by FOXSports.com

Updated: April 12, 2002, 6:42 PM EST

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Nick got more feedback stemming from that piece than for any column he's ever written. The following is a selected batch of response emails from all over North America.

"I have been in the same situation in a bar with seemingly 900 televisions going and generally one set begrudgingly turned on soccer. My experience came several years ago, when the US team finally won a World Cup game. One guy was there screaming and yelling for the US, which prompted the manager to come over and ask him to be quiet or leave."
- BRUCE DAWSON, Denver

"During the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup our local media did not give the competition a single mention. They seem to be totally oblivious to the fact that the national team regularly makes it to the World Cup Finals, which on the world scale puts us in a pretty exclusive club."
- KEITH BRANTON, Erie, PA

"It feels like I am the only American in the world who enjoys soccer more than baseball or basketball. It is hard to explain how it started, but since the day my dad came back from a business trip to North London with an Arsenal jersey for me, I have been completely obsessed with the game."
- COLIN PLUNKETT, Marquette University, WI

"I am an ex-pat living over here in Washington DC. I think the issue here is that there are too many sports here for soccer to be successful. Even if the US were to win the World Cup this year there will still not be the passion and love that exists elsewhere in the world. For now I get my kicks watching my wonderful Arsenal play towards the double, talking with my European friends and watching Fox Sports World's excellent footie coverage."
- DANIEL SIEFF, Vienna, VA

"Americans are selectively patriotic. They will fly a flag from their car antenna until it's nothing but tatters, but cheer on representatives of this country, not a chance! I did my part! I told a bar owner he was a lousy American for watching the baseball game. I left and went to a local Irish pub where there was actually a rowdy group watching the team down our southern neighbors!"
- JAN WALOR

"I moved to England and rediscovered the beautiful game in 1997. I started supporting Liverpool because they had Brad Friedel. I'm hopelessly lost now. There are two seasons, the Premier league season and the rest of the year. When the US team is on my wife leaves the house and the neighbors put cotton wool in their ears!"
- DILLON NABER, Texas

"Those who want to see the sport successful in America should throw their money at the grass roots level, into the elementary schools, and the other small programs. I'm certain one day some far sighted businessman in America will profit from the addiction. I just hope it is somebody that loves the game."
- SAGNESS GIRUOURD, Greater Houston

"The biggest shock comes when Americans learn that as an Englishman (not Brit) you support a team for life through thick and thin. Teams never move and if they get relegated we still support them. Maybe Manchester United should invest some money in American supporters!"
- JONATHAN WOOD, English Expat, Houston

"As an Evertonian living in Nova Scotia for the past seven years, your comments read awfully familiar. God help us during the World Cup, when every curling commentator in Canada suddenly starts trying to talk about football!"
- MARK ELLIS, Nova Scotia

"I flew to Denver last week to catch the Mexico match. We stayed at the Hyatt were the Mexican team was also staying. After the game I rode the elevator with some of the players and asked them "Que pasa con su equipo hoy?" ("What happened to your team today") I said it with a big smile and they were not too happy with my use of the Spanish language to taunt them. Ha Ha."
- SEAN SULLIVAN, Las Vegas

Finally, this email wins the award for the most interesting prediction. . .

"Kids who play soccer aren't tough enough to play traditional American sports. You can talk all you about how great the game is or what a tough sport it is to play. Everyone knows that soccer's popularity depends on hysterical mothers who don't want Johnny to get a boo boo. Forget soccer. In another 20 years kids will be playing Australian rules football here in America and soccer will be a thing of the past."
- ERIK MARTIN

Have thoughts of your own? Nick Webster can be reached at nwebster@foxsportsworld.com