Wikipedia

Grant Wahl

Grant Wahl (December 2, 1973 – December 10, 2022) was an American sports journalist and soccer analyst for CBS Sports, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and a correspondent for Fox Sports, based in New York City. He was also the author of the book The Beckham Experiment (2009). Wahl covered the Battle of Lusail match in Qatar 2022.

Grant Wahl
Born(1973-12-02)December 2, 1973[1][2]
Mission, Kansas, U.S.
DiedDecember 10, 2022(2022-12-10) (aged 49)
Lusail, Qatar
OccupationSports journalist
Alma materPrinceton University
Years active1996–2022
Notable worksThe Beckham Experiment
Spouse
​
(m. 2001)​
Website
grantwahl.substack.com

His Sports Illustrated career mainly focused on college basketball and soccer in the United States. Wahl ran for the FIFA presidency in 2011, but withdrew his campaign after failing to receive an endorsement from a football association. He left Sports Illustrated in 2020 and founded his own podcast and Substack newsletter.

Wahl died from a ruptured aortic aneurysm on December 10, 2022, while in Lusail, Qatar as he was covering the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[3]

Early life and education

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Wahl was born on December 2, 1973, in Mission, Kansas; he had one older brother, Eric.[4] He was a fan of the Kansas City Comets, a local indoor soccer team.[5] Wahl graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School[6] and was an Eagle Scout.[7][8] He went on to study at Princeton University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Politics in 1996.[9]

Career

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During his first year at Princeton University, Wahl was a reporter for the Daily Princetonian and covered the Princeton Tigers men's soccer team, then coached by Bob Bradley, who would go on to manage Major League Soccer teams and the United States national team. Bradley provided Wahl with an opportunity to study abroad in Argentina, spending time with Boca Juniors, before returning to the United States for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[10] Wahl cited his experiences with Bradley as having been a catalyst for his love of the sport.[11] His senior thesis at Princeton University investigated the relationship between Argentinean clubs, democratic practices, and civil society.[10]

In 1996, Wahl began his career working with the Miami Herald as an intern and later declined an offer to become a staff writer there.[12] From there, he joined Sports Illustrated in November 1996 as a fact-checker and later began covering college basketball as well as soccer.[10][13] During his career, Wahl reported on 12 NCAA basketball tournaments, eight FIFA men's World Cups, four FIFA Women's World Cups, and five Olympic games.[14][15] He was one of three Sports Illustrated journalists to cover the 1998 FIFA World Cup, but was the lone writer to remain until the final match.[10] Wahl first gained critical acclaim for his cover story "Where's Daddy?" (1998), which documented the growing number of illegitimate children born to professional athletes.[15] Since then, he penned numerous cover stories and profiles on athletes. In addition, Wahl received four Magazine Story of the Year awards given by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.[16]

Wahl was promoted to the position of senior writer at Sports Illustrated in October 2000, where he mostly covered soccer for both the magazine and SI.com.[13] He wrote over 50 cover stories for the magazine.[17] In 2002, he wrote a cover story on LeBron James, one of the earliest national pieces on the high school basketball player who would go on to be recognized as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.[18] Wahl took a year-long break from the magazine to accompany his wife Celine Gounder during a research trip to South Africa in 2008.[10] During this time, he wrote his first book, The Beckham Experiment (2009), which focused on the 2007 move of David Beckham to the LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer and his impact on the league.[19][20] It became a New York Times Best Seller.[21]

In October 2009, while covering the fourth round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, Wahl was robbed of his phone and wallet at gunpoint in broad daylight in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; earlier in the day, he had interviewed interim Honduran president Roberto Micheletti, who later apologized to Wahl over the incident.[22][23]

In February 2011, Wahl announced a possible bid to become President of FIFA in the upcoming election to unseat incumbent Sepp Blatter.[24][25] He pulled out before the official deadline, however, after failing to earn an endorsement from a football association (at least one was required).[26] As a result of Wahl's bid, FIFA amended its presidential nomination process to require the endorsement of at least five associations.[27][28] Wahl joined FOX Sports in October 2012 after having participated in the network's coverage of the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament earlier that year.[29]

In 2013, Sports Illustrated launched their soccer section, named "Planet Fútbol", with Wahl at the helm.[30] He published his second book, Masters of Modern Soccer, in 2018; it featured interviews with top players and evaluations of their playing styles.[5][31] On April 10, 2020, he was fired from Sports Illustrated after criticizing James Heckman, CEO of the magazine's publisher Maven, for his handling of pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic. In response, Heckman criticized both Wahl's work and not wanting to volunteer for a permanent pay cut.[32] He went on to join CBS Sports on October 5, 2021, where he became an analyst for its coverage of CONCACAF soccer matches, as well as an editorial consultant for soccer documentaries to air on Paramount+.[33]

