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It would be foolish and offensive not to write about Grant Wahl. With the story surfacing on social media last night and all that surrounded it, it was hard not to feel a terrible chill. Considering how thorough and great a journalist Mr. Wahl was, the fact that his last newsletter was about the callousness of the Qatari regime, that he was so conscientious in documenting the plight of migrant workers in the country on several trips there that he gave the world told of the locator app travelers in Qatar were forced to install on their phones, that he was briefly detained ahead of the USA-Wales game for wearing a rainbow jersey and that Qatar takes absolutely no benefit from the doubt…the Parts are all there I would say.
At the same time, Wahl had documented in his newsletter and podcast how run down he had felt as he rushed through all the games and his coverage. It’s hard for all of us to connect someone who thinks they just have bronchitis and just need cough syrup and are gone a day or two later. I think it’s a very dark consolation to associate Grant’s death with anything shameful, because it’s no oasis to see a 48-year-old who appears to be in good health and just so loved leaving us so surprisingly. The confusion between these two sides where I and so many others stand is so sad because there are no good answers.
I think we can all only hope to experience a fraction of the love and appreciation Mr. Wahl received last night and today, both for his work and for who he was as a person. So many stories of his generosity and warmth that let you know he made a difference. Though He had so much more to give, what more could we ask of our lives?
For football fans my age, Grant was something of a beacon. He was perhaps the only top football journalist on these shores, considering Sports Illustrated was still called SPORTS ILLUSTRIED at the time. There were so many people at the time who were a source of information and commentary on the Big Four sports, but Grant was basically the only port on the storm for football fans.
One of the many great things about Grant’s work back then was that there was no sermon or argument. Back then, being a football fan meant constantly having to justify yourself to a still very mocking public for your fan base. Those who wrote or reported on the game carried something like a chip with them or were just on the sidelines and always tried to convince everyone that they needed to watch football or that they were unfairly mocking those who it did.
Grant’s reporting never had that. His dedication, precision and passion were the only arguments he needed. Grant covered football like he would about anything else, like anyone would about anything else, and it was the only argument he or we needed. Football deserved the same attention and stage as anything else, and by being treated that way, it eventually got it. It was the same with the women’s game. While Grant never shied away from pointing out the injustice or abuse therein, he never reported it or implored anyone to observe it out of duty. He simply lent him his unmatched dedication and insight, which once again gave women’s football all the confidence it needed. Although I’ve never met him, he never struck me as a damage eater, but there had to be a part of him that was really happy that football had become the fifth sport here, that the fight we fans had to fight annoyingly was won . He probably never saw it as a fight.
Through his newsletter and podcast he had become a tangible presence in my life and many others and yesterday was a true loss to all. So the usual protection of a life well-lived, which Grant certainly was, is no balm at all. Whatever the details we end up finding out, it just sucks. It’s just terribly sad, and what hurts the most is that there’s no escaping it. I and so many others are grateful for what Mr. Wahl has provided for us over so many years, but it will never come close to offsetting the sadness of what has been lost.
