That's On Point: The Web Site

Hello. My name is Coleen McLoughlin.

In England I am famous.

Am I a pop star? No.

A reality television reject? Nope.

Did I have a dodgy, public affair with a member of Parliament? Wrong again.

A sex tape? No.

Some sort of talent, which brings joy to the world? Not really.

No, I am famous for simply being No. 1 'football' idol Wayne Rooney's girlfriend.

I do not just deal with the paparazzi when I step out with my man. I have earned acclaim on my own.

I am the pitchman for LG Chocolate Slider phone. Yay!!!!

And I just got a million pounds for some publishing company to write my own style book.

Life is quite grand.

* * *

Naturally, taking a cheap shot at Mr. Rooney's No. 1 gal is a risky prosition. Rooney doesn't seem like the guy that would mess around. Then again, it's a safe bet he doesn't use the Internet for anything aside from hardcore pornography.

That said, I have to credit Mr. Ed Melo for the excellent, oddball, post on the message board of this video. In its essence its British/Engligh "Punk'd" but with Aston Kucher swapped for Mancherster United centre back Rio Ferdinand.

It's also not all that funnym intentioanlly at least.

That's not true. Watch Rooney's expressionless face. More than that, can he even speak? Is he a deaf, dumb, blind footie prodigy?

It's weird. That whole notion of celebrity hit an entirely different plateau in Europe, in particular England. As bad as say, the New York Post or US Weekly is (did all those newsrags send a new check to Satan in exchange for a rebirth in the JonBenet story, repleat with an absolutely nutball suspect, who almost seems a little too perfect) it would seem the British press is worse, at least to its sporting heros.

It seems all the press wants to do is drag celebs back down with constant bright lights and pressure. From my casual interest, it seems the oddest and smallest things make headlines. -- "Wazza prefers clams." ... "Becks rides with ghouls; Posh home with kids." etc.

That brings me back to the Rooney girlfriend thing.

Where in America has a pro athletes wife/girlfriend become a true celeb? Don't say Kathy-Lee Gifford either. Our American heros date singers, supermodels and actresses. Fame embraces fame.

At least in the States, if you're famous, a great deal of the known world knows who you are,, or at least your face. The rest of the world's celebs, good luck,

But when has a player's spouse/significant other become an issue? Yeah, Paul Lo Duca is getting racked through the coals because of his affair. And maybe Anna Benson, wishes see was Ms. McLoughlin.

Aside from a public adultery spat or tryst (see the Jason Kidd/Jimmy Jackson Dallas Mavericks), it seems to not be a huge topic of conversation on ESPN, etc.

Yes, there are the occasional glamour shots of someone's hot wife, but thats about it.

Across the pond, the press and general sentiment dealt a helping of blame onto the players 'Wives and Girlfriends, aka WAGs" on their quarterfinal crash out in Germany.

I feel confident this would never be an issue talked about in the American sports press.

But, if you want to know when was the last time a Major League baseball team lost on eight consecutive Wednesdays during the day, whilst wearing alternate jersies. Well, step right up. We got that.

And that's as American as Apple Pie and the Little League World Series team from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. From the Wiki page, it seems like an absolute crazy place to live.

They did play a team based out of Rammsteain Air Base in Germany, and while on tour there for the Cup, I did encounter many American Servicemen who supported the USMNT.

We'll round up with a quasi-poor taste joke. -- Who's that batting clean-up, Andrew al-Holden? ... And for shame on the players' fathers for allowing their women to not only attend the game! But to do so without birkas! Infidals!

Final (totally unrelated) thoughts: Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate looks like a troll. He is far too ugly to coach in any major U.S. league. ... .Mark Schwarzer could tend my club's nets any day of the week.

Coming tomorrow (maybe): Champions League draw related post.