The late night ratings wars have never been funny. From David Letterman and Jay Leno to Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon, the bitter rivalries and backdoor deals only remind the public of how desperate the television industry is for viewers.

So when news broke that NBC tapped Jimmy Fallon to replace Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show and move the storied franchise back to its original home, New York City, the public collectively sighed and vowed to remind itself to set its DVR or check out Hulu at work. Clearly NBC is seeking the next Johnny Carson to revive television ratings (which is kinda like the music industry seeking the next Michael Bolton or Kenny G to revive CD sales).

News flash: The Roots are a great house band and all, but the public has moved on.

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We’re calling it: Corn Flakes spots are only the start for Gabby Douglas, Aly Reisman and the rest of the “Fierce Five.”

Now that the torch has been extinguished, the medals have been awarded and fans have received serenades from John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and—for some reason—George Michael, one big question remains: Which athletes really cleaned up at the 2012 Games? Beyond the obvious winners (Gabby Douglas, Ryan Lochte and all-time champ Michael Phelps), who will come out on top of the Olympics endorsements game?

First place is a lock: This week’s all-out media blitz by the gymnastics team will include appearances on The Tonight Show, The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, The Colbert Report…you get the idea. The always-prescient New York Post predicts “hundreds” of endorsement offers for Douglas alone.

But how fares the rest of the US squad? Read more