Professional athletes live privileged lives. Babe Ruth Jersey . Even in the CFL, where salaries but for a few dont compare with those of other major league sports, athletes are among the chosen few in life who get paid to do exactly what they want. They are judged by what happens in a game, they are watched by thousands in the stands and millions on television. In many ways they are living out a fantasy so many of us had as children. But this week seven CFL players have left all of that behind by participating in Huddle For Haiti. They have left their comfort zones and tested themselves in ways far different than they ever do on the football field. And Haiti is hard living. Its hot, its dirty, and the air is hard to breath, even when its not so foul it makes you want to vomit. The players are traveling this week in two small vans which are cramped, smelly and, above all, hot. No, there is no air conditioning for those being shuffled about in plus-30 degree temperatures and humidity. The windows are open and all the dust and filth flies into their faces. Often, vehicles ahead spew thick black exhaust and the players pull their shirts over their mouths just to breathe comfortably. It goes without saying that the players arent being paid to be here. But it is worth noting that they have dipped into their own pockets to make this trip happen.  They are staying each night with the extended family of Yvenson Bernard, the Haitian-American running back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Bernard is not yet a CFL star, but in his opportunities with the Bombers hes shown that he is one in waiting.  At Oregon State he became one of the all-time leading rushers in Pac-10 history, on a short list that includes Marcus Allen and O.J. Simpson. This week he and his extended family have offered up their compound in Port-au-Prince to the six other players. By Haitian standards, the home is a palace. Not that this makes their stay like a vacation. Bernards family home was looted shortly before the earthquake and there is no furniture in it. The players all brought tents and camping mattresses. They have pitched them on hard marble floors around the compound. They sleep in the night heat, amid mosquitoes that ravage their bodies each night. No one seems to be sleeping well, but no one is complaining. Not even when it comes to showering, which involves going to the bottom of the driveway near the gate that shuts out the outside world, removing clothes and pouring buckets of cold water over their heads. When in Haiti do as the Haitians. There is no other way.  As for electricity, it comes and goes. It disappears most times around dark, which is of course when it is really needed. Dinner in the dark is an evening ritual. If youre thinking that not every kind of professional athlete would volunteer for such a trip youre right. Something tells me you wont find Chris Bosh or A-Rod walking the streets of Port-au-Prince anytime soon. Which brings us to the nature of CFL players who willingly do so much in their communities, and the seven whove taken it to a completely different level this week. The players who are here this week are not the A-list of CFL headliners. There are three offensive linemen -- Edmontons Kelly Bates, Hamiltons Jason Jimenez and Edmontons Aaron Fiaccioni, one long-snapper in Winnipegs Chris Cvetkovic, two fullbacks in B.Cs Rolly Lumbala and Edmontons Graeme Bell, and Bernard. I joked that this team is built for third-and-one situations, not long bombs. I didnt know any of them well before I joined them as part of TSNs crew on this trip. Bernard has been living an emotional rollercoaster here. Hes one of those people who almost always wear a smile, but there have been times this week when one has evaded him. He grew up in Florida but visited family in Haiti regularly as a kid. When the earthquake hit, he was here within two months and started a foundation for after-school programs. There are times hes gotten quiet on this trip and the others can only wonder what his thoughts must be. But his spirit reflects the resiliency of the Haitian people. When his 19-year-old cousin told us this week that "Haiti is done", Bernard said it made him more determined to make a difference than ever. Players such as Bates, Bell, Cvetkovic and Fiacconi are all experiencing something they never have before. They come from places such as Saskatoon, Burlington and Sault St. Marie. They have all been humbled this week, experiencing deep reflections on their own lives here and the lives of others. Jimenez was voted the "biggest jerk in the CFL" by the media this past CFL season, and hes made his biggest news being fined for hits. But you wouldnt know it this week watching him engage with the Haitian people, teaching children to throw a football, listening to his dissertations on life, poverty, reconstruction and human nature. And then there is Lumbala, born in The Congo but raised in Montreal. He is black and French-speaking so in some ways he appears to fit in here. But his cover is easily blown by his Canadian-ness, and he is as easily jarred by what we are seeing as any of the others. These are players who show no fear on the field but have had to test their courage at times this week. They have put themselves in situations few professional athletes ever do. Tuesday night there were reports of riots in Port-au-Prince, situations that could turn dangerous and violent. There was about a 30-minute drive back to Bernards, so the driver made phone calls and decided the road would be safe, even as darkness fell. But it was determined we should be cautious, not advertise that we are foreigners in a potentially hostile climate, not invite trouble. The plan was for Lumbala to sit up front, next to the driver. That way if trouble hit, the van would appear as if it was occupied by two locals making their way across town. The other players sat behind, prepared to duck under the windows if the situation turned dangerous. It didnt, and nerves relaxed as the van made its way through total darkness, rolling past the slums and shelters, people and cars darting in every direction.  