'The Bradley Bunch'

The Bradley's are a sports family, and that foundation comes from brothers Bob, Scott and Jeff. Ronald Blum writes about the sports-obsessed family that has developed our national team's coach.

When the Bradley bunch gathers brothers Bob, Scott and Jeff the wives are on their own.

"They can talk about movies and other things and they can let us go off into our own little room or whatever and talk sports all we want," Scott Bradley said. "They can socialize and have some fun talking about other things."

Now with the World Cup approaching, the Bradleys have become among the most prominent American sports families. And when the guys are together, it's a pretty safe bet soccer is the subject.

Bob, the oldest of the three brothers, is head coach of the U.S. soccer team and getting ready to lead his players to South Africa. They've been training at Princeton, where he coached the Tigers from 1984-95.

Scott, the one in the middle, just finished his 13th season as coach of Princeton's baseball team after a nine-year career in the major leagues. Jeff, the youngest, is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine who covers lots of baseball and soccer, and will be reporting on all things not U.S. in South Africa.

And don't overlook Bob's son, Michael, a fiery 22-year-old midfielder on the U.S. World Cup team and a regular starter for Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

They are a cross-sport version of baseball's Molinas and hockey's Sutters, a family that seems destined to have a TV series created about it.