Wahl established his own independent newsletter on Substack, named Fútbol with Grant Wahl for his existing podcast, in August 2021.[17][34] He also released a podcast series on the career of Freddy Adu in 2020 that was distributed by Blue Wire Media.[35][36] Wahl was a producer on the 2022 documentary series Good Rivals, where he was also interviewed about the Mexico–United States soccer rivalry.[37]

While following the United States to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Wahl became caught up in a crackdown in Qatar on items that featured a rainbow in support of the LGBT community. Wahl was detained for about 25 minutes outside a stadium over the rainbow patterned T-shirt he was wearing, while a reporter for The New York Times, who was with him, was also detained briefly by Qatari officials.[38][39] His last entry, published on December 8 and titled "They just don't care", criticized leaders of Qatar for their apathy towards the death of migrant laborers at construction sites in the country and the absence of LGBT rights in the country.[5][40]

Personal life

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In 2001, Wahl married his Princeton schoolmate Céline Gounder,[41] a journalist and New York University medical doctor who specializes in infectious diseases and global health.[9]

Death

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Wahl collapsed suddenly in his press box seat at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar while covering the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands.[3] Local paramedics responded quickly and treated him for 30 minutes, including providing CPR,[42] before Wahl was transported to Hamad General Hospital, according to a statement by his wife.[14][35][43][44] Wahl was pronounced dead on December 10, 2022.[45]

Eric Wahl said his brother had received death threats and that he believed Wahl was killed. He also stated that the family was in contact with U.S. State Department and White House officials.[35][46] The U.S. Embassy arranged for his body to be repatriated under escort from a consular official.[44] Eric Wahl later called for transparency,[4] but retracted his claims of foul play; the U.S. State Department also stated that they saw "no indication of foul play or anything nefarious at this point".[47] Wahl's body was repatriated to the United States on December 12 to undergo an autopsy with the New York City Medical Examiner,[48] which determined that the death was caused by a ruptured aortic aneurysm.[49][50] Wahl had complained of chest discomfort and sought help at the medical clinic at the World Cup media center, where he was told that he probably had bronchitis.[51] He was given cough syrup and antibiotics at the clinic.[52][53]

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the U.S. Soccer Federation, Major League Soccer, fellow journalists, and other figures in American soccer and around the world issued statements in honor of Wahl's career.[5][54] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared his condolences on Twitter following the repatriation of Wahl's remains.[55] A photo and flowers were placed at his assigned seat at Al Bayt Stadium during a quarterfinal match between England and France. A video tribute was also played at the stadium and during television broadcasts in the United States by Fox Sports.[56][57]

Awards and recognition

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On January 25, 2023, the National Soccer Hall of Fame announced that Wahl would be posthumously awarded their Colin Jose Media Award, which honors media members who have made significant contributions to soccer in the United States.[58][59][60] Wahl was formally honored at the Hall's May 6, 2023 induction ceremony, with Wahl's wife, Céline Gounder, and his brother, Eric Wahl, accepting the media award on his behalf.[61]

Also on January 25, the United States Soccer Federation announced that for that evening's friendly match between the U.S. Men's National Team and Serbia at Los Angeles' BMO Stadium, a press box seat would be left open in Wahl's memory, decorated with his framed photo, flowers, and a USMNT jersey bearing his last name. The federation will honor Wahl in this manner at every home match involving the U.S. men's or women's teams through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an event the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico.[62] Major League Soccer also reserved an empty press box seat for Wahl at each match of the league's 2023 season opening weekend.[63]

The press box at CPKC Stadium, the soccer-specific home for National Women's Soccer League team Kansas City Current, was dedicated to Wahl in November 2023.[64]

The fourth episode of Season 3 of the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso was dedicated to the memory of Wahl, who was a fan of the show and fielded questions from its writers concerning a storyline in which journalist Trent Crimm (James Lance) writes a book about Zava's (Maximilian Osinski) arrival at AFC Richmond, the team depicted in the series. Another nod to Wahl in the same episode finds Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) carrying Wahl's book The Beckham Experiment in one scene.[65]

Books

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  • Wahl, Grant (2009). The Beckham Experiment. Crown. ISBN 0-307-40787-X.
  • Wahl, Grant (2018). Masters of Modern Soccer: How the World's Best Play the Twenty-First-Century Game. Crown. ISBN 9780307408600.
  • Wahl, Grant (2024). World Class: Purpose, Passion, and the Pursuit of Greatness On and Off the Field. Ballantine. ISBN 9780593726761

