OPRAH WINFREY NABS MICHAEL PHELPS, OLYMPIANS FOR PREMIEREOprah Winfrey is doing her part to ensure the 2016 Olympics are held in Chicago.
The Windy City-based host invited 150 U.S. Olympic athletes -- including swimmer Michael Phelps, gymnast Nastia Liukin and basketball star Kobe Bryant -- to appear on her show's season premiere.
The program tapes at Millennium Park today and airs Monday.
See photos of Michael Phelps' greatest Olympic moments.
Hundreds of fans vied for the first round of 2,000 premium tickets on Saturday, with some sleeping in their cars overnight. Another 7,000 lawn seats will be available today.
Winfrey, 54, wants to both welcome home the athletes who competed in Beijing and show off Chicago as it bids for the 2016 summer games, her production company, Harpo, told the Associated Press.
See photos of Olympic hunks.
This isn't the first time Oprah has tried to persuade voters.
Her endorsement of Barack Obama for president earned him one million votes in the primaries, according to University of Maryland economists. Usmagazine |
