WAYNE ROONEY: BULL TERRIER

This made me laugh so hard, especially since my friends and I have been calling Wayne Rooney a “little bulldog” for as long as I can remember. Buddies Pet Insurance (UK) surveyed 40,000 new puppy owners to figure out what peeps are naming their furry little friends. And wouldn’t ya know it- Rooney is at the top of the list when it comes to pet owners choosing a name. The Manchester United and England striker tops the list ahead of Liverpool babe Gerrard and Chelsea skipper Terry. The other top four spots go to Owen, Drogba, Giggs and Ronaldo. And, ironically enough, the survey revealed that the most popular breed of the four-legged Rooney is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. “While fans choose a name out of loyalty to their team, the fact that so many Staffordshire Bull Terrier owners opt for Rooney, suggests the look of the dog has a bearing on the choice too,” said Buddies pet insurance chief operating officer Avi Levine. (www.buddies-direct.co.uk) Interesting… I predict, that by the end of the year, you’ll know at least 100 poodle puppies named Becks.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE PLAYS A KING

Justin Timberlake the love guru? JT is set appear in “The Love Guru,” a comedy written by Mike Myers, where JT plays an NHL Kings player. In the film, Myers plays a love guru who is challenged to settle a rift between a Maple Leafs player played and his estranged wife, who begins dating (JT) Grande “out of revenge.” First showing.com explains the plot: In the film, Pitka (Myers) is an American who was left at the gates of an ashram in India as a child and raised by gurus. He moves back to the US to seek fame and fortune in the world of self-help and spirituality. His unorthodox methods are put to the test when he must settle a rift between Toronto Maple Leafs star hockey player Darren Roanoke (Malco) and his estranged wife. After the split, Roanoke’s wife starts dating LA Kings star Jacques Grande (Timberlake) out of revenge, sending her husband into a major professional skid — to the horror of the teams’ owner Jane Bullard (Alba) and Coach Cherkov (Troyer). Pitka must return the couple to marital nirvana and get Roanoke back on his game so the team can break the 40-year-old “Bullard Curse” and win the Stanley Cup.

DADDY TOM BRADY

Yes, Tom Brady’s ex-girlfriend, Bridget Moynahan gave birth to a baby boy yesterday. Moynahan’s publicist, said, “Mother and baby are doing well.” In Touch magazine reports that Bridget had to have a C-section to get the little guy out. ‘Insiders’ say the problem was that the baby was in a “transverse lie,” meaning he was laying across the uterus. But all is good, and Baby Brady weighs 7-pounds 14-ounce, and is 22-inches long. Unconfirmed rumors name baby Brady as William…and In Touch reports that Tom arrived at the hospital carrying a large bunch of orchids and white flowers shortly after 2 p.m. yesterday, but he was just minutes too late. (national ledger)
*Update: The baby has been named JONATHON!*

FED-EX WITHOUT TIGER

Personally, I don’t have a problem with Tiger Woods skipping the FedEx Cup, which begins today at Westchester Country Club in New York. On his Web site, Woods wrote, “I fully support the tournament and the new FedEx Cup playoff series, and hope they understand. I need a little break to get ready for the final three events because I think it gives me the best chance to challenge for the title. Plus, I want to be sharp for the Presidents Cup the last week in September.”

Sure it’s not the same without Tiger, but golf can survive without him for one event, so everyone needs to calm down and give him a break. After all, he’s got a new baby to think about, and we’ve got some cool coverage to look forward to. In addition to watching our sex kitten, Camilo Villegas get down and grassy, our libidos can feed on Adam Scott and Ian Poulter. I mean where else can you see these two fine men cross swords?

The PGA Tour has also pulled together some of our favorite beasts to appear on Golf Channel’s “Inside The PGA Tour” tournament preview show that airs each Tuesday at 7:30pm ET. The athletes, who appeared for free, host three or four segments during the show and share their experiences with the postseason. This week, Derek Jeter hosted Tuesday’s episode. Patriots LB Tedi Bruschi will host next week, Brian Urlacher will host during the week of the BMW Championship, Braves P John Smoltz and Hawks HOFer Dominique Wilkins will take their turn when the show rolls into Atlanta where the inaugural FedEx Cup winner will be crowned. Check out treats at PGATour.com, where Jim McMahon, Marshall Faulk, Jerome Bettis, Trent Dilfer and Grant Fuhr offer playoff testimonials.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.