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wahl, Grant (December 2, 2022). "USMNT World Cup Daily, Day 18". Fútbol with Grant Wahl. Retrieved December 9, 2022. And it's my birthday today. Never thought I'd spend a birthday at the World Cup, but here we are. Have a good evening!
  2. ^ Wahl, Grant [@GrantWahl] (December 2, 2017). "Obama. Reggie Jackson. Now I'm 44 too. Good company" (Tweet). Retrieved December 10, 2022 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ a b "Grant Wahl, renowned soccer journalist, dies at age 49 at Qatar World Cup". CBS News. December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  4. ^ a b McDowell, Sam (December 11, 2022). "Brother of Grant Wahl speaks about his stunning death in Qatar, calls for transparency". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Kennedy, Paul (December 10, 2022). "Grant Wahl dies after collapsing at World Cup game". Soccer America. Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  6. ^ Kerkhoff, Blair (December 9, 2022). "Soccer journalist and Kansas City native Grant Wahl dies while covering Qatar World Cup". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Wahl, Grant (May 30, 2008). "Jumping back in the saddle". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  8. ^ Grant Wahl [@GrantWahl] (March 28, 2012). "Doubt MLS fined Clark much $, but 3-game ban sends a message. Still have issues over MLS deal w/anti-gay Boy Scouts (and I'm an Eagle Scout)" (Tweet). Retrieved April 8, 2012 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ a b Wahl, Grant (July 12, 1999). "Grant Wahl" (Interview). Interviewed by Charlie Rose. Charlie Rose. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e Thomas, Louisa (December 17, 2022). "How Grant Wahl Changed the Place of Soccer in America". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  11. ^ Wahl, Grant (January 22, 2015). "Vox in the Box: Grant Wahl" (Interview). Interviewed by Iain Macintosh. The Set Pieces. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  12. ^ Stone, Christian (December 11, 2022). "There was something Bourdain-like about the big, soccer life Grant Wahl led". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Grant Wahl". Fox Sports. 2015. Archived from the original (Archived by the Wayback Machine) on February 5, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  14. ^ a b Baxter, Kevin (December 9, 2022). "Grant Wahl, prominent soccer writer, dies after collapsing in World Cup press box". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Speaker Profile: Grant Wahl". MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  16. ^ "Grant Wahl". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  17. ^ a b Weprin, Alex (December 9, 2022). "Grant Wahl, American Journalist Covering World Cup in Qatar, Dies at 48". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  18. ^ Jackson, Wilton (December 10, 2022). "LeBron James on Death of Former SI Writer Grant Wahl: 'It's a Tragic Loss'". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  19. ^ Rutten, Tim (July 15, 2009). "'The Beckham Experiment' by Grant Wahl". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  20. ^ Robinson, Joshua; Clegg, Jonathan (December 9, 2022). "Prominent Soccer Journalist Grant Wahl, 48, Dies While Covering World Cup in Qatar". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  21. ^ "Best Sellers: Nonfiction: Sunday, August 2nd 2009". The New York Times. August 2, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  22. ^ Wahl, Grant (October 10, 2009). "Meet the President, Get Robbed: Just Another Day in Honduras". FanNation. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  23. ^ Longman, Jeré (October 10, 2009). "Important Game for U.S. and Honduras". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  24. ^ Lee Rigg, Zac (February 17, 2011). "USA Journalist Grant Wahl Running For FIFA President". Goal (website). Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  25. ^ Sully, Andy (February 18, 2011). "US writer Grant Wahl seeks Fifa president Blatter's job". BBC Sport. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  26. ^ Wahl, Grant (April 1, 2011). "My story: What happened when I decided to run for FIFA president". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  27. ^ Wahl, Grant (June 6, 2014). "Why Fifa changed their election rules after I stood to be their president". The Guardian. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  28. ^ "Seven candidates compete for Fifa presidency after David Nakhid excluded". The Guardian. October 28, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  29. ^ "FOX Soccer signs world-renowned journalist Grant Wahl". Fox Sports (Press release). October 10, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  30. ^ Bazilian, Emma (June 2, 2014). "Sports Illustrated Launches 'Planet Futbol' Site Interest in soccer content has grown 'exponentially'". Adweek. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  31. ^ Woitalla, Mike (May 11, 2018). "Grant Wahl's 'Masters of Modern Soccer': A unique contribution to coaching and player education". Soccer America. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  32. ^ Strauss, Ben (April 10, 2020). "Longtime soccer writer Grant Wahl fired amid more turbulence at Sports Illustrated". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  33. ^ "Concacaf Men's World Cup Qualifiers Continue on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network". ViacomCBS Press Express (Press release). CBS Sports. October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  34. ^ Wahl, Grant (November 2022). "From Princeton to Premiership". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  35. ^ a b c Couture, Jon (December 9, 2022). "American soccer journalist Grant Wahl dies while covering World Cup in Qatar". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  36. ^ Evans, Pat (July 29, 2020). "Grant Wahl Readies Freddy Adu Narrative Podcast With Blue Wire". Front Office Sports. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  37. ^ Perez, Daniela (December 9, 2022). "Grant Wahl, Former Sports Illustrated Writer, Dies at 49". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  38. ^ Silva, Angelica. "People are being told to remove rainbow-coloured clothing and items at the Qatar World Cup" Archived November 24, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. November 23, 2022.
