Hug Your Loved Ones

Grant Wahl's death is a reminder that content is not king

I don’t really know where to start with this one. Grant Wahl had died while covering the Argentina vs Netherlands match in Qatar.

Immediately after the news hit I saw a video of his brother in pain and grieving. There was an insinuation that his death had mysterious circumstances surrounding it, especially when taken with the fact that he was detained for wearing a rainbow shirt, and had told friends he thought the Qatar government had been watching him. The day prior to his death he released an article criticizing the treatment of migrant workers and the nonchalant-ness that was shown toward migrant worker deaths related to the World Cup.

All of that taken under a microscope does seem to feed into theories that are not confirmed. I have not forgotten the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi government.

However, I want us to all slow down and wait. I think it does a disservice to Grant’s memory to not also consider how Grant himself said he had been feeling over the last few days.

"My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,'' Wahl wrote. "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.''

I want to say this firmly so it is correctly understood: I want to say my thoughts on being a writer, journalist, or content creator, but I understand I am not anywhere near the level of Grant Wahl. If Grant Wahl was a professional, I am a kindergartner - we are not the same.

I have a full time job that is not related to soccer. I have also built a dedicated audience over time with a lot of hard work while covering soccer. I had to take two weeks of PTO when the group stages first started so that I could create videos and write about the game. This week I went to work and everything fell off - I cannot balance the two and be great at both.

There is an immense pressure at all times to create. I feel like I am failing the audience, people that may pay me or just depend on me for information. Sometimes I stay up extremely late to get that done, to write scripts, and shoot video, and edit, and publish. All of that takes time and mental energy.

First of all I’m sorry that the content has not kept up after the US fell out of the round of 16.

But even right now as I write this, I felt like it had to be done quickly to even stay relevant and topical. I have family visiting and events all weekend I need to attend, but if I wait until Monday to say this will anyone care? That is the constant cycle of content and it is very real.

Wahl’s death must be investigated fully to clear wrongdoing. It seems to me now with a night of reflection and understanding more about Wahl’s health prior to his death, I don’t think it is unthinkable that he worked himself to death.

Already feeling stressed and getting little sleep, you can understand how bronchitis, or an infection, or long covid could impact someone’s health.

I subscribe to Grant’s substack. When the whistle blew on TV I would immediately receive an article with Wahl’s thoughts. The man was not only a goliath in the realm of soccer journalism, but he was the hardest worker in the game.

A well spoken writer with beautiful prose and an understanding of how to present stories to the everyday-fan, Grant deserves a place in the US Soccer Hall of Fame. He is one of the main reasons I have an opportunity to write and speak about soccer. He was instrumental in the growth of coverage. His writing, his podcasts, and TV appearances all stand as inspirations for me.

I know he wasn’t the most well-liked from the depths of USMNT twitter, but I really think that is a small slice of the fanbase. Grant Wahl brought soccer to the masses. I know journalists that everyone loves, who would not be covering US Soccer without Grant Wahl.

One of the reasons I quit twitter was in part was because things like the “Grant Wahl blocked me” movement were happening all too often. A childish conversation between fanatics of different content creators. I didn’t need that in my life.

I kind of lost my way here.

Basically I want to say… I feel a closeness to Grant Wahl’s death because of who he was in the industry, but who he was as I knew him to be as a person. I feel the constant cycle of content creation creates moments where it is literally unsustainable, and I ask for forgiveness when I am not covering the game as often as you would hope.

I would like to honor Wahl’s life and service to US Soccer by being a kind and helpful mentor to those that come after me.

Thank you for reading. I don’t feel like I said everything I wanted to. Maybe with time other words will come to me. I wish everyone the best, and I hope tonight you hug your loved ones and tell them you love them.