Kilborn proof there's money in being a smart aleck Kathy Cano-Murillo The Arizona Republic-April 5, 2001
	Oscar, schomscar.  There's one actor Craig Kilborn would be more than happy to never meet, much less have on his talk show. "Russell Crowe!" he says.  "He's a punk.  And he's short." Kilborn's quirky and cocky attitude is what makes The Late Late SHow With Craig Kilborn a guilty pleasure for night owls.  This week, Kilborn and company will clink champagne glasses in honor of two years on CBS.  To celebrate, he is taking the show on the road.  Sort of. "I like to make things an event whenever possible," Kilborn, 39, says from his Los Angeles home.  "We have such a gorgeous set I thought it would be fun to take it on a city-to-city tour.  But really, we aren't actually going from city to city, I'm way too lazy for that." Instead of packing up the goods and traveling, Kilborn is transforming his set each night to resemble one of his favorite places.  Phoenix is slated for Tuesday, April 10.  That's because he has a soft spot for the Valley's array of resorts and spas.  He's lazy, remember? Although he enjoys the relaxed life more often than not, Kilborn says he breaks a sweat trying to reach his goal of making The Late Late Show the top rated program of all time.  His plan is to hit that mark by February "sweeps" of the 2012-13 television season.  Meanwhile, he swears he'll make his show "significantly above average." He thinks that's a huge undertaking. "I'm a professional," he deadpans.  "I welcome the pressure of carrying the male 18-34 demographic on my back.  And now that Bette is cancelled, I'm carrying the gay demo as well.  Can you print that in your paper?  That was a funny joke.  Do you need me to repeat it? When he isn't slaving away behind the camera, the former Comedy Central and ESPN star spends his free time soaking up the commercial-free jazz channel on his Direct TV system, drinking fine red wine, smoking cigars, and watching Alfred Hitchcock movies. Someone is living large.  But there is one challenge that disturbs Kilborn beyond words. "My only trouble with my show is that my jokes are too funny," he says.  "The audience laughs so hard, they always break the microphones.  I need to find a way to tone it down." However, that may not be the case if Russell Crowe ever pays a visit.