Oprah Plus Olympians Equals One Big Party

If anyone could pull it off, it would be Oprah Winfrey.
The feat? Gathering more than 170 Olympic medals winners together in one place.
The prize? One heck of a season opener for the talk-show queen.
On Wednesday, 7,000 fans of the big O's "Oprah and the Olympians" gathered in Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion to pay homage to the United States' most recent sporting heroes.
There were some funny moments before the show began, including Oprah's pointing out the fact that Mayor Richard M. Daley was at the taping – a first in Oprah's 23 years on the air in Chicago.
From swimmers Michael Phelps and Dara Torres to NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, Oprah procured them all.
The athletes were driven through Chicago on a double-decker bus to the taping. Then they were brought out in teams to roars of support as confetti and balloons rained down on the crowd. (Red, white and blue all the way, of course.)
The celebration was intense. There were many shouts of "Marry me Michael," and even a few "Nastia Liukin rocks my world!"
During the show, Oprah highlighted many outstanding moments from the Games, including:
• Golden boy Phelps' run toward his history-making eight gold medals.
• Gymnasts Shawn Johnson and Liukin's rise to stardom.
• Torres' Olympic run at the ripe old age of 41. When asked how she found a balance between swimming and a 2-year-old daughter, Torres said she was just like any working mother.
• The men's volleyball win, despite the stabbing death of coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law in China.
In true Oprah fashion, there were montages of some athletes' stories that brought tears to my eyes. Others that brought laughs.
The bonus to Oprah's gathering all the Olympians together? Highlighting Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Harpo Productions says Winfrey's program airs in 140 countries – an instant global push for Chicago's case. Phelps even went so far as to wear a 2016 shirt during the taping.
As the show wound down, "American Idol" winner David Cook came out to sing, and the athletes – even Phelps and Bryant – went out into the crowd to thank fans for their support.
While it was fun celebrating my love of all things Olympics, it was hard to contain myself from running after athletes.
OK, I admit it ...
I have been a huge fan of Torres for more than half my life and couldn't stop myself when I saw her.
"Thank you, thank you," was all I said as I shook her hand.
And I meant it.
Highlighting Chicago, the athletes and the Olympic spirit could not have been any better.
But don't take my word for it.
Tune in Monday morning to see for yourself.