THE TRAILBLAZER

For nearly 25 years, Grant Wahl has been the leading voice of soccer journalism in America. Sadly, he died yesterday at the age of 48 in Qatar in the press box near the conclusion of the Argentina-Netherlands match. Perhaps, it was fitting that Grant died in that place, where he has served as the conscience of the sport. reminding the world of how unfit the Qataris are to host this cup because of their medieval view of sexuality and treatment of workers, who are more like slaves. That his adopted second team, Argentina, provided a dramatic extra time match was also fitting.

Grant went everywhere when it came to covering soccer for the American audience. I remember reading his writing in Sports Illustrated in the early 2000s. He was also a fixture on Fox Sports during their coverage of the game. 

Several years ago, he left Sports Illustrated after a dispute over salary cuts the magazine was attempting to impose on its staff during the COVID pandemic. Subsequently, I followed his writing on his Substack newsletter and eagerly awaited his twice weekly podcast, "Futbol with Grant Wahl." Each time I read or listened to his work, I learned something new about soccer and its place in our world. 

He was a powerful voice in a world that often ignored the stories of his subjects - female players or American players who left home to pursue their dreams and achieve their potential in European soccer.

Grant was much more than a journalist though. Grant was an advocate for justice, human rights, and fair play. He spoke out against discrimination, mistreatment of workers, and marginalization. The writer Franklin Foer wrote this remembrance of him, describing his kindness and inclusiveness. I saw those attributes on display firsthand when Nicholas left a comment on Grant's Substack newsletter. Grant personally and thoughtfully responded. It is no wonder that Nicholas considers Grant to be his hero and role model, even though he never met him.

In his book, "The Road to Character," the writer David Brooks writes about two kinds of virtues. There are resume virtues - one's accomplishments - vs. eulogy virtues - the things that get mentioned at your funeral and describe who a person really is. On his final day, very few tweets mentioned one of Grant's scoops or cover stories. Rather, nearly all of them mentioned how kind, generous, and committed to justice Grant was. A fitting remembrance for a great, great man. Grant will be missed, but I know that Nicholas and many other journalists will attempt to follow in his footsteps and travel the trail he blazed with such humility and passion. Rest in peace, Grant!