Special Olympics World Games

William Tang was sitting in what passes for a Green Room (TV talk for an area where guests for a show cool their heels before going on) at the CAN TV facilities in the West Loop.

"I am not nervous," said Tang, smiling. "But I am excited."

He is the host of "Special Olympics Chicago," a monthly program that features some of the special-needs athletes involved in the SO, the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with mental disabilities. No mere on-camera showcase, the program has SO athletes serving not only as host, but filling the roles of floor director, audio operator, character-generator operator and...