The Olympics are "BAAAAAAACK, AMERICAHHHHHHHHHH."

So this past Saturday, The Oprah Winfrey Show gave out FREE admission tickets at Millennium Park Jay Pritzker Pavilion...and guess who scored them? ME!!!!! Hundreds of fans stood in line for hours for a chance at 2,000 ticketed seats. Another 7,000 lawn seats were made available. I only had to wait in line 10 minutes LOL I held back in sharing this BIG NEWS until I knew it would work out to attend the taping. The ironic thing is I live across the street from the Jay Pritzker Pavilion so it was super convenient. The taping took about one hour and 20 minutes.

We arrived with the arrival of tour buses filled with Olympians at 8am - oh yeah forgot to mention Oprah trucked in more than 150 U.S. Olympians to Chicago for the season premiere of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Beijing superstars Michael Phelps, Nastia Lukin, Dara Torres and Redeem Teamers Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony were there. Red, white and blue streamers fluttered around them...

The show was billed as a "welcome home party" for American Olympians, as well as a showcase for Chicago's 2016 Olympics bid.

Oprah arrived wearing a patriotic red and blue outfit

Red, white and blue confetti everywhere, that's going to take awhile to clean up!

U.S. men's basketball gold medal winners Dwight Howard and Carlos Boozer

Michael Phelps with his mother, Deborah.

Phelps would not answer if he's single. He wore a Chicago 2016 golf shirt during Oprah’s interview. He was asked if he had watched the tapes of his eight gold medal contests, Phelps said not all of them — yet. He generally reviews his performances, he said, to see if “I can pick up anything.’’ “I don’t think you need to pick anything up, now,’’ said Winfrey.

U.S. men's volleyball team

Gymnast Nastia Liukin admitted to reading 'The Secret.' She told Winfrey she was a fan of her show, and, before the Olympic Games in Beijing, had seen an episode featuring author Joyce Schwarz, author of The Vision Board: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life. (Schwarz recommends people design collages reflecting their dreams and aspirations. About a month before Liukin left for Beijing, she designed one featuring a gold medal. She came home with the real thing.

Torres boasted she could eat as much as Phelps, she said she had a 16 oz. steak and desert and a baked potato last night.

Gail said her favorite restaurant is Table 52 (I screamed - its my FAVORITE restaurant - of course if you read my blog regularly you would know LOL)

Team USA is staying at the Hilton

Kobe Bryant

“Is it comfortable in those bikinis?’’ Winfrey asked beach volleyball medalist Misty May-Treanor.

“You get used to it,’’ May-Treanor said.

Gymnast Shawn Johnson displays her medals.

Softball player Jennie Finch makes her way through the crowd.

Shawn Johnson stood next to Phelps, she came up to his waist.

Oprah teased Daley for coming to his first Oprah show

Maggie Daley, wife of Mayor Daley

The show ended with 2008 American Idol winner David Cook on acoustic guitar. Sang Cook: “This is the time of my life . . .’’

The 23rd season premiere of Winfrey’s talk show will air Monday!

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