With millions on the edge of their seats, these final words spoken by host Ryan Seacrest echoed throughout L.A.'s Nokia Theatre last night: "The winner of 'American Idol' 2008 is David...Cook!"

Fans leapt off their seats and screamed with joy, while the newly crowned (and shocked) 25-year-old David Cook embraced his gracious rival, 17-year-old David Archuleta. Cook's mother and brother clambered to the stage, eager to celebrate the former bartender's new title. With tears brimming at his eyes, David Cook stood speechless for a good minute until Ryan Seacrest invited him to sing this year's "American Idol" song, "Time of My Life."

Tuesday night's final round of performances arrived in a boxing match theme complete with colored robes and a boisterous announcer. David Archuleta won the coin toss last week and opted to sing second, so David Cook was up first.

Round One - Clive Davis' Choice

American record producer and leading music industry executive, Clive Davis chose U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" for the scruffy-bearded rock star to open the show. While it may not have been Cook's best performance to date, it was a great performance to kick off the finale.

For Little Archie, Davis chose Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," an "American Idol" favorite sung by many contestants like Clay Aiken. Personally, I think he knocked the socks off everyone in the audience. Even the judges were blown away by his stellar performance. Simon Cowell stated earlier for both to bring it - and to prove they both were in it to win it. And David A. definitely was.

Round Two - Coronation Choice

During the second round, both finalists were able to choose between a selection of top songs chosen by "American Idol" producers for their coronation song.

With his guitar in hand, David Cook brought his comfortable rock-vibe back into the house. While his choice of "Dream Big" didn't exactly portray the "Hello-Billie-Jean-Will-Always-Be-My-Baby" type of performance he showed us in the past, but it was pretty decent. At times I thought he started to lose his voice - overall a performance good enough to push him through a normal "American Idol" round but win a Finale…not so much.

David Archuleta chose a different route than Cook, but one familiar to fans when he chose the ballad, "In This Moment." Hands down, I agreed with Simon. This song was perfect not only for his voice, but for the night as a whole. A cheesy, syrupy song it was, let's be real - Little Archie can take anything and sing the heck out of it! Round one and two belonged to the little soulful singer.

Round Three - Contestant Choice

It was make it or break time. Both contestants were given the opportunity to choose whichever song they wanted.

David Cook opted not to sing something previously sung, but rather branch out into something unique. In a similar-yet-boring version of Collective Soul's "The World I Know," fans were left wondering if David Cook's lackluster night was an intentional act to throw the competition. While I can see why someone may believe a contestant could be more successful NOT winning "American Idol," what person in their right mind would get this far and deliberately lose it? Carrie Underwood won and has become one of the world's most famous country musicians. We can't base everything off of Daughtry's rags to riches story.

David Archuleta, on the hand, chose to reinvent his favorite ballad, "Imagine" by the Beatles' John Lennon. Despite the smooth changes in arrangement, the singer still took my breath away. A smart choice on his part, I thought it was evident of his progress just in the mere fact that he could combine his talent and growth in one of his most popular songs. In my mind, he won the show at that moment.

Now I ask, with a competition so talented and close, why couldn't the judges have kept the commentary neutral? It's no surprise that Simon's comments strongly influence those fans perched on the fence. A big Archuleta fan that I am, I couldn't decide if Simon's near crowning of Little Archie Tuesday night was good