About two months ago, the movie Rocky was on television. Rocky is great for a few reasons. Sylvester Stallone wrote the movie of a down-on-his-luck boxer with a chance to rocket to riches and stardom, and the success of the movie mirrored for Stallone the success his character on the screen. How great is that?

Besides basking in them meta-ness of the movie's impact on the world, I was reminded of one uncomfortable workout scene: The raw-egg drinking.

I marvelled at it. It was a harmless yet grotesque feat which had been silently challenging me since I saw it as a kid. Could I drink raw eggs like that?

My thoughts progressed: Of course I could do that. Why would I do that? I could make a video. I wonder if a lot of people have the same thought. Given the opportunity, would people try raw eggs?

It was a great question, and I was excited to discover the answer on the downtown streets of Sacramento.

I bought a box of eggs, packed up some glasses, dug out the cooler and recruited Colleen to help.

I wasn't able to find pasturized eggs in Sacramento, but I have read that they exist. We went with these fresh ones.

Eating raw eggs isn't perfectly safe. There is a well-publicized health risk, but plenty of people do it anyway. They eat raw cookie dough and eggs fried sunny-side up. As long as I was careful, I was confident I could host this event without sickening anyone. To be on the safe side, I decided to ban children and seniors from the challenge.

Saint Patrick's Day was the perfect night to set up the Rocky Challenge. I had absolutely no idea if anyone would do it. Would any women do it? Would any men do it?

Was I going to be eating these eggs myself for the next three weeks?

Would five raw eggs being broken into a glass drive away participants?

The streets downtown were teeming with people, people ready for a challenge. We unloaded the car and set up our table at about 8:30, ready to rock.

I knew from the "Guess your Blood Alcohol Level" booth that I should offer a reward to participants who conquered the challenge. I didn't have prizes, but I did bring a large "CHAMPS" board, ready to be filled out with the names of brave souls who dared to take the Challenge.

I barked them in. "Try the Rocky Challenge! Will YOU drink raw eggs like Rocky?"

The first ten people were wary, but it didn't take long before we heard a "YES!"

Rocky's five eggs seemed suddenly arbitrary. We decided to go with a two-egg minimum. As soon as these first two guys stepped up to the table, anyone nearby stopped and took notice. Someone was going to drink some eggs!

With little fanfare, Colleen served them two cups with two eggs each. They hesitated for just a moment before swallowing them down. Hooray!

We were in business! Yes! Men would accept the Rocky Challenge!

A moment later, Norma stepped up and said she'd do it. With even less fanfare, she gulped down two!

Yes! Women will accept the Rocky Challenge!

Gabriel and Sarah did it.

Many people asked us why we were doing this, administering the Rocky Challenge.

"For fun!" we answered. It was fun!

Damario, Justine and Teshari.

My favorite moments were when I heard "We are doing this!", followed up by a victorious round of egg swallowing. It was great! They proved themselves, and I was there to witness it.

James taking the Rocky Challenge.

A few people warned that this was a bad idea.

It didn't feel like a bad idea. It felt like a great idea!

These three guys on the left, Erick, Stephen and Dave, accepted the challenge without pause.

I loved seeing people overcome their anxiety. It was like watching someone jump off of the high-dive for the first time.

Sometimes women talked men into taking the challenge. Sometimes they talked other women into taking the challenge.

Giselle and Haydee.

Please Continue reading Page Two of the Rocky Challenge.

Back to Page One of the Rocky Challenge.

When a crowd gathered, I stayed busy breaking eggs and snapping pictures while participants added their own names to the list of Victors.

If you were the guy who got three eggs in your glass, there really wasn't an artful way to get out of it. You were stuck with that third egg.

Pre-Rocky.

If you are wondering, not everyone who attempted the Rocky Challenge was intoxicated. This gal was sober, and took it on.

"Well, I'm not drinking any alcohol tonight, I might as well drink this!"

There were plenty of people who were not ready to take the Rocky Challenge. They politely declined.

This guy was one of my favorites, citing both listeria and bird flu as potential hazards of raw egg eating!

After 90 minutes, were were almost out of eggs and almost out of clean glasses.

This was our final challengee of the night, searching his soul and getting advice from his date.

Yes! He did it!

And with those eggs gone, we were done for the night. We had served 60 raw eggs to about 24 strangers in less than two hours! The night was a complete success!

I can't wait to try it again!

And hey, look who walked by while we were packing up to leave! It's Derrick Williams of the Sacramento Kings!

While these photos are well lit with a flash, my plans for a video were marred by lack of a decent light source. Please try to enjoy the video!