Athletes

RedEye asked Chicago athletes for their thoughts on the relationship between sex and sports, and whether they abstain from sex before competing.   Danny Downes 26, UFC fighter Seeing that I'm a responsible Irish Catholic boy raised on the South Side of Chicago, I have no knowledge of such a conundrum. I am getting married [Aug. 4], though, so it may soon become an issue. From all the scientific evidence I have seen, the no sex before competition because "it will make your legs weak" is pure myth.

Powerhouse athletes joined Michelle Obama in Chicago on Thursday to help unveil her new fitness initiative for schools, called Let's Move! Active Schools. We wanted to know what their favorite gym-class games were as kids. Gabby Douglas: Crabwalk volleyball The ability to crabwalk, or walking on your hands and feet while on your back, diminishes as you get older (trust us), so it's good that the all-around gymnastics champ at the London Olympics got her fill. This variety sounds difficult, but Douglas assured us it was fun. "This game, it was like, you had to put your feet and hands on...

When I was a kid, my mom wouldn't let me play hockey. It was one of the biggest regrets of my life. I'm still convinced I could be the next Sidney Crosby but with normal lips. With Marian Hossa's brutal concussion and the deaths of so many enforcers lately, it's made me look at sports in a new light. I remember as a kid drawing a picture of Bob Probert fighting Todd Gill (no idea why I picked him). And then the news of Junior Seau's suicide struck home again. I had a poster of him from Sports Illustrated for Kids on the wall in my room.

Hard hits make sports fans gasp and flinch, but they're far tougher on the players. In April, fans watched in shock as Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa was knocked off his feet, strapped to a stretcher, carted off the ice and taken to the emergency room during the playoffs. On Tuesday, the Hawks felt déjà vu as Hossa left the ice after another head injury. This time, a Vancouver player leveled him with a forearm to the back of the head. Such forceful hits sidelined other Chicago athletes last year with concussions.

The core of the Bears defense - Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman and others - has been described widely as an aging unit. But these decorated veterans have performed like young and restless defenders most of this season. Briggs demonstrated his speed and agility Monday when he ran the width of the field to chase down Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. "I always take a lot of pride in that. And I think we should change [old] age to 'vintage.' I tried to do that earlier in the year," Briggs said Thursday.

The Chicago Dental Society is having a meeting at McCormick Place in a couple of weeks. How do we know this? Because the organization sent out a press release with a sports angle the other day. And, no, it has nothing to do with Duncan Keith's teeth. The CDS asked 100 of its members recently which Chicago sports team "leader" had the best smile, and the results were, um, interesting. We won't reveal the results here. Instead, we'll tell you that Player A received 41 percent of the vote, followed by Player B with 22 percent, Player C at 21 percent and Player D at 5 percent.

After all the disturbing news in Chicago about pit bull attacks, it's nice to see responsible dog owners and the athletic pooches they have trained to participate in the Olympic-style events at the 14th annual Purina Incredible Dog Challenge National Finals. NBC will air the Finals, which took place in St. Louis in October, at 4 p.m. Jan. 14. The network provided this teaser clip of dogs from around the world competing in events such as Dog Diving, Freestyle Flying Disc, 30-Weave Pole Race, Jack Russell Hurdles and Agility.

*** (out of four) At some point your mom or dad probably said, “It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.” Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” knows what I'm talking about. Many people participating in activities without play guns know what that's about, too. In the sobering documentary “Head Games,” Chicago-based director Steve James' (“Hoop Dreams”) converts former Harvard defensive tackle Chris Nowinski's book into a study of increasing evidence about the long-term effects of sports-related brain trauma.

Everyone knows the star athlete. Fans cheer for him, marvel at his athleticism, seek his autograph and snap pictures. But what about the Jerry Maguires of the sports world? Every Chicago sports team has a supporting roster. The team behind the athlete is part of the entourage, in the locker room and behind the scenes. At times, they're spotted or mentioned publicly. Derrick Rose travels with a bodyguard: his former high school assistant basketball coach. White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy hired a massage therapist to help him with rehab after shoulder surgery.

A dozen years into the 21st century, at least one Olympic event remains frozen in time. The modern pentathlon is perhaps the least modern of all the Summer Games, combining five skills (fencing, horseback riding, swimming, shooting and running) essential for 19th century soldiers. While excelling at those skills earns you a pat on the back today, they're irrelevant for climbing the social ladder. That's why RedEye has modernized the Modern Pentathlon, a Modern Modern Pentathlon if you will, updating it with five events you need to win friends and influence...

In 13 years of riding bulls for a living, Luke Snyder has seen more than his share of hospital rooms. "You do this sport long enough, you're gonna take your licks," said Snyder, who has suffered 10 concussions and needed 50 stitches in his career. So why would anyone want to do a job where serious injury is virtually inevitable? "It's the same reason why anybody does an extreme sport," Snyder said. "If it was really easy, everyone would do it. " We'll take his word for it. Here's are the "licks" he's taken as a pro, not including the arm he broke in practice when he was 13: 2003: ...

Northwestern University has already raised $55 million, more than a quarter of its $220 million goal, to build a brand new athletic complex on the north end of its main Evanston campus. University President Morton Schapiro and Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips made the fundraising announcement Sunday, two days before Northwestern's football team beat Mississippi in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day. The win was the university's first bowl victory in 64 years.

Professional athletes are just like us when hit comes to holiday shopping. Well, except for the fact that they can afford gifts that are out of reach of the average person. But it's always cool to find out how what athletes buy for people. RedEye talked to the Bulls and Bears to find out the most expensive gift they've purchased for someone during the holidays.   BULLS Taj Gibson: I bought some expensive shoes for my girlfriend made by some Italian designer. They cost somewhere like $4,000 or $5,000.

Everyone knows the star athlete. Fans cheer for him, marvel at his athleticism, seek his autograph and snap pictures. But what about the Jerry Maguires of the sports world? Every Chicago sports team has a supporting roster. The team behind the athlete is part of the entourage, in the locker room and behind the scenes. At times, they're spotted or mentioned publicly. Derrick Rose travels with a bodyguard: his former high school assistant basketball coach. White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy hired a massage therapist to help him with rehab after shoulder...

Hey, Chicago, the Lakers want you to come watch them play basketball. In the Loop. No, Kobe Bryant and Co. haven't relocated. But Roosevelt University's men's and women's basketball teams will christen their new Lillian and Larry Goodman Center athletic facility Saturday with a doubleheader against Trinity Christian College. The 28,000-square-foot, two-floor center-- at the southeast corner of Congress Parkway and Wabash Avenue--is the first stand-alone facility for college athletes to be built in Chicago's Loop.

It's time to honor the distinguished alumni of Chicago sports this evening. I'll be doing so at a dinner tonight. I don't have a location, or a time, but I think the attire will be business pathetic. Heck, we'll do it in my basement! We have three very deserving candidates, two of whom could have been kings here and absolutely did their best to throw it away. Let's welcome them. Ozzie Guillen. There are no words to describe how much goodwill and support you threw away after winning the World Series in 2005.

We won't know for few years whether the Cubs made a wise choice in investing $30 million in Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler. We do know the 20-year-old is expected to be an important part of what team President Theo Epstein is building, And the same can be said for these young players on other Chicago teams. Tribune contributed   ALSHON JEFFERY, BEARS Age: 22 Most of the Bears excitement this offseason has been sparked by the Brandon Marshall trade, and we get that.

Hard hits make sports fans gasp and flinch, but they're far tougher on the players. In April, fans watched in shock as Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa was knocked off his feet, strapped to a stretcher, carted off the ice and taken to the emergency room during the playoffs. On Tuesday, the Hawks felt déjà vu as Hossa left the ice after another head injury. This time, a Vancouver player leveled him with a forearm to the back of the head. Such forceful hits sidelined other Chicago athletes last year with concussions.

*** (out of four) At some point your mom or dad probably said, “It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.” Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” knows what I'm talking about. Many people participating in activities without play guns know what that's about, too. In the sobering documentary “Head Games,” Chicago-based director Steve James' (“Hoop Dreams”) converts former Harvard defensive tackle Chris Nowinski's book into a study of increasing evidence about the long-term effects of sports-related brain trauma.

A dozen years into the 21st century, at least one Olympic event remains frozen in time. The modern pentathlon is perhaps the least modern of all the Summer Games, combining five skills (fencing, horseback riding, swimming, shooting and running) essential for 19th century soldiers. While excelling at those skills earns you a pat on the back today, they're irrelevant for climbing the social ladder. That's why RedEye has modernized the Modern Pentathlon, a Modern Modern Pentathlon if you will, updating it with five events you need to win friends and influence people in...