David Letterman ended his iconic run on late night Wednesday, hosting the final Late Show after 33 years in front of cameras on NBC and CBS.
In his final Top 10 segment -- a longtime staple of the show -- Letterman invited 10 celebrities on stage to read off the list, including one professional athlete, Broncos star Peyton Manning.
Manning has been a guest on Letterman's show four times dating back to 1997 and became friendly with Letterman through his philanthropic efforts in the Indianapolis area. Letterman is a native of Indiana and a big sports fan.
The subject of the final Top 10 was "Things I've always wanted to say to Dave." In a self-penned column on The MMQB, Manning thanked the writers for giving him a "good line."
"Dave," Manning intoned. "You are to comedy what I am ... to comedy."
Letterman was clearly excited to see Manning on the stage, giving the quarterback the biggest reaction in a segment that included Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Chris Rock and others.
"When we finished the Top 10 list on Wednesday, Dave thanked the 10 of us for coming," Manning wrote. "I just thought, I'm the one who should be thanking him, for all the years of great TV and great comedy. We just shouldn't let this moment pass without being thankful for everything we've seen from him over the years. I'm really going to miss him -- and the show.
"Even though he won't be doing the Late Show anymore, I'll always be a Letterman guy."
Manning is a man of good taste.
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