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You Talkin' to Me? Real Americans could care less about 'kickball'

From: Tannenwald, Jonathan To: Fagan, Kate; Fox, Ashley Subject: Anybody there? Somehow this part of Page 2 has been given over to soccer talk during the World Cup. So I'll ask the first question: How many people in the U.S. actually care?

Members of the Union supporter group, Sons of Ben, take in the U.S. soccer game at newly opened PPL Park. (Ron Tarver / Staff Photogapher)
Members of the Union supporter group, Sons of Ben, take in the U.S. soccer game at newly opened PPL Park. (Ron Tarver / Staff Photogapher)Read more
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From: Tannenwald, Jonathan

To: Fagan, Kate; Fox, Ashley

Subject: Anybody there?

Somehow this part of Page 2 has been given over to soccer talk during the World Cup. So I'll ask the first question: How many people in the U.S. actually care?

I write a soccer blog for Philly.com. On its best days, it gets a quarter of the attention and interest that the Flyers' Stanley Cup run got.

From: Fagan, Kate

To: Tannenwald, Jonathan; Fox, Ashley

Subject: Anybody there?

By a "quarter of the attention" did you mean a fortieth? I'm used to nobody following my blog because I normally cover the 76ers, but soccer has given "slow traffic" a new definition.

From: Fox, Ashley

To: Fagan, Kate; Tannenwald, Jonathan

Subject: Anybody there?

I gotta tell you, I'll watch a little soccer for the same reason I went to see Sex and the City 2: eye candy.

I know it's a big deal and we're supposed to be psyched. It is cool, but this is the U.S. I guarantee you people in Philly were more interested in the Eagles' OTAs.

From: Tannenwald, Jonathan

To: Fagan, Kate; Fox, Ashley

Subject: Anybody there?

Oh, I don't doubt that. Though I think I should avoid the eye candy discussion, at least until FIFA president Sepp Blatter goes off again about why women should wear shorter shorts.

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