Houston Mayor Enrages Astros Fans with Controversial Comments

Houston's mayor is facing backlash from Astros fans in the wake of Hurricane Beryl.

Jan 9, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston mayor John Whitmire speaks. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a tough week for Houston. Hurricane Beryl barreled into the city on Monday, causing significant damage and causing millions of residents to lose power throughout the state.

That means millions of Texans are without air conditioning in the middle of summer. Making matters worse, temperatures have been in the nineties all week in Houston.

In other words, people are hot.

The Houston Astros are doing their part by providing some relief. With the lowly Miami Marlins in town this week, the Astros have been offering special $5 tickets, $1 hot dogs and, most importantly, free A/C.

Not surprisingly, the deal has been a huge hit. Nearly 35,000 fans turned out for Tuesday's series opener, followed by close to 33,000 fans on Wednesday night. A similar number is expected for Thursday's series finale.

And how does Houston's mayor, John Whitmire, thank his city's MLB team? By calling them out for playing and having power while other parts of the city don't.

Houston's mayor lobs a grenade at the Astros for playing Tuesday:
“George Brown doesn't have energy yesterday ... but we got a ball game going on down the street two blocks,” Whitmire said. “We got to get our priorities right, folks.”https://t.co/ZqEpemRovv

— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) July 10, 2024

Not surprisingly, Astros fans didn't appreciate Whitmire's controversial remarks.

Over 34,000 fans got to enjoy A/C, eat good, escape their homes and watch the Astros win.

Fans were happy and ballpark workers got paid...

What is Mayor Whitmire trying to do here??? Tone deaf in my opinion. https://t.co/TPB8ZyE2i1

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) July 10, 2024

Lost all respect for whitmire. This allowed people to get out and get some AC and cold drinks… it was a getaway. The Astros were blessed to have a place for families to get away and blessed families with cheap tickets and hotdogs. What a great thing. https://t.co/PZCupYCCbN

— Well Above Average Coach (@aboveavgcoach) July 10, 2024

I see what Mayor Whitmire is trying to say but now is not a good time to blame the Astros and the fans. There are other, more effective ways to communicate you outrage besides attacking the best thing this city has after a huge storm like this. #GoAstros

— Jose #Ohtani2Houston #HIVESZN🐝 #FreeLoperfido (@_Jose_XD_) July 10, 2024

Whitmire is right that baseball isn't a "priority," especially compared to a natural disaster. Baseball is just a game, and there are always more important things going on in the world.

However, Whitmire is missing the point. Baseball is meant to be a distraction from everything else, including the bad situation in Houston. It provides entertainment and comfort. In this case, it's also providing food, shelter and air conditioning to people who desperately need it, helping them get through the day.

Furthermore, it's not like the Astros are ignorant of what's happening around them. They're basically giving away tickets at those prices, sacrificing significant revenue to aid their community.

Lastly, Whitmire clearly doesn't understand Houston's baseball team or what it's about. After all, this is the same team that helped the city recover in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The Astros were there for Houston then and they're there for Houston now.

Whitmire should have thanked them. Instead, he just looks like ungrateful and out of touch.