Tonight Show

Emmy Award-winning NBC sportscaster Bob Costas said Wednesday concerning the ongoing investigation of the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State sex scandal, “I don't buy the idea that [late head coach Joe Paterno] was actively involved in a cover-up.” Such happened on the NBC Tonight Show (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):

It was announced Wednesday that Barack Obama will appear on NBC's Tonight Show next Tuesday for the fourth time since he's been President. Jobs and the economy are to be the focus. As NewsBusters has been reporting, despite host Jay Leno having been very hard on the White House resident in recent months, particularly on the economy, he has offered nothing but softballs to the Commander-in-…

NBC is apparently trying to figure out a role for Jay Leno at the Peacock network after Jimmy Fallon replaces him as host of the Tonight Show in February. NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt told the Television Critics Association's summer tour Saturday that Leno could be like the network's new Bob Hope.

Jay Leno once again took some comedic swipes at the current White House resident Friday. During his NBC Tonight Show monologue, the host said, "In his speech about the economy, President Obama said we've all been distracted by phony scandals, and it's time we started getting distracted by the phony recovery."

Jay Leno took some more comedic shots at NBC Thursday. During his Tonight Show opening monologue, Leno said, “In his speech earlier this week in Latin America, the Pope told the people to give up the false idols of success and money. That's the same thing NBC just told me.”

Jay Leno took a comedic swipe at Vice President Joe Biden Monday. During the opening monologue of NBC’s Tonight Show, the host said, “In a recent interview in GQ magazine, Vice President Joe Biden says he can die a happy man never having been President of the United States. And you know something? So can we! Woo, oh my God!”

Jay Leno took a another comedic swipe at NBC Monday. Early in his Tonight Show monologue, the host said, "I was a little bummed out because I was the one that was supposed to deliver the [Royal] baby announcement this afternoon at the hospital, and they replaced me at the last minute” with Jimmy Fallon.

Jay Leno continued his comedic attacks on the White House Tuesday. Early in his NBC Tonight Show monologue, the host said, “Last week, President Obama told a group of school children that broccoli was his favorite food, which the kids seemed to believe. They believed him. Then he told them ObamaCare would reduce the deficit - the kids all burst out laughing.”

Jay Leno took his sights off Barack Obama Wednesday and set them upon former President Bill Clinton. During the opening monologue of NBC’s Tonight Show, the host said, “In fairness to Clinton, see he didn't totally understand the law. When he signed the bill, he thought the Defense of Marriage Act was defending marriage as if it were really just an act.”

Jay Leno continued his humorous attacks on the White House Tuesday. During the opening monologue of the NBC Tonight Show, the host said President Obama “believes global warming is getting worse because apparently he's sweating a lot more during his second term.”

Jay Leno continued his comedic attacks on the White House Monday. The NBC Tonight Show host said during his opening monologue, “President Obama got some good news today. The IRS ruled he can write off the first half of his second term as a total loss.”

Jay Leno continued his humorous attacks on President Obama Wednesday. During his opening monologue on the NBC Tonight Show, the host said newly-elected Hassan Rowhani "has promised to improve Iran's economy and fix the unemployment problem. If that doesn't work, he's going to blame the whole thing on President Bush.”

Shock jock Howard Stern really laid into Jimmy Fallon on NBC’s Late Night Monday. Talking about Fallon replacing Jay Leno, Stern said, “How you got the Tonight Show I don't know. You barely beat Craig Ferguson.”

Jay Leno continued his humorous attacks on Barack Obama Friday. Speaking about the LGBT Pride Month celebration at the White House, Leno joked during NBC’s Tonight Show monologue, “He promised that as long as he’s president, all Americans regardless of their sexual orientation will be spied on equally.”