DOHA, Qatar — Here, at perhaps the most singular World Cup in soccer history, a hero walked among the masses. When not traveling the world, or hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, mountain biking or backpacking, this hero holds a normal job. He lives in the U.S., with his wife and their dog, a mutt with black lab vibes.
None of that relates to his heroism, except tangentially, because his spirit, hobbies and adventures long ago shaped a daring, try-anything soul. It all sets the stage for his trip here, to watch the U.S. men’s national team compete against Wales, England and Iran, while catching Argentina-Mexico, Spain-Germany, Germany-Japan, Portugal-Uruguay and Costa Rica-Japan. While thousands of Americans are doing the same thing, few, if any, dared to attempt what this hero, who we’ll call Teddy in exchange for candor and in the interest of his safety, managed to pull off.
Our hero, a late entrant into the field for Sportsperson of the Year, didn’t just find whiskey in Qatar.