A world away from the football field, from the crowds and the glory.  A world away by choice. Broncos Champ Bailey Jersey . Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 24,000 points, passed veteran guard Allen Iverson -- now with the Grizzlies -- for 16th place on the all-time scoring list and notched his 99th career game with 40-plus points. Premier Saints Jersey . Related readings: Price rule ensures normal room rates in Sanya HK-bound tours boom in Chinese Lunar New Year Chinas tourism revenue up 20% in 2010 Tourism set for big take-off More than 36,000 visitors traveled to Sanya on Wednesday, the first day of the week-long Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) break, and the number has picked up over the past two days, according to Hainans provincial tourism administration on Friday. Baltimore Ravens Joe Flacco Jersey . Hannover lost its first game after the suicide of captain and goalkeeper Robert Enke, going down 2-0 at Schalke, which moved into third place. A minute of silence was held at all stadiums in memory of Enke, who threw himself before a train Nov. New Orleans Saints Darren Sharper Jersey . Related readings: State Councilor urges to popularize Chinese language Hard elements of soft power Peoples Daily website leads push for soft power Class act promotes global soft power The blue book, called the Annual Report On Chinas Cultural Soft Power Research (2010), was published under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Social Sciences Academic Press. Replica Kevin Kolb Jersey .C. -- Charlotte coach Larry Brown wasnt too pleased that the Bobcats game Saturday night got close in the end, but if it was going to happen, at least they got to work on late-game situations. MONTREAL (AP) -The Washington Capitals have regained the edge in their first-round series with the Montreal Canadiens. Without any contributions from the NHLs top-ranked power play, the Capitals have scored 11 goals in two straight wins over Montreal to regain home-ice advantage heading into Wednesdays Game 4 in their Eastern Conference series. Washington won its Bell Centre playoff debut 5-1 on Monday night. Its vaunted power play went 0 for 7, though, and played no part in silencing the Canadiens fans. That was handled by a four-goal outburst in the second period, started by Boyd Gordons short-handed goal and capped by Alex Ovechkins second goal in as many games. The Capitals, who lead the series 2-1, have yet to score in 14 opportunities with the man advantage against eighth-seeded Montreal. They havent scored a power-play goal in five games, including their last two regular-season games. If the power play gets going its going to be better for us, Ovechkin said. But I hope when we need it its going to be working. Washington coach Bruce Boudreau noted that any added contributions from the power play wont necessarily result in the Capitals blowing the Canadiens off the ice. Usually when one game goes up, though, something else suffers, Boudreau said. Its just the law of averages. I keep using statistics in baseball but when you have fabulous pitching, you dont always have great hitting, and vice versa. If our power play was 3 for 5 one night I dont think wed have four even-strength goals. So itll be nice to get the power play back on track, but I think we worked with it this year, we had so many guys that were plus that 5-on-5 we played a pretty good game as well. After reviewing the previous nights game Tuesday, Boudreau said the Capitals four-goal margin of victory in Game 3 had pushed to the back of his mind the fact that the Canadiens had numerous good scoring opportunities early in the game. He said goalie Semyon Varlamovs play in the first wass the key to Washington keeping it scoreless through the first 20 minutes. Ronnie Lott Jersey. I didnt realize when I was watching it this morning that they had so many good chances, Boudreau said. Sometimes the score of the game masks how you played. We thought at the end of the first we were doing pretty good and they came close to scoring about five really good chances to score and Varly was up to the task and played really strong in that period. Varlamov replaced Jose Theodore early in Game 2 after the former Canadiens goalie was beaten on the first two shots he faced. The Capitals chased Montreal starter Jaroslav Halak midway through Game 3. Carey Price, who played each of the Canadiens four regular season games against Washington, relieved and stopped 21 of 23 shots. Boudreau was coaching Hershey in the 2007 AHL final when he first encountered Price, who won playoff MVP honors in leading Hamilton past the Bears to a Calder Cup title that spring. Well we played five games against him and every game we averaged over 42 shots a game against him and they won it five so he was quite a difference maker, Boudreau said. It was at that point we knew he was a good goalie. If hes playing (Wednesday), we know hes a great goalie who can steal games for you so well just have to be aware of it. Even without power-play goals, the Capitals have rebounded nicely after dropping the opener 3-2 in overtime at home. The first game shook us a lot, Ovechkin said. We lost in overtime in front of our fans and we felt embarrassed. Held without a point or a shot on goal for the first time in his career in Thursdays opener, Ovechkin has six points in the two wins, including a goal and three assists in a 6-5 comeback victory in Game 2 which saw Nicklas Backstrom complete a hat trick for the overtime winner. Its only 2-1 in the series and we havent won anything, Ovechkin said. Weve just won two games and we have to win another game, then another game. Every game we win, well feel more comfortable. ' ' '