current odds (Olympic):
CLAY AIKEN +105
RUBEN STUDDARD -140
For those of us following American Idol 2, the big show's only a couple of days away. If I had my choice, Ruben would win. He's arguably the most polished singer amongst all the finalists, and IMO been the most consistent performer throughout the competition. His forte is obviously R&B/pop, equally adept with the uptempo stuff as he is with the ballads. If you'd listened to Ryan Seacrest all along, with his "everybody loves RUUUUUUBEN" schtick, you'd think the "velvet teddy bear" was the clear choice to be the American Idol this time around.
But somewhere along the way, a few weeks ago, he actually placed in the bottom 2 that week! So what happened? My theory is that he peaked so early in the finals that many of us got bored with him. Or maybe he got complacent. Kimberly Locke, Clay, and even Trenyce were trying harder to impress and did a good job.
Now it comes down to the final two. At almost even $, the value clearly lies with Clay. How do I know this? Because my girlfriend loves Clay. Something about him--his quirkiness, humility, his eyes, the thin frame, that hair? If you notice, he gets the lion's share of the screams from the live crowd. Girls are just nuts about Clay. Forget his singing...I thought his best performance came in the semis (the Elton John song). He's got range, but not a lot of vibrato and he's terrible with certain kinds of songs (i.e. last wk's "Vincent").
But regardless of that, it seems he's got a more loyal following than Ruben. They'll vote for Clay as long as he can utter a verse. He's got the momentum now, and unless he flops on Tuesday, that skinny kid has a very good shot at winning this thing. Perhaps worth a small play...on Clay.
CLAY AIKEN +105
RUBEN STUDDARD -140
For those of us following American Idol 2, the big show's only a couple of days away. If I had my choice, Ruben would win. He's arguably the most polished singer amongst all the finalists, and IMO been the most consistent performer throughout the competition. His forte is obviously R&B/pop, equally adept with the uptempo stuff as he is with the ballads. If you'd listened to Ryan Seacrest all along, with his "everybody loves RUUUUUUBEN" schtick, you'd think the "velvet teddy bear" was the clear choice to be the American Idol this time around.
But somewhere along the way, a few weeks ago, he actually placed in the bottom 2 that week! So what happened? My theory is that he peaked so early in the finals that many of us got bored with him. Or maybe he got complacent. Kimberly Locke, Clay, and even Trenyce were trying harder to impress and did a good job.
Now it comes down to the final two. At almost even $, the value clearly lies with Clay. How do I know this? Because my girlfriend loves Clay. Something about him--his quirkiness, humility, his eyes, the thin frame, that hair? If you notice, he gets the lion's share of the screams from the live crowd. Girls are just nuts about Clay. Forget his singing...I thought his best performance came in the semis (the Elton John song). He's got range, but not a lot of vibrato and he's terrible with certain kinds of songs (i.e. last wk's "Vincent").
But regardless of that, it seems he's got a more loyal following than Ruben. They'll vote for Clay as long as he can utter a verse. He's got the momentum now, and unless he flops on Tuesday, that skinny kid has a very good shot at winning this thing. Perhaps worth a small play...on Clay.
