That's for sure. If Leno had any class, he'd retire and let Conan remain where he is.
It's partly NBC's fault for not just outright canning Leno, but it's also partly Leno's fault for not knowing when it's time to call it quits.
I still don't understand why people would think that Leno should have just quit. I'm not a fan of his, but let's look at the facts:
- he works hard and enjoys what he does. He still does dozens of stand-up gigs every year, and would often flying in and out of cities on weeknights after shooting the "Tonight Show". He doesn't have to do that, but he wants to.
- he still makes money for NBC and would make money for any other network that would hire him.
- he was forced out of the "Tonight Show" gig and worked as a lame duck for NBC for five years, making tens of millions of dollars for them all the while.
Again, why should he retire? Because you don't like him? Plenty of people out there do, enough that he still has his own show even though he was kicked out of his dream job.
I'm not trying to be a Leno apologist here. I just wonder what you would do in Leno's shoes. Would you think to yourself: "Even though millions of people still think I'm good at this, I make big money for my employer, and I enjoy what I do, I'll just stop doing all of it because another guy's fanboys don't like me." I don't think you would. I personally think that Dane Cook is about the unfunniest guy I've ever seen, but who am I to say that he should never make another movie or comedy special? There are multiple buttons on the remote control that can change the channel.
I really could care less where Conan or Leno end up or who's getting better ratings. And I really don't understand why so many people care who's on at what time. I find it far more interesting to watch a major broadcast network self-destruct at a time it can least afford turmoil.
