Eric Wahl, the brother of late sportswriter Grant Wahl, has apologized for saying his brother's death while he was covering the World Cup in Qatar was the result of foul play.
On Friday night, soon after Grant's death was reported, Eric posted an emotional video on Instagram in which he expressed sorrow and revealed he thought his brother had been "killed." The video was later deleted.
This week, Eric clarified that he no longer suspects foul play, and he apologized "unequivocally" for suggesting as much. He said he jumped to that early conclusion in an emotional state and based it on "concerning things" Grant had told him.
Eric added that pulmonary embolism was not the cause of death, and his family was awaiting results of an autopsy after Grant's body was repatriated to the US on Monday.
In an interview with the New York Post, Eric said he was "especially sorry to any people in the Muslim world that I offended. It was never my intention."
Grant Wahl, who turned 49 earlier this month, had been detained by stadium security for roughly 30 minutes after arriving at the Wales-USA group-stage game while wearing a t-shirt bearing the LGBTQ Pride rainbow, an episode which apparently prompted his brother's initial fears of foul play. Grant documented the harrowing encounter in a blog post.
Grant was a staunch advocate for human rights and had been critical of the Qatari government's anti-LGBTQ laws and its exploitation of migrant laborers, of which tens if not hundreds died while building the infrastructure for the World Cup.
“He’s probably one of the most humble people I ever knew and was a great champion of marginalized people,” Eric, who is gay, told the Post.
Instead, Grant appears to have been felled by some kind of medical episode. He had posted about feeling unwell and overworked throughout the tournament, complaining of a severe cough as well as "pressure and discomfort" in his chest. He sought treatment at a clinic in Qatar and was prescribed antibiotics to treat bronchitis.
The CBS Sports contributor and former longtime Sports Illustrated reporter was widely considered the face of American soccer journalism.
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