  39. ^ "An Unexpected Detention by World Cup Security" Archived November 24, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. Substack. November 21, 2022.
  40. ^ McDowell, Sam (December 10, 2022). "Let's remember Grant Wahl for the stories he wouldn't let us forget". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  41. ^ Henderson, Cydney (December 9, 2022). "Grant Wahl, soccer journalist, dies at 48 in Qatar while covering World Cup". USA Today. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  42. ^ Lewis, Russell (December 9, 2022). "Longtime soccer sportswriter Grant Wahl has died covering the World Cup in Qatar". NPR. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  43. ^ Kalaf, Samer (December 9, 2022). "Grant Wahl Dies in Qatar After Collapsing During World Cup Match". Defector Media. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  44. ^ a b "Grant Wahl's body returned to U.S., accompanied by consular official". The Oregonian. Associated Press. December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  45. ^ Draper, Kevin; Blinder, Alan (December 9, 2022). "Soccer Journalist Dies at World Cup After Collapsing at Argentina Game". The New York Times. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  46. ^ "Sports journalist Grant Wahl dies covering World Cup in Qatar after 'death threats'". United Press International. December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  47. ^ Sblendorio, Peter (December 13, 2022). "Grant Wahl's brother no longer suspects foul play in soccer journalist's death". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  48. ^ Frehse, Rob; Hansler, Jennifer (December 12, 2022). "Body of journalist Grant Wahl returned to US for autopsy, manager says, after his death at World Cup in Qatar". CNN. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  49. ^ Strauss, Ben. "Grant Wahl, journalist who died at World Cup, suffered aortic aneurysm, wife says". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  50. ^ "Grant Wahl's wife says sportswriter died of aneurysm at World Cup". United Press International. December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  51. ^ "World Cup 2022: US sports journalist Grant Wahl dies in Qatar" Archived December 10, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. James Gregory, BBC News, December 10, 2022.
  52. ^ "US soccer journalist Grant Wahl dies while covering Qatar World Cup". The Guardian. December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  53. ^ Ammar, Hassan (December 9, 2022). "Soccer writer Grant Wahl dies at World Cup match in Qatar". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 9, 2022. My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you. What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort. I didn't have Covid (I test regularly here), but I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I'm already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno.
  54. ^ Gregory, James (December 10, 2022). "World Cup 2022: US sports journalist Grant Wahl dies in Qatar". BBC News. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  55. ^ Madani, Doha; Williams, Abigail (December 12, 2022). "Body of soccer journalist Grant Wahl returned to U.S. after death in Qatar". NBC News. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  56. ^ Baxter, Kevin (December 10, 2022). "FIFA joins tributes to journalist Grant Wahl after his death at the World Cup". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  57. ^ Koons, Zach (December 10, 2022). "Fox Shares Tribute to Grant Wahl Ahead of Saturday's World Cup Matches". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  58. ^ "Late Grant Wahl to get US Soccer's Colin Jose Media Award". AP NEWS. January 25, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  59. ^ "Grant Wahl's legacy lives on: inducted to National Soccer Hall of Fame – Journalist Wire". January 25, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  60. ^ "Late Grant Wahl to Get US Soccer's Colin Jose Media Award". NBC 7 San Diego. January 26, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  61. ^ "National Soccer Hall of Fame inducts seven new members," from Soccer America, 5/6/2023
  62. ^ Lucia, Joe (January 25, 2023). "US Soccer will leave an empty seat for Grant Wahl at all home matches through the 2026 World Cup". Awful Announcing. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  63. ^ "Grant Wahl remembered: MLS clubs pay tribute on Matchday 1". MLSsoccer.com. February 25, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  64. ^ Gregorian, Vahe (November 30, 2023). "KC Current naming press box for Grant Wahl is apt, fitting honor for late journalist". Kansas City Star. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  65. ^ "How ‘Ted Lasso’ Paid Tribute to Soccer Journalist Grant Wahl," from The Hollywood Reporter, 4/5/2023
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