Moments after it was reported that esteemed sports activities journalist Grant Wahl had died whereas masking the World Cup in Qatar, tributes to the CBS Sports contributor started pouring in on-line.
Wahl, 48, was within the press field for the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands when he appeared to endure “some kind of acute distress,” his agent, Tim Scanlan, informed CBS News. Paramedics had been known as to the scene, Scanlan mentioned, however had been unable to revive him. The actual reason behind dying is just not but identified.
A prolific journalist, Wahl wrote for a number of shops and was a CBS Sports contributor. He was an analyst on CBS Sports HQ all through the Qatar World Cup, and wrote visitor columns targeted on the U.S. males’s nationwide group for CBS Sports. He was additionally an editorial advisor for soccer documentaries on Paramount+.
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Sports commentators and journalists paid tribute to Wahl’s spectacular profession. Senior CBS Sports author and analyst Matt Norlander mentioned he could not “comprehend” Wahl’s loss.
“That is not computing. If he’d wanted to, Grant would’ve been THE preeminent scribe in college basketball. Instead, he changed lanes and forever altered the way American soccer was covered and popularized. Legendary. This is a tragedy,” he tweeted.
In a second put up, he known as Wahl “a great man and fearless reporter.”
“Life is fragile and there is always a reminder in there to live each moment for what it is. Don’t worry about the past nor the future, take care of the now. It’s the only guarantee in life,” wrote Taylor Twellman, a former U.S. soccer participant and media commentator.
ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas tweeted that Wahl was “everything a great journalist should strive to be, and an even better person.”
I’m devastated by the lack of Grant Wahl,” ESPN investigative reporter Don Van Natta Jr. wrote. “He was a peerless journalist and sort man whose protection of soccer was truthful an fearless.”
Several soccer teams also shared statements.
“The stunning recreation is healthier due to him,” Los Angeles ladies’s group Angel F.C. tweeted, crediting Wahl for his “contribution to the soccer group, particularly ladies’s soccer.”
Washington, D.C.’s soccer group known as Wahl a “passionate and dedicated champion” of the sport.
The U.S. Soccer Federation mentioned in an announcement that the “entire U.S. soccer family is heartbroken” by Wahl’s dying. “Grant’s passion for soccer and commitment to elevating its profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest and respect for our beautiful game. As important, Grant’s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all.”
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber tweeted that the group was “shocked, saddened and heartbroken” by his passing.
The National Women’s Soccer League tweeted that it was “heartbroken” by the news, writing that Wahl’s “commitment to sharing the stories of our beautiful game was unmatched, but more importantly, his integrity, thoughtfulness and kindness were central to the way he lived.”
In a tweet, Wahl’s spouse, Dr. Celine Gounder, a medical contributor for CBS News, mentioned that she was “in complete shock” and thanked Wahl’s “soccer family” and their buddies for his or her help.