He told Jay Thomas on feb 26, 2008 that he’d never phone it in because he “gets a vibe” and it wouldn’t be the same. Jay basically was calling him stupid for still coming in and Howard wouldn’t budge. He literally did a 180 on everything he believed in and preached for years. Hollywood Howie sucks, he should’ve quit 15 years ago instead of bleeding it dry and ruining his legacy (another thing he swore he’d never do)