Speaking as one of the nine people who put Bob at number one on the host poll (with Cullen number two, after much agonizing on my part), I must say I am truly saddened by this. I'm glad that Bob isn't going to keep hanging on till the bitter end (or until he keels over on stage), but as much as we all knew it was coming eventually, it's so much different when it actually happens. My parents say that as soon as I could be propped up in front of the TV I would sit there in rapt attention whenever Bob came on, and even as a young'un I'd sit through parades, beauty pageants, or just about anything else as long as Bob was on there.
I've been trying to talk my wife into going to a TPIR taping ever since we got married five years ago. I'm really going to have to push the issue now. Of course, that will probably also mean getting in line about 24 hours early in order to get into the studio now that everyone else will be doing the same thing, but it will be worth it.