Coach’s Corner

Tonight is the conclusion to the season-long competition. If you’ve been a regular reader of my thoughts on AI or on this blog in general, you know that I love competition. I thrive on it. AI is a great blend of things I enjoy… competition, music, and a little sport. That’s why I’ve thrown the whole boxing comparison out there from the beginning which came to full fruition last night. Check out this quote from my my post on the first round of AI this year (you can check it by clicking here)…

“The preseason is over and it’s time for the real game to begin. This is a 12-round championship bout. (I know….I’m mixing my sports metaphors, but WORK WITH ME PEOPLE! Sheesh!) It will be interesting to see who’s in top form tonight and who’s susceptible to the hook (get it? Hook? Come on…that was pretty good). I think the four at the bottom of my power rankings (Cheezit, “Busted” Hernandez, Malubay Barbie, and KLC) are the most vulnerable which is why I placed them there. But there are always the potential surprises. Which is WHY WE PLAY THE GAMES! So, in the immortal words of Michael Buffer, “LLLLLLET’S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLE!””

That’s right. You read it here FIRST!!!! Apparently the producers of AI realized that I was on to something and decided to run with it. I’m expecting a royalty check anytime now. Although I must admit that DA just doesn’t cut it in a boxing robe.

So…tonight we discover who delivered the knock-out blow in the final round. According to Simon, DA will win by a KO. And I must admit, after last night I have resigned myself to the likelihood that he will be declared the winner. But if so, it will be on a technicality, not because of a KO. There is speculation as to whether or not Cook pulled a punch or two last night thinking he may be better served by losing than winning. If so, he will most definitely have a contract opportunity waiting for him… but my opinion of him would go down since I ALWAYS play to win.

Tune in tonight for spot-on analysis and insight to the final installment of this year’s Battle Royale!

IT’S SHOWTIME…..

OK…the opening scene looks a little bizarre with the Davids looking eyeball to eyeball. But.. we know there’s plenty of entertainment to come tonight. So we’re off and running. According to Seacrest, there were over 97,000,000 votes. I can’t help but wonder how many people that actually represents. With four hours to dial, some of those people could have voted hundreds of times. But I guess there’s no way to break that out. Any way you slice it… that’s a lot of phone calls.

OPENING ACT

Final 12 sing with the dancers from “So You Think You Can Dance”. Zach can’t wait for that show to start. It’s by far his favorite program. Watching the singers try to dance proves that Brooke isn’t the only one who can’t dance. Archie is highly challenged on that front too. He will NOT be entering the dance competition. You heard it here first.

THE DAVID DUET

Singing a song from “Spiderman”, this is actually a really, really good song. This is a song that Cook blows out of the water. It also shows where Archie could really branch out… by doing duets with more edgy singers. One of the best songs of the season.

SYESHA / SEAL DUET

How exciting do you think it must be for someone like her to wind up on stage in front of millions of people sharing singing parts with SEAL. He has an amazing voice… you think she’s having a good time? She really came into her own in the last month. Don’t know what will happen for her, but she will always have this amazing memory.

JASON CASTRO

The dread-locked wonder is back to sing Alleluia again. I didn’t really care for this all that much the first time around, but according to the judges, this was probably his brightest moment of the competition. Whatever you think of the song, at least he didn’t get to the finals.

FORD HYBRIDS, ANYONE? - A cool consolation prize for whoever doesn’t win.

FINAL 6 WOMEN

Singing “Works Hard for the Money”, it’s really surprising to see how many of the gals absolutely cannot dance. Not only can Brooke not dance… neither can the Rock ‘n Roll Nurse. I’m also reminded that the men this year were a stronger group than the gals. This is a big night for Mercado. First singing with SEAL, now with Donna Summer. Pretty cool stuff for her. She’s also really the only gal that can actually move.

DONNA SUMMER

She really made waves in the ’70s and ’80s, but having Summer in the AI finale seems like an odd choice to me. The best part may have been Seacrest trying to dance with the dancers. That was a hoot.

JOHNS & SMITHSON DUET

I do agree with Seacrest that they left too early. At least Double D certainly did. This is actually a good pairing. I think they have some commonality and complement each other. This may be the most engaging I have seen Smithson be with a piece of music for the whole season. Maybe she just needs someone to pull it out of her. The duets have actually been really good tonight. Far better than the usual stuff on the Grand Finale.

JIMMY KIMMEL - The Simon bit with his criticisms set to music was funny..

TOP 6 GUYS

As I already mentioned, the guys are definitely better as a group than the gals. It’s cool to see the big CHEEZIT back again.

BRYAN ADAMS

He’s got the same kind of vibe and vocal quality that Cook is going for. He’s probably a good model for Cook to work from. His voice is still just appealing as it ever was. And he makes WAYYYYY more sense to be in the finale than Donna Summer. The guys seem to be really enjoying this and so does the crowd. Well done guys!

