‘Champion of the Underdog’: Grant Wahl Lifted Soccer, And Others
The Lead
Wondery
3.9 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 16 December 2022
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
One week ago, Grant Wahl – perhaps the best known soccer journalist in the U.S. – died suddenly while covering the World Cup in Qatar. He was just 49 years old. Today, four people who knew Grant share stories about his life, and the impact he had on the beautiful game and the people who cover it.
Guests: Alexi Lalas, Chris Stone, Samara Kelly, Luis Miguel Echegaray
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hey, prime members, you can listen to the lead ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. |
| 0:07.0 | Hi there, Wondry listeners. Hannah and Sruti here from TrueCram Podcast Redhanded. |
| 0:11.0 | Your favourite podcast Redhanded. We just wanted to say how excited we are to be included in Amazon Music |
| 0:16.0 | and Wondry's best podcasts of the year as chosen by their listeners, which is you. |
| 0:21.0 | So thank you so much to everyone who listened to us voted for us, all the things you do for us. |
| 0:26.0 | Any of you out there who haven't checked out Redhanded, what are you doing? What are you waiting for? |
| 0:31.0 | It's a weekly show where we deep dive into the most talked about cases like the Delphi murders |
| 0:35.0 | and also those you might never have heard of like the Nathari child sacrifices in Delhi. |
| 0:40.0 | Go listen to Redhanded right now on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:46.0 | Tributes have been pouring in today for pioneering soccer journalist Grant Wall. |
| 0:58.0 | One week ago today, Grant Wall, perhaps the best known soccer journalist in America, |
| 1:06.0 | died suddenly while covering the World Cup in Qatar. |
| 1:10.0 | Wall had been covering the Argentine and Netherlands quarterfinal game when he collapsed in the press box and could not be resuscitated. |
| 1:18.0 | His wife Dr. Slinggaunder later revealed the cause of death to be an aortic aneurysm, a swollen blood vessel that ruptured inside his chest. |
| 1:26.0 | And in the wake of that tragedy, there's been a near continuous outpouring of support. |
| 1:31.0 | He helped raise the popularity of soccer in the United States to new heights. |
| 1:35.0 | He was somebody hugely knowledgeable, not just about American sports in particular, soccer, but all global aspects of the game. |
| 1:44.0 | Wall was also unafraid to speak truth to power. |
| 1:47.0 | He reported extensively on the U.S. women's team's quest for equal pay and called out the World Cup host Qatar for its treatment of migrants and the LGBTQ community. |
| 1:58.0 | Like many sports journalists, I knew Grant. We worked together at Sports Illustrated and I was able to see firsthand how much he enjoyed helping others succeed. |
| 2:08.0 | And so today, four people who knew Grant as a colleague, a friend, and an advocate for soccer share memories and reflections on his life. |
| 2:17.0 | From Wondery, I'm Anders Kelto. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wondery, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Wondery and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.