NBC

The eyes have it ... infections, that is ... and now, FINALLY, Bob Costas will take a night off from Olympics coverage so his peepers can heal up.

Costas tapped Matt Lauer to take over the hosting duties from Sochi Tuesday ... saying, "Reluctantly, I was trying to throw a complete game here, but we're going to have to go to the bullpen, and I don't know if you're aware of this tonight, but you're Mariano Rivera, at least tonight."

Bob started his Olympic coverage with what appeared to be pink eye -- it was red and swollen shut -- and after a few days it appeared the other eye came down with the P.E. too.

So, the question remains ... WHO KEEPS FARTING ON BOB'S PILLOW???

Don't expect Jay Leno to hijack "The Tonight Show" back from Jimmy Fallon ... because the ex late-night host swears he's done with TV ... FOREVER.

Jay was in West Palm Beach Florida -- but not to start his retirement. Leno was there to perform stand-up comedy just two days after his exit from "The Tonight Show."

Jay's answer may come as a surprise ... especially since he left the show in 2010 ... then famously wrangled it back from Conan O'Brien.

NBC is already distancing themselves from Jay Leno ... by erasing his name off the side of the building where he shot "The Tonight Show."

The Peacock network sent a team of painters armed with rollers and a forklift to white-out Jay's billboard -- just ONE FRICKIN' DAY after he signed off for good.

Here's what's interesting ... Jimmy Fallon's moving the show to NYC, so the net's not really under a deadline to change the signage before Jimmy takes over the reigns. Guess they just wanted to let Jay know that this "goodbye" is permanent.

Jonathan Martin says he HABITUALLY targeted with "vulgar" verbal attacks during his stint with the Miami Dolphins ... and finally left the team because he just couldn't take the constant harassment.

NBC has just released a teaser of Tony Dungy's big interview with the NFL player -- in which Martin never mentions Richie Incognito by name, but certainly implies he was bullied without mercy.

"I’m a grown man. I’ve been in locker rooms. There’s vulgar language used in locker rooms, and it doesn’t bother me – it’s the persistence of it."

He continued, "I wish I had more tools to solve my situation. But I felt trapped – like I didn’t have a way to make it right. It came down to a point where I felt it was best just to remove myself from the situation."

For his part, Incognito has adamantly denied bullying Martin.

As we previously reported, the two exchanged graphic taunts in text messages back and forth to each other during their time on the team together.

Skating legend Oksana Baiul has gone Chernobyl on NBC ... claiming the network screwed her over by making her sign a contract with a bunch of gobbledygook when all she knew was goulash.

Oksana is suing NBC, claiming the deal she made to star in "Nutcracker on Ice" was grossly one-sided and, as a result, she hasn't seen a ruble in profits.

Oksana made the deal when she was 16 and says at the time she had a feeble command of the English language and had no idea what she was signing. As a result, she claims the NBC nogoodnicks haven't anted up for the last 17 years.

Those crazy Ukrainians.

Gretl Von Trapp from the original "The Sound of Music" movie was left "mystified and disappointed" after last night's live remake on NBC ... and says Carrie Underwood TOTALLY BOMBED!!

Gretl a.k.a. Kym Karath met up with former co-star Charmian Carr (Liesl Von Trapp) to watch the special last night ... but their excitement deflated once "Sound" started.

During the special Kym tweeted, "Mystified & disappointed so far by SOM special. So far only happy with Stephen Moyer" ... then followed up by saying, "Must admit some scenes are actually painful to watch."

That's when Karath kicked things up a notch by roasting Underwood's performance adding, "Love Carrie Underwood but this role is just not right for her. She is lovely her voice is beautiful but acting is wrong."

For what it's worth ... the special brought in HUGE ratings for NBC with 18.5 million viewers.

Sam Champion is leaving ABC's "Good Morning America" partly because he and his hubby want to start a family and partly because of his thirst to become a honcho ... ABC sources tell TMZ.

Our sources ... who are extremely familiar with the situation ... say Sam has been chronically unhappy at GMA. We're told he wanted his own show -- badly-- but ABC execs weren't biting.

So, Sam jumped to the Weather Channel (which is co-owned by NBC), where he will anchor the network's new flagship morning show and also serve as managing editor.

Our sources say Sam wanted to be the one who replaced Larry King at CNN and he was shocked when he wasn't tapped. As one source put it, "Sam loves power, and becoming managing editor (of the Weather Channel) gives him that."

Oh, by the way, our NBC sources say Al Roker -- NOT a Sam fan -- is "pissed" his Weather Channel show will be Sam's lead-in.

