French Cuppa Quicksips

.The King was clearly emotional during the ceremony in which he thanked the Moroccan players for their 8220;very brilliant8221; results in the first round. Morocco finished with one victory, one draw and one loss in three games.

The King gave Michel a decoration 8220;that very few non-Moroccans have.8221; 8220;We are not an ungrateful people,8221; the King said, 8220;and we won8217;t forget what you did for us.8221;

TV for Bhutan

Television is banned in Bhutan 8212; except when the World Cup is on. It seems King Jigme Singhe Wangchuk is an avid soccer fan, so soccer enthusiasts in the tiny Himalayan kingdom are being allowed to watch the matches on giant mounted screens.

In the Bhutanesecapital, the Bhutan Olympic Association has put up a screen in a sports stadium. The government also has allowed some private institutions to show the matches in three other towns. Television has been long forbidden and mass tourism is discouraged in Bhutan to avoid outside influence on its Buddhist way of life.

Ratings record

A record home viewing audience of 24.2 million watched England beat Colombia in the World Cup on Friday night, and untold millions more watched in bars and clubs. The figures revealed that three out of four viewers 8212; about half the population 8212; were glued to the match.

The previous record for a televised match was 23.5 million viewers for the 1996 European Championship showdown between England and Germany. Another record could fall when England meet Argentina in second round.

It pays to count

At the World Cup, it always pays to make your questions count. That lesson was driven home the hard way after yesterday8217;s Italy-Norway game, when the moderator announcedthat the losing coach, Norway8217;s Egil Olsen, would answer only two questions from journalists. The first question dealt with the weather. The second one was even more straight-forward. 8220;Do you still defend your choice to use just one striker?8221; a journalist queried. 8220;Yes,8221; said Olsen, who promptly marched off the stage.

Cutie of the week

He8217;s a 6-foot-4 midfielder with a forceful kick and a face that could sell insurance. The first time Jostein Flo played in the World Cup, it did not go unnoticed. Flo was named 8220;Cutie of the week8221; by French sports daily L8217;Equipe on Saturday. The newspaper invited Nathalie Egli, an agent at Marilyn Sports that represents top athletes such as boxer Evander Holyfield, to review players in the World Cup.

This week Egli went for a wholesome approach by choosing the eldest of the Norwegian Flo brothers. 8220;He8217;s not a very beautiful boy,8221; Egli said. 8220;You wouldn8217;t look twice if you crossed him in the street, but he seems friendly and very normal.8221; Egli gave someideas as to what kind of commercials she would choose to enhance Flo8217;s star quality. 8220;He looks healthy, raised on grains,8221; Egli said. 8220;That8217;s the perfect profile for a commercial for food, insurance, cars or pasta.8221;