American Idol: It's David vs. David tonight...

Yeah, I'm ready for it to end too! As much as I've enjoyed covering "Idol" this season, the finale pitting David Archuleta against David Cook comes just in time. I think it's anybody's game going in. Cook deserves to win but Archuleta - also very worthy - is wildly popular with young girls, the audience that votes the most.

So, an e-mail came over the weekend that the finalists would be available for brief telephone interviews Monday afternoon. The timing would be perfect and I had some questions: "David Cook, do you sometimes want to just stuff the other David - a high schooler - into your pocket?" "David Archuleta, how many times, on average, do you think you blink your eyes during each performance?"

But the interviews were canceled at the last minute. Something about having to practice for the finale. Whatever. But we were provided with these canned quotes which aren't so bad as canned quotes go:
Archuleta on performing tonight on the stage at the Nokia compared to singing on the American Idol stage:"I don't think it'll be too different because the audience is still going to be big on the other side of the camera, watching on TV, so while there's more people live, I don't know. I guess I'll have to see once I go and rehearse and stuff."

On getting advice from people: "Every single person always has something good to say, from Cook to the people helping us out, to family, to friends, to just people you meet and fanmail. People always have some good stuff to say."

Is being an American Idol finalist anything like he thought it was going to be? "No it's not because I didn't even think I would be a finalist so that's already the difference right there and then just how crazy and busy it is and I didn't realize how tiring it is. I thought I'd have time to prepare for the finale and this is the week where we've gotten the least amount of time to really prepare and it's like the most tiring on your voice but hopefully it will all pull together for (Tuesday)."

Cook on singing on the stage at the Nokia compared to singing on American Idol stage: "You know, it's interesting. I've always been really kind of confused by the idea, like the smaller the crowd for me, the more nervous I tend to get. Having the Nokia full, should be great. But you know, win or lose; I think we both win, so for me now it's just kind of enjoying the moment."

Did his experience on Idol match what he expected" "It's busier than I thought it was going to be. And so for me, the learning process has just been kind of like watching the stuff that takes place that people never get to see. Just, more than anything, just kind of the relationships that form. I remember at the beginning of the season, I always wondered why we all cried when people went home, and it's like, you know, some of these people we've known almost a year now, so it's definitely been an experience though for sure."

Is happy just to be in the Idol finals? "You know, to be where I was at before, now to be standing on the finale stage and have, a 50 percent chance of my name being called, is pretty heavy, you know. So for me, it's just, either way, I'm content."

Good luck guys!