Leno: "I am definitely done with NBC"

Holy smokes, did USA TODAY today bury the lede. Inside a cover story on its Life section about Jay Leno's garage (three airplane hangars, actually) is this killer quote nine paragraphs in: "I am definitely done next year -- with NBC." This is news to anyone who has been buying NBC's line that they are in negotiations with Leno about doing something else for the network.

The story, which is a great read, provides some details that even I hadn't heard before -- like the touching fact that Jay has kept the '96 Miata owned by his late brother, and that the "Tonight" host sponsors a scholarship at McPherson College in auto restoration. (Two McPherson, Kansas, references in two days is a new personal best.)

But the revelation by Leno that he is, in fact, done with NBC adds greater validity to the reports I heard in the past three weeks from two independent sources that Leno and ABC are just waiting for the window to open up so he can negotiate with other networks. And when it does, he will sign a $45 million-a-year deal to anchor a new Leno-Kimmel power block in late night. I'll believe that when I see it, and I think ABC is taking a huge gamble asking NBC's audience to shift over to ABC for Jay's sake. But this is TV, and with egos and money and demo points at stake, anything is possible.

In case you missed it, the garage's website, JayLenosgarage.com, which is sponsored not by NBC but by General Motors, got an Emmy nomination this morning. Think of it. Ken Burns and Jay Leno: objects of GM patronage. That's an odd couple.

And think of this, too: JayLenosGarage.com: 1 Emmy nomination. "The Wire": 1 Emmy nomination.