>> Stephen: WELCOME TO THE REPORT, EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
THANKS SO MUCH.
>> STEPHEN!
STEPHEN!
STEPHEN.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'VE GOT TO-- FOLKS, I GOTTA TELL YOU,
ONE QUICK THING, ONE QUICK THING.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT A BIG SHOW TO DO TONIGHT, BUT ONE THING BEFORE
WE GET STARTED, THERE WAS SOME BIG NEWS LAST WEEK THAT SLIPPED
THROUGH MY NEWS CRACK, AND IT CONCERNS SOMEONE I'VE ADMIRED
FOR YEARS, AND YET SURPRISINGLY IS NOT ME.
I'M TALKING ABOUT DAVID LETTERMAN, WHO LAST THURSDAY
NIGHT ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT.
AND I AM GOING TO MISS THIS GOOD MAN.
DAVE HAS BEEN ON THE AIR MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE, "LATE NIGHT"
DEBUTED MY FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE.
I LEARNED MORE FROM WATCHING DAVE THAN I DID FROM GOING TO MY
CLASSES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
ESPECIALLY-- ESPECIALLY THE ONES I DID NOT GO TO BECAUSE I HAD
STAYED UP UNTIL 1:30 WATCHING DAVE.
( APPLAUSE )
HOST WHO CAME AFTER HIM, AND EVEN A FEW WHO CAME BEFORE HIM.
HE'S THAT GOOD.
( LAUGHTER ) AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, I DO NOT
ENVY WHOEVER THEY TRY TO PUT IN THAT CHAIR.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> STEPHEN!
STEPHEN!
STEPHEN!>> Stephen: FOLKS, FOLKS,
THOSE ARE SOME HUGE SHOES TO FILL, AND SOME REALLY BIG PANTS.