Photo via TIME.com

In the least-surprising revelation since Brett Favre went back on his retirement promise (watch out for this year’s edition soon!), the chat show host who earned the sympathy of a nation has let forth his views on his peers. And, well, it’s exactly what you would expect.

Conan O’Brien told reporters that David Letterman called him over the holidays to make sure that there wasn’t a rift between them due to the late-night war that erupted at NBC, even though it didn’t directly involve the CBS legend. O’Brien said that he and Letterman have, “always been good. I said he didn’t owe me a phone call, but I appreciated it.”

(See coverage of Conan in TIME’s Person of the Year issue.)

As for the question on all our lips — how would you feel if Jay Leno extended you the same courtesy, Conan? — O’Brien confirmed that he wouldn’t be so receptive to a call from the man who both preceded and replaced him as host of the famed Tonight show. “We all know the story,” he added, and indeed we do.

(See pictures of Jay Leno.)

Conan proceeded to say all the right things about his new employers, TBS (“There’s nothing like walking away from the Tonight show that makes you appreciative of being on the air and having a TV show. I think that feeling is coming through”) but did confess to a lingering sadness at not being a part of NBC. He explained that the Monday after his final Tonight show, he asked his assistant to meet him and she responded, “Where?” The answer? A store that sells pies.

It’s the kind of anecdote someone should do a late-night monologue about. Who could take on such a task? (via AP)