Grant Wahl read Sounder at Heart.
That’s what I learned back in 2010 when I met him. At the time, and now at his passing, he was the preeminent soccer journalist in the United States.
It was a simple interaction. He shook my hand, talked a bit about this very site’s blend of unadorned bias, complex analysis and ability to break news. Then he went on KJR with Gas, doing a radio hit before attending a Sounders match across the street. Like me, Wahl wouldn’t head to the press box that match. He was going to the stands, enjoying the Seattle Sounders as a fan.