Grant Wahl.Photo: Brendan Moran/FIFA/Getty
This week’s episode ofTed Lassoincluded a touching tribute to Grant Wahl, the soccer journalist who died in December while covering the World Cup in Qatar.
A dedication to Wahl was shown during the closing credits of the April 5 episode, which also included a scene showing Brendan Hunt’s Coach Beardholding a copy of Wahl’s book,The Beckham Experiment.
Wahl’s widow, Cèline Gounder, wrote about the tribute onTwitter.
“It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe… Thank you, @jasonsudeikis, @brendanhunting, @brettgoldstein,” she tweeted. “This episode means so much to me and my family.”
Wahl died of aruptured aortic aneurysmin December at the age of 48.
According toUSA Today,Ted LassostarJason Sudeikisand Wahl were close friends. PerThe Hollywood Reporter, Wahl also provided notes that the show’s writers would use to develop characters such as journalist Trent Crimm and player, Zava, a superstar who recently joined the show’s fictional team, AFC Richmond.
“When we knew we were going to have the storyline of Trent embedded with the team, we thought about reporters who’ve done that,” Hunt told the outlet, adding that Wahl came to mind.
“Specifically, because Grant’s book is about [soccer] but also about the arrival of a superstar and the change of a culture with David Beckham, we went to him right away,” he continued.
After sending him questions, Hunt said Wahl “wrote very long, very detailed, very valuable answers,” and that he was “hugely helpful.”
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The two later developed a friendship.
“On his way to the airport, he came to Richmond,” Hunt recalled. “He came to my house, he met my family, I showed him around Richmond, and we had a f—ing great day talking about [soccer].”
source: people.com
