December 8, 2005, was a bitter cold day in Chicago. Late in the afternoon the snow began to fall. Walking the slick sidewalks was challenging. Driving was treacherous. WGN TV weatherman, Tom Skilling, was right on target with his forecast.

No one staying on the eighteenth floor of The Palmer House Hilton Hotel seemed to mind, however, because the people who occupied most of the rooms were Olympians who were headed to the Harris Theater a few blocks away.

At 8 p.m., the curtain would go up on the USOC's 2006 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. It was a night of memories and magical moments.

The guest list read like a register of the most accomplished athletes in the world. The men and women to be inducted constituted Olympic royalty: Evelyn Ashford; Rowdy Gains; Shannon Miller; Kristi Yamaguchi; The 1984 Men's Gymnastics Team; Diana Golden-Brosnihan; Herb Brooks; Dick Ebersol and Jack Shea.

Watching the likes of Bonnie Blair, Bruce Jenner and Dan Jansen walk the red carpet was about as good as it gets. No one had to remind you that you were in the presence of greatness. You felt it everywhere.

The fast moving snow storm was no match for the perseverance, discipline and industry of people like these, and many more, who came to Chicago to honor 12 men and women who wore the colors of the United States on Olympic fields around the world.

On this evening, they were wearing formal dresses and tuxedoes. No track shoes here. They would look like everyone else. They smiled when you approached them. They politely took questions, and sometimes, if you were lucky, you might give them a moment to remember.

Such was the case when we met Dan Jansen. He had long been a member of every senor class we taught in the past 10 years. When we told him that we used his story and video of his Olympic moment to motivate our students and prepare them for what life would deal them, his face glowed with a smile of surprise, satisfaction and gratitude.

I doubt that we will ever forget the look on his face. Equally astonished was Bonnie Blair when she heard the words,"Thank you for what you did for our country." Her smile and warm handshake said it all.

The more accomplished the athlete, the more accommodating they seemed to be. Without question that's the definition of a world class athlete. The Harris Theater was full of world class people on December 8, 2005, including the men and women who worked for the USOC.

Jack O'Callahan was more than willing to talk about his coach, Herb Brooks.

Evelyn Ashford shared her young son with everyone who wanted to shake her hand. This giant of track and field was a doting mother, and she did it with such grace and charm.

Our moment of moments came when Patti and Dan Brooks arrived. In classic fashion, Patti managed to get into the theater and avoid every camera. Dan walked through the front door, shook off the snow, and headed straight to our camera. We were waiting for the son of the legendary coach.

The spitting image of his dad, Dan Brooks is soft spoken and very thoughtful. On this night he was a bit on edge. The impressive set for the television production of the event reminded him of the Oscars show, and the athletes in the hall reminded him of the greatness he grew up knowing and loving.

With heartfelt words, he told us that his father was in the room in the same way he was with his team during those celebratory times in Lake Placid in 1980. His eyes were very convincing, and his peaceful smile of satisfaction made everyone he talked to a believer. Later that evening he would convince the audience of that fact.

If there is one memory we will carry with us forever, it was the way these giants conducted themselves. Disciplined, well spoken, thoughtful and very poised, these Olympians were impressive in every sense of the word. All they had to do was stand in an empty space, and you thought to yourself how fortunate we are to have people like this walking among us.

There were no retinues...no offensive behavior...no angry conversations or abusive language. Then it hit us, these are the genuine celebrities America has to offer. They are pure gold, and you know it the moment you meet them.

In this preview, we will introduce you to Dan Brooks, Jack O'Callahan, Carla O'Connell of the USOC Media Department, Lon Hanson, an executive with Kleenex and PA State Representative and Wachovia Arena Board Chairman, Kevin Blaum.

They tell stories about Coach Herb Brooks that will touch you in very special ways. They help document the reasons why Coach Brooks was the first coach to be inducted into the USOC Hall of Fame. They give truth to the saying, "Records can be broken, but legacies last forever."

To learn more about this magical evening, we encourage you to watch the NBC broadcast of the Olympic Hall of Fame show. Produced by Dean Butler, the show is a must see for anyone interested in experiencing the best that America has to offer in sports.

Take the time to experience an Olympic moment like no other this New Year's Day, Sunday, January 1, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, on NBC. Make it a family event.

It's one television program you will never forget.

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