Everyone involved in the Second Late Night War got both criticism and praise. Yes, even Jay Leno got praise in some circles (just not from me). But now we've had some time to let the dust settle and take a closer look, there's a clear winner in this battle: Conan O'Brien.

Why? Well, some news from our friends at TMZ is a good place to start:

1. Conan is paying his crew himself. TMZ reported yesterday that some of the old 'Tonight Show' crew -- namely, the stage hands -- are being paid severance directly by Conan because they weren't among the staff being paid under Conan's separation agreement with NBC. According to the report, he's paying 50 staffers six weeks' worth of severance. Now, that's not going to help those staffers pay the bills until Conan comes back in September, but it's better than getting what NBC was offering, which was zero. The word mensch comes to mind when I read this story.

2. He walked away with a freakin' fortune. That would have been number one on the list before the TMZ report on the severance pay came out. On Monday I did my semi-monthly spot with Steve Jaxon on KRSO; he asked me what I think Conan is doing right now. All I could say was, "I dunno... he's at home counting his money?"

Let's be honest: It's really, really hard to feel sorry for Conan after he was given over $30 million to leave NBC. Even if he uses some of that money to pay staff members and his lawyers and agents, he's still clearing at least $15 million after taxes. Everyone wishes they'd get fired for $15 million, right?

3. He's got good will and momentum on his side. During Oprah's online post-Leno-interview Q&A with her audience, she made a good point: If everyone who supported Conan actually watched The Tonight Show when he was host, he'd still be there. But after his very public departure, those people who might have watched their DVRed episodes of 'Jersey Shore' at 11:30 PM instead of Conan will be curious to see him come back in September. It's Conan's job to hold that audience and keep 'em coming back. Which leads to the next item...

4. He can now do whatever the hell he wants on his next show. Conan is no longer hemmed in by any pre-conceived notions of what being the host of 'The Tonight Show' entails. So if he wants to just go nuts and do a show that was as out there as 'Late Night' was (especially the early days), he's free to do it. He can bring back masturbating forest creatures or horny sea mammals, or even create all new surreal stuff (which he may need to do due to NBC's intellectual property claims). Heck, if he wanted to, he could go on cable and do a sketch show, or a viral video show, or whatever he wants.

Conan's last two weeks on 'Tonight' showed how strong he could be when he's unfettered and has a loose, I-don't-give-a-crap attitude. It's sort of how he reacted on 'Late Night' during the writers' strike, making people laugh by spinning his ring or climbing around the studio. Hopefully, he'll carry that devil-may-care attitude to his new show.

Who do you think the winner of the Second Late Night War is? Let me know in the comments.