NOW BEFORE WE GO ON, THERE IS
SOMETHING I REALLY WANT TO SAY. AS HARD AS WE HAVE WORKED TO
MAKE IT TO THIS DAY, THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD BE HERE RIGHT NOW IF
NOT FOR THE MAN WHO GRACED THIS STAGE FOR 22 YEARS.
I'M TALKING, OF COURSE, ABOUT, I'M TALKING, OF COURSE, ABOUT,
BIFF HENDERSON, A LEGEND OF STAGE MANAGING.
BUT IN LARGER SENSE, PERHAPS I SHOULD BE THANKING HIS BOSS,
DAVID LETTERMAN. (
I... I AM A FIRST GENERATION
LETTERMAN FAN. I STARTED COLLEGE THE SAME YEAR
DAVE STARTED IN LATE NIGHT, AND, NOT HAVING THE FULLEST SOCIAL
CALENDAR, I WAS FREQUENTLY AVAILABLE FOR DAVE AT 12:30.
I JUST WANT TO SAY IT IS POSSIBLE TO LOSE SIGHT OF HOW
MUCH DAVE CHANGED COMEDY. THE COMEDY LANDSCAPE IS SO
THICKLY PLANTED WITH THE FOREST OF DAVE'S IDEAS THAT WE
SOMETIMES NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES JUST HOW TALL HE
STANDS. SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, I'M NOT
REPLACING DAVID LETTERMAN. HIS CREATIVE LEGACY IS A HIGH
PENCIL MARK ON A DOOR FRAME THAT WE ALL HAVE TO MEASURE OURSELVES
AGAINST. BUT WE WILL TRY TO HONOR HIS
ACHIEVEMENT BY DOING THE BEST SHOW WE CAN AND OCCASIONALLY,
MAKING THE NETWORK VERY MAD AT US.
>> LET'S GO. >> ONE SECOND.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU THANK
YOU. I UNDERSTAND.
I UNDERSTAND. I REMEMBER.