NOCTURNAL ADMISSION

Jay Leno, on his show last night, tried to tap-dance his way out of situation where his so-called "nice guy image" has taken a huge blow.

He admits that he never wanted to leave "The Tonight Show" but that he was approached in 2004 by NBC executives about leaving the show. Even though he was Number #1 in the ratings, the same executives didn't feel he could sustain the rating and that they were grooming Conan O'Brien to succeed him.

HUH?

That makes no sense and I don't buy it for one second. Why would executives want to mess with anything that could possible ruin that top rating? Funny, though, how everyone seems to have forgotten about when Johnny Carson retired and Jay took over the late night desk, ratings tanked. David Letterman's ratings for his show on CBS took off and it was about a year or so before "The Tonight Show" returned to the number #1 spot.

It's a shame that NBC executives were unable to extend the same privilege to Conan, who is, by the way, much, much, MUCH funnier than the bland-as-a-stale-old-piece-of-white toast Jay.