Spectacular, astonishing, astounding, breathtaking, daring, dazzling, dramatic, eye-catching, fabulous, fantastic.

All great words, and I thank the creators, but no sound displays sports greatness like “oooohh.” All the other words blurted out at the same time makes noise. While, “oooohh” is a resounding sound too sweet for even Carnegie Hall. Sounds that angelic come only from choirs finding residence in arenas and stadiums.

Over the past week I have made the “oooohh” noise several times. When a mind as scattered as mine is finding time to be impressed over and over and over again, it’s worth documenting. Why do I sing praise to the “oooohh?” What impresses me?

1. I wrote a column titled “Trite Sox” about the phenomenon of fake White Sox fans. The response I received was awe-inspiring. I was instant messaged by over 25 people, e-mailed by more than 40. While I was trying to make a point of saying there were an astounding amount of fake Sox fans, they made the point of reminding me there are a lot of die hard ones, too. Any team with fans so passionate deserves all the success they have received.

2. It’s very difficult for a columnist to string words together that could capture the feeling of watching USC running back Reggie Bush. Saying he is the total package is redundant – Bush is simply the most amazing player to watch. Every time he touches the ball you hold your breath. Ask any defensive coordinator he has faced and he will scoff at who is the most dangerous man in football. Ask any player he has shook, and they will tell you they swore they had him. And ask any general manager in the NFL, and they will secretly wish they can rig the rest of the season to have the top pick.

3. There is a magic in the sound of her name, here come the Irish of Notre Dame. What a difference a day makes, Dec. 12, 2004 – the day the Irish hired Charlie Weis as their head coach. I completely credit any success the Irish are going to have to their new head coach. No offense to Tyrone Willingham, but Notre Dame would be 2-4 right now without Weis.

There are a lot of wins coming in the near future and a National Championship-contending team is very close. How impressive is it that he has turned last year’s rag-tag bunch into a team that could push the nation’s best to the brink. If you visit recruiting links, you’ll also notice that recruiting is greatly improved if you flash Super Bowl bling-bling.

4. I am impressed with the Illinois basketball recruiting effort. So much is made about its recruiting failures, but imagine being from a suburb or city and driving through the cornfields to get to your prospective school.

The two big names being considered at Illini Madness were Eric Gordon and Derrick Rose. Both had great things to say about Illinois, and Gordon cemented claims that Illinois is his leader. The effort that it takes to get prospects to Midnight Madness events is impressive, but even more impressive was the train of recruits that the Illini brought in to enjoy the festivities.

5. CPM finished its 512 S. Third complex this past weekend. Unbelievable that a building thought to be habitable in May was completed on Oct. 16. I’m impressed that a realtor so incompetent would have the poetic comedy prowess to post signs on the elevator stating that residents should be patient during move in because delays are expected. Delays? What delays? I always dreamed of living in a hotel for two months.

It’s unbelievable to me that sports (and CPM) can present us time in and time out with so many memorable moments. Without the help of a director or producer we are continually fed history on a silver platter.

Ian Gold is a senior in Communications. He can be reached at [email protected].