would get this crazy, this nuts? I couldn’t draw this up in my wildest dreams and that’s the thing about this isn’t it. How full circle this is.

And not even the baseball fan shit. I’ve grown up on sports, was obsessed with it while i was younger, and then got distant from it as i grew more into “womanhood”, and then my old friend who 20 years ago created one of the most REBELLIOUS & ICONIC & INCREDIBLE & CREATIVE (wait, that totally sounds like my bio) companies would somehow get me back in it? And not even force it. Not even tell me. It’s just naturally happened in a way i could never plot or plan. In a way that you wouldn’t even believe. In a way that I’m on a plane to celebrate my hometowns win with my people. And that includes Alex Bregman and his beautiful wife Reagan. The emotions are pouring right outta me as i walk out of the airport to my car waiting. It’s on, oh baby it’s on.

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After settling in at my mom's beautiful house and a crucial 1 hour jet lagged nap, I link with Nick, Fastoolie, & Jose from the 3rd floor for dinner/drinks in Houston at a bbq restaurant that I recommended for us .“ Pit Room” in Montrose. KB unfortunately was already on the way back to NYC, so I didn’t get a chance to see him. I loved it. We all did. I bought a round of IPAs for everybody and we tore into some good ass BBQ.

Everybody still had a bunch of food left, we ordered so much. (Except for Nick but he literally ate like a bird, so). The conversation was hilarious and easy. The funniest thing is trying to combat Nick’s satire by saying off hand vague comments. It makes for an incredible and interesting dynamic between us. Nick's just the cool funny homeboy that gets along with everybody. He’s harmless. He’s crazy. He's funny. He’s supportive. He’s the kinda guy you wanna be cool with, not only will your ribs hurt from laughing - you’ll feel supported and trust him for some reason. He has a lot of mystery but it’s just part of his charm. I wanna say him, Tommy Smokes, Tony, KB, Donnie, BWalk, Large, M-Rags, Stu & John Rich are definitely my boys. They're kinda the misfits. so I fit in right along with them.

Love the bad ass SUPERSTAR b*tches we have at the Stool too, but ya know with the boys you can crack a beer, be dumb, talk sports, be 'ugly', be yourself. I guess that's how I feel ideally comfortable really. I guess that's how I ended up in the gambling cave on that game 1 of the ALCS in the first place.

There’s also other important Team Tiko members, Dave, Big Cat, Gaz, Hank (Sorry KFC but you still lowkey hate me. Especially now that I'm in office with you. I know it's a bad song for you that you'd wish turn off. I know that's how a lot of y'all feel out there. But baby, the song is ON and Strong!) Anyways.. the OG's all have known me for so long. They’re rooting for my success, although they know i gotta get on my shit and figure it out.

That's exactly what they did and I need to be working harder than they did. I have no other choice if I want the success I claim I do. I’m very clearly a star, but translate it into a Barstool star which you, as an employee, constantly obsess about doing anyways but it’s only God's timing on how it’ll really work.

I tried so hard to get a mic & mic flag from Fastoolie. It’ll look amazing to get Bregman’s face talking on a Barstool mic. I guess Fastoolie asked and got shut down. Which was dumb. I’m bout to make insane footage for Barstool but i can’t get a mic flag. Ight. Fuck it. Best Buy in the morning then. Because I’m getting a mic. And I’m getting that interview.

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The morning of the parade was absolutely nuts. I had to go to the mall, fix my nails, buy a mic from Best Buy, go to the beauty supply, get ready, get to the parade, get to Bregman. But I don’t even know where he is. I spring up in bed wiping my eyes as the dim morning lights pours out into my bedroom. Fuck. My hearts beating. Seems like 5000 miles per hour. I have no idea what’s going to happen today. But i have a feeling I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life.

I hop in the car to run the errands and time is flying. I’m either anxious from all the rushing or what today will be. I absentmindedly go through the motions, buy the things to prepare myself. I’m my own hair stylist, stylist, make up artists, video person, and assistant today. I rushed and bought a ticket to Houston but i seemed to forget that I’d need someone with me. (Going back to that same prideful can’t ask for help shit.) then i remembered my homegirl said last night that she’d be down to help me with whatever i needed. As i curved the corner to my house, i sent her a text back. She texted back “On my way!.” Yessss that’s kinda energy i need.

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The parade was INCREDIBLE innit?, I acted up, of course, y'all already know that's my M.O.

The fans start swarming me. Ok - Im a lil known, I get recognized on the street in a few cities.. but this was different. This was crazy. I couldn't walk 2 feet without being recognized (Im sure the taco hat helped a bit. lol). Everyone wanted hugs, and pictures. They were genuinely happy to see me, which was wild to me. All I did was rep for my city, and celebrate the wins, and get hurt at the losses, but everyone related to it. Thats the thing about Houstonians, we rep our hometown and we rep hard. I took a million pictures, with cops, fans, influencers.. It got to the point that I was starting to feeling overwhelmed.

Everybody wants fame until it's right in your face. People were screaming my name, grabbing my arms, pulling me in for so many pictures, buying me so many shots. It started to feel like a hazy dream. I didn't really feel in control of any of it. It had gotten much bigger than I could ever imagined. It was bigger than anything I could dream of. I happily danced, spoke to and took pictures with fans, you would have never known that I'd feel slightly uncomfortable with it all. I was grateful of the love, but herds of people were following me at one point and I just didn't expect that at all.

As the parade comes to a close, a cop recognized me and said "Are you going to your boy Bregman's afterparty up the street?" I looked up at him. I realized I had forgotten to hit Alex and his wife up. But this was an alley-oop from God himself. I made my way to the Little Woodrow's bar where Bregman was.

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This is where it starts getting crazy. The door was completely shut down, and the door guy didn't care that Bregman followed me on IG. He was adamant that nobody was getting in. My homegirl that I was with wanted to leave, and I understood. Its a blow to someone's pride having to get rejected. But there was a bigger plan, there was Gods plan. and I couldn't leave. It was the same bugging intuition that made me book the flight, the same bugging intuition that made me beg Fastoolie for a mic. There was a blessing here, somewhere, and I wasn't flying 2000 miles back to New York until I got it.

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The fans and supporters were all coming to the door at this point, recognizing me. To the point the doorman was starting to understand. One of the fans had told Bregman that "the taco girl" couldn't get in and someone from his team, came to the front and got me. When I walked in, it was straight pandemonium. 10 times as much as the parade. They surrounded me, they started recording me, taking pictures. They mobbed me, all knowing my name. That point was so overwhelming.

Luckily, Bregman's team pushed me past them after letting them take pictures and walked me right into Bregman's section, which was completely closed off. I walked in, and finally felt at ease. I saw Reagan's smile (Alex's wife) and it calmed me down. She got me a shot and we took pictures and had easy conversation. It was so good finally meeting her in person, after weeks of going back and forth via Instagram DM. She was just as sweet as I figured she'd be. It was all family vibes in the section & I met a bunch of the Astros staff & players.

Then I saw Bregman. I gave him a hug and it just felt good. simple. easy. It's still so crazy for me to be in this position with him. It's so crazy how I'm literally IN with the Astros now. He came over to me, and although I was lit af at this point, I had to reach deep down in my professional bag. It was now or never to get this interview, and although I wasn't prepared for this moment, I was going to take it. Own it. Love it. Talking to Bregman felt like talking to one of my homeboys, easy, funny and chill. We both were all smiles. Bregman's a cool ass guy. So humble and so nice. In the interview he told me all the players had watched my videos and that meant so much, genuinely. I got Bregman to sign my Tiko Taco hat.

We laughed, we shared stories. He asked if I was from Houston and I said Hell Yeah! It was a vibe in that section. It was legends in that section. It was destiny in that section.

After Bregman left, I continued to stay at The Little Woodrow's bar and meet the rest of the fans. They were all pretty much nice af to me. We laughed, shared stories, talked family, friends, heartbreaks, hopes, and dreams. I saw myself in almost every one of them. Baseball fans, we're not so different. In every single lounge I went in, the DJ would say my name on the mic. That was crazy. But it made me feel happy.

I get recognition in other places like LA and NY, but it was really nice to get it from my hometown. I didn't go home until 1am and the only reason I did was because all the alcohol consumed over the past 12 hours was making it difficult to see or stand. I believe ( recollection is a bit fuzzy) I drunk danced in the street, surrounded by friends, high off life, high off tonight.

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When I finally laid my head on my pillow, happy tears stained the sheets. What a night. What a life.
Not exactly sure what Im doing, but hotdamn - Im doing it right.