Dan Patrick, Peter King campaign for Grant Wahl honor from US Soccer

Flowers and a picture of the journalist Grant Wahl of the United States who collapsed and died in the stadium's press area while covering the match between Argentina and Netherlands are seen in the media tribune during the Quarterfinal between England and France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Dec. 10, 2022. Xinhua

Dan Patrick, Peter King campaign for Grant Wahl to receive posthumous honor from US Soccer

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 12/15/22

Media personalities Dan Patrick and Peter King have campaigned for the United States Soccer Federation to honor recently deceased journalist Grant Wahl.

As mentioned by the Barrett Sports Media website, King appeared on Thursday's edition of "The Dan Patrick Show" and noted how Wahl introduced the NBC Sports columnist and analyst to individuals within the world football community when King covered the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa.

"Some people might say, 'well geez, Grant’s giving you time with people who he cultivated and who he wanted to be able to work with,'" King told Patrick about Wahl. "I always thought the reason he did that is not only for total unselfishness and class, but because he wanted to see the game grow in the United States. That’s why he’s introducing me to everybody. He wants me to write about it to a non-soccer crowd."

Dave Zirin of The Nation explained earlier this week that Wahl "was the most widely read and influential soccer writer in the United States." Wahl died suddenly at the age of 48 covering a World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands last Friday.

"I hope there’s some posthumous honor for him that his wife can share in, that his widow can share in, that’s soccer related," Patrick said of Wahl. King responded that he is sure US Soccer will "do something" to celebrate Wahl's numerous contributions.

"I hope a lot of people do something, because his is a memory that we should cherish," King added.

Ahead of the World Cup, Wahl admitted for one of King's "Football Morning in America" columns to feeling "very conflicted" about covering this year's event due to Qatar's human rights record. Wahl was temporarily detained at a World Cup stadium for wearing a pro-LGBTQ t-shirt that featured a soccer ball surrounded by rainbow colors, and he later wrote for his Substack about how a migrant worker died at a training resort during the tournament's group stage.

Dr. Celine Gounder, Wahl's wife, said Wednesday that her husband died of an "undetected ascending aortic aneurysm."

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