Big Shots for December 23, 2011

This week in Big Shots we watch the Three Stooges in action in a Europa League soccer match, we notice that even royal monarchs have hairy bellies, and we keep our distance from Belgian cyclocrossers until they've bathed. We also notice that bobsleigh driver Paula Walker has patriotic lips, that distance runner Alia Saeed's hands are minty fresh, and that footballer Kyriakos Papadopoulos's tongue is several feet long. We're thankful for these holiday gifts. ( 34 photos total)

Roman Koudelka of the Czech Republic soars through the air during large hill ski jumping World Cup in Engelberg, Switzerland on December 17, 2011. (Michael Buholzer/Reuters)

Drivers in a demolition derby raise funds for charity and forfeit their insurance policies in Ta' Qali, Malta on December 18, 2011. (Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters) #

Polo players from the Indian Army Polo and Riding Club and Italy's Rome club play during the World Cup in Kolkata on December 18, 2011. The tournament is part of the 150 years celebrations of the Calcutta Polo Club, the oldest polo club in the world. (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images) #

The Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamadan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (second left) shakes water on his horse during the Arab Games' 120km endurance competition near Doha, Qatar on December 17, 2011. (Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images) #

The monarch currently known as Prince - Prince Albert II of Monaco - leaves the water after swimming in the Mediterranean in Monaco on December 18, 2011, during the traditional Christmas bathing session. (Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press) #

Fabiola Molina of Minas Club competes in the 50m backstroke final at the Brazil Swimming Open Championships in Rio de Janeiro on December 15, 2011. (Sergio Moraes/Reuters) #

Santa has a very shrunken bag of gifts in near-freezing water in Shenyang, China on December 17, 2011. (Sheng Li/Reuters) #

Driver Paula Walker of Britain keeps a stiff upper Union Jack at the bobsleigh World Cup in Winterberg, Germany on December 17, 2011. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters) #

With a Gene Simmons air-guitar salute, Schalke 04's Kyriakos Papadopoulos celebrates a goal against Werder Bremen during the German Bundesliga soccer match in Gelsenkirchen on December 17, 2011. (Ina Fassbender/Reuters) #

Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia checks imaginary emails on his invisible smart phone after losing a point against Chen Long of China during their semifinal match of the Badminton World Superseries Finals in Liuzhou, China on December 17, 2011. (Liu Jin/AFP/Getty Images) #

Danut "Curly" Coman of Rapid Bucharest (center, nyuk nyuk nyuk) talks to Moe and Larry during their Europa League soccer match against PSV Eindhoven in Eindhoven, Netherlands on December 15, 2011. (Michael Kooren/Reuters) #

The United Arab Emirates' Alia Saeed's hands smell terrific after winning gold in the 5000m final at the 2011 Arab Games in Doha, Qatar on December 19, 2011. (Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images) #

A France supporter tries some color during their Women's World Handball Championship final against Norway in Sao Paulo, Brazil on December 18, 2011. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images) #

Belgium's Bart Wellens celebrates laundry day as he wins the GP Rouwmoer Essen cyclocross race in Essen, Belgium on December 17, 2011. (Peter Deconinck/AFP/Getty Images) #

The Calgary Flames' Tim Jackman donates blood after fighting the Minnesota Wild's Brad Staubitz during their NHL hockey game in Calgary, Canada on December 20, 2011. (Todd Korol/Reuters) #

The New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees hits his peek during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. (Charlie Neibergall/AP) #

Benfica's Oscar Cardozo heads the ball close to Rio Ave's Eder Fernandes during their Portuguese league football match at Luz Stadium in Lisbon on December 16, 2011. (Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images) #

The Memphis Grizzlies' Jeremy Pargo (right) New Orleans Hornets' Lance Thomas rehearse Swan Lake during a preseason NBA basketball game on December 16, 2011, in Memphis. (Lance Murphey/AP) #

A surfer enters the water from a cliff at Lighthouse Field State Beach, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 in Santa Cruz, Calif. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP) #

Dais Return ridden by Jason Maguire jumps the last fence to win a hurdle race at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse in Bangor, England on December 14. 2011. (Martin Rickett/PA/AP) #

Magdalena Neuner of Germany shoots during the 7.5km sprint biathlon World Cup on December 16, 2011 in Hochfilzen, Austria. (Matthias Schrader/AP) #

Competitors round a mark during the women's 470 two-person dinghy class at the ISAF World Sailing Championships off Fremantle, Australia on December 16, 2011. (Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images) #

Canada's Samuel Edney slides down the course during the World Cup luge event in Calgary on December 17, 2011. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press/AP) #

Referees watch ski jumpers during the Nordic Combined World Cup competition in Seefeld, Austria on December 17, 2011. (Matthias Schrader/AP) #

Denis Dolgodorov of Russia and Mikael Kingsbury of Canada compete during the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup Dual Moguls on December 20, 2011 in Meribel, France. (Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images) #

Arsenal's Robin van Persie (left) vies with Manchester City's Vincent Kompany during their English Premier League football match at Etihad Stadium in Manchester on December 18, 2011. (Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images) #

The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (center, top) collides with the Los Angeles Clippers' Brian Cook during their NBA preseason basketball game in Los Angeles on December 19, 2011. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) #

Sporting's Van Wolfswinkel (center) vies for the ball against Academica's Diogo Melo (left) and Berger during their Portuguese league football match at Coimbra Stadium in Coimbra on December 18, 2011. (Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images) #

Denmark's Trine Troelsen tries to score as Angola's Nair Almeida defends during their Women's Handball World Championship match in Sao Paulo, Brazil on December 14, 2011. (Andre Penner/AP) #

Clermont's Lee Byrne is tackled by the Leicester Tigers' Manu Tuilagi during their European Cup rugby union match at Welford Road stadium in Leicester on December 17, 2011. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images) #

Tennessee's Shekinna Stricklen (left) and Glory Johnson take the ball from UCLA's Antonye Nyingifa during their NCAA college basketball game on December 17, 2011 in Los Angeles. (Mark J. Terrill/AP) #

The Miami Dolphins' Reggie Bush fumbles against the Buffalo Bills during an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y. on December 18, 2011. (David Duprey) #

Camilo Villegas attempts a hole-in-one in La Plaza Botero from the tenth floor of a hotel in Medellin, Colombia on December 15, 2011. Villegas did not make the 108 yard shot in 15 attempts. (Albeiro Lopera/Reuters) #

"And if you win, we'll give you this big bowl of …raw potatoes." Now that's motivation. Utah State running back Robert Turbin looks at the winner's trophy of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on December 15, 2011 in Boise, Idaho. (Eli Lucero/The Herald Journal/AP) #

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Big Shots for December 23, 2011