I hope they realize we can’t lose $2,000 in balls a game and expect to survive. Rooney also served as the US ambassador to Ireland from 2009-2012, becoming the first ambassador from the US to visit each of Ireland’s 32 counties. ” almost a decade ago, the crackdown has been exacerbated by the rise of platforms like Twitter. s brought out the amazing camaraderie that currently seems to exist at the very top of the sport.