COOK AND ZZ TOP

Cook must be blowing a gasket about right now. If this what you love to do… this is like having every dream you’ve ever had come true all at once. The amazing thing is that he seems in his element… Cool enough to be living out a dream. Even better to be thriving in it. Cook is making it work. Even if he does win this thing, I don’t think he’ll ever have a bigger moment than this one.

BROOKE WHITE AND GRAHAM NASH

This is a good pairing for Brooke. She does the whole “folk” thing really well. It’s really sort of the core of who she is. The only thing that is a bit surprising to me is that they have her singing a lot of harmony rather than lead. They also don’t have a good vocal mix between them, but I still enjoy anything that Brooke does. And by the way… she’s barefoot.

GUITAR HERO, COOK-STYLE - Are you kidding me? I can’t believe that Cook just did that commercial. Funny…but totally NOT expecting that one.

JONAS BROTHERS

I don’t know much about their music, but I’m sure that the produced version must be better than this. The mix is NOT good. For the most part, this has been a very good show so far, but this was not the best segment.

“BEST FRIENDS FOREVER” - No comment. Wait a minute… OMG… here comes the USC (wrong USC if you’re from South Carolina… which is THE USC). This is the comedy relief. This will get more laughs than Jimmy Kimmel. Paula and Randy join the craziness… and the song continues after the music. OK.. I laughed. I’m over it.

ONE REPUBLIC & ARCHULETA

A great piece of music, and the mix is solid again. And here comes Archie. As usual his solo vocal is solid… but I am absolutely convinced after the opening duet he did with Cook and now with this one… he should be doing duets. It serves him far better. It gives his the depth he lacks on his own while allowing his vocals to soar. Great song all around.

JORDIN SPARKS

I really like her… and admired her progress last year. But she should fire whoever picked out the gold aluminum foil dress. Really, Really bad! She has definitely gained a lot more comfort as a performer in the last year. Which is probably the only way she could even muster the courage to come onstage with that hideous outfit.

GLADYS KNIGHT PIP TRY-OUTS - Jack Black is a scene-stealer. Was there even anyone else back there with him?

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

Speaking of someone that has grown as a performer….sheesh! The year Underwood won, she looked like a mannequin most nights. She could barely move… but she had a golden voice. Now she is the total package as an entertainer. It’s stunning how much success she has had. But she is not too proud to credit AI for giving her the chance to get where she is. I wasn’t sure what to expect for her when she won… but she’s got staying power. She’ll be on the scene for a long time. Maybe longer than any other Idol since country music stars typically have much longer careers.

GUITAR HERE, ARCHIE-STYLE - Holy Cow! If I was surprised by the Cook version, I’m stunned at this one.

TOP 12 SONG & GEORGE MICHAEL

Is it just me or does AO seem to be somewhere else? Kinda weird. When they all sing together, it’s good. the individual parts are a little lacking in this one. This must be a George Michael salute. The guys look like they’re trying out for “Men in Black 3″… they just need the Ray-Bans. And now, fresh from the set of Eli Stone, it’s time for George himself. I don’t care for his lifestyle, but there’s no denying he’s got an unbelievable voice.

COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPION BEGINS NOW

Both Davids are center stage. Randy tones down his “molten hot lava” love for DA, and calls them both winners. Cowell apologizes for his declaration of Archie as the winner. Actually a classy move by Simon. So the results are now in hand….

AND THE WINNER AND HOLDER OF THE BELT IS….

Cookie is the winner by 12 million votes. It’s not only a little surprising that he beat the Archie groupies but that he won by a truckload of votes. Simon was completely backward in his assessment from last night. it was Cookie that wins by a KO… Way to go Cook! The one who should have won did win. A satisfying finish! And a great final episode.

FINAL IDOL THOUGHTS FROM 2008

This has been a blast for me to share with those of you who read this blog something that I enjoy so much. There is something wonderful about sharing the things you enjoy and care about with others…. being able to bring them along for the ride… helping them to see what you see and appreciate what you do. So I would be amiss without sharing with you the thing that matters most… that Jesus Christ is Lord… and that he wants to know you personally and wants you to know him personally. He wants to share his life with you.. his thoughts with you… his joy with you… his hopes for you. This is what God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God wants to share his future with you through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ on the cross. It can be yours. A personal walk with the God of the universe can be yours if you simply and humbly invite him into your life to be your savior and leader. As cool as it was for David Cook to sing with musical idols, how much cooler it will be for you to walk with and know in a very real and personal way the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I may never meet you here, but I will meet you in eternity if you accept the offer of salvation from Jesus Christ. And we can sing and swap stories and laugh about how American Idol brought us together and led you to Christ. It’s as simple as asking. For a more thorough explanation, you can read my page entitled, “The Main Thing“.

If you have any questions, or would like to share with me what’s going on with you, please respond to this blog or drop me an email. My email is in the “About” page.

May God bless you. I hope I will hear from you now, or meet you in eternity. Thanks for sharing this ride with me.