Another reason Sam bailed from GMA is that he and his husband want kids and the hubby refuses to leave Florida (GMA is in NYC).

We're told Sam will be spending about half his time in Miami so the kids will know his face in person and not just on the tube. As for moolah, we're told its a lateral move. Our sources say Sam was pulling in around $2.5 mil at GMA and he'll be making around the same at the Weather Channel.

$2.5 mil for weather ... now THAT'S making it rain!!!

In the market for some cool "Office" supplies? Well you're in luck, 'cause some of the most iconic props from the sitcom have hit the auction block ... from hats, to business cards and even a DUNDIE AWARD!!

It's all going down on eBay -- where stuff like Dwight Schrute's famous Dundie Award, the kettle drum Michael Scott used to annoy "Office" staff and Phyllis Vance's knitting set are all up for grabs.

What you won't see -- the shark that the show jumped over when Steve Carell left in 2011.

He was the CEO of Dunder Mifflin ... he terrorized Andy Bernard ... but former "Office" star James Spader tells TMZ he just didn't care enough about the show to watch the series finale back in May.

A well-dressed Spader -- who played Robert California on the NBC sitcom -- was hanging out at Comic-Con yesterday when he asked if he enjoyed the way the show wrapped up after 9 seasons on the air.

"I didn't see it," Spader revealed ... which is kinda shocking considering he was a major character on the show for all of Season 8. He was essentially hired to replace Steve Carell.

So why didn't he watch the finale? Was it a diss? Was he just really busy? Or, like the rest of America, did he just get bored with the storyline?

The U.K. finale was better anyway.

The "Today" show will NOT STOP shooting segments outside the studio ... despite this morning's frightening incident with a knife-wielding man ... this according to co-anchor Natalie Morales.

Morales was leaving the studio after the show today (which happens to be her birthday) ... when she told us why she believes the show MUST continue to feature outdoor segments.

"It's part of our identity as the show," Morales said ... "We'll still be out there."

A man slashed his wrists Thursday during a live broadcast of the "Today" show.

It happened as Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie were outside in Rockefeller Plaza. The man -- who is in his 50s -- slashed both his wrists and his forearms. NBC's cameras didn't show the incident, but several people in the crowd captured photos and video.

The New York Daily News obtained a photo of the man as he attempted to cut himself.

Immediately afterward, the show moved inside the studio. Matt talked about the incident on the air ... saying the man only wanted to harm himself and no one else.

Kathie Lee Gifford says there will be a "revolt" at NBC if the powers that be allow Matt Lauer to leave the "Today" show, telling TMZ ... she'll do whatever it takes to keep him around.

Kathie Lee was leaving Rockefeller Center in NYC Monday morning when she made it clear -- she thinks Matt has been unfairly demonized in the media in the wake of Ann Curry's firing.

Kathie tells us, she wanted to buy a full page ad in an NYC newspaper defending her longtime co-worker, but Matt talked her out of it.

For the first time in 16 years, ABC's "Good Morning America" edged out NBC's "Today" in the morning show ratings last week -- and this morning, ABC News rubbed it in NBC's face ... throwing a champagne-popping victory party.

All the big swinging chicks at ABC were present ... including Robin Roberts, Diane Sawyer, and Lara Spencer -- in addition to ABC News President Ben Sherwood, Senior EP Tom Cibrowski, former "GMA" host Charlie Gibson, George Stephanopoulos, Sam Champion ... pretty much the whole crew.

We're told Robin Roberts toasted the entire "GMA" team, saying, "We're the face of it, but it's all you. Everyone in this building is a team."

Sources connected with NBC tell us all the talk about Matt leaving NBC's "Today" is nothing more than a well-timed negotiating ploy. Remember, the Matt buzz started right after reports surfaced Meredith will leave in September.

"Today" has been the #1 morning news show for 15 years -- a virtual cash register for the Peacock -- and we're told Matt wants his slice of the pie ... in other words ... $25 mil.

Lauer currently gets by on $17 million per year.

Sources tell TMZ the NBC show has definite interest in landing the coveted sit-down with LiLo -- a source at the Peacock says they are "actively" trying to sign her.

We're told Lindsay is strongly considering Matt Lauer & Co. -- among several other outlets -- which is ironic considering Dina Lohan's "Today" appearance didn't go over so well.

Maybe now she can clear up once and for all just how many times she went to rehab.

Someone allegedly stole thousands of dollars of wardrobe at an office facility for the show. We're told the clothes were for the band. We're told band members were supposed to go to the facility -- in Hollywood -- for a fitting, but before they arrived someone noticed lots of stuff was missing.

A "Tonight Show" insider told us the threads were for the new band, fronted by Rickey Minor.