The internet spent part of Friday roasting Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo over what appeared to be an attempt to score World Cup tickets during a Commissioners Court meeting.
The backlash was swift. The empathy may have been even faster.
After an image circulated on X, posted by FOX 26’s Greg Googan, appeared to show Hidalgo browsing ticket options for a FIFA Club World Cup match, critics accused the county’s top elected official of wasting taxpayer-funded work time.
“She is such a joke,” one user wrote.
But amid the criticism, a different reaction emerged—one that may be familiar to anyone who has ever sat through a long meeting.
“Not a fan of hers but let her be, it’s the World Cup,” one user wrote.
Another added: “Who cares. I’m sure people at work all over the city are keeping tabs of the soccer games on their computer.”
The split reaction exposed a reality of modern office life: Americans spend a lot of time doing non-work things at work.
Whether it’s hunting for Astros tickets, tracking fantasy football scores, checking March Madness brackets, scrolling social media, monitoring Zillow listings, or trying to beat a Ticketmaster queue before seats disappear, workplace distractions have become a fact of life.
Of course, Hidalgo isn’t just any office worker.
The county judge has spent much of the past year under scrutiny from critics over a series of controversies, including a public dispute with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo over access to premium concert seating. That controversy erupted after Hidalgo sought access to the rodeo’s coveted chute-seat area during a sold-out concert after already receiving thousands of dollars worth of complimentary tickets for previous performances.
Chron reached out to Lina Hidalgo’s office for comment, but has not yet heard back.
For now, the photo represents something far more relatable: a sports fan trying to snag tickets before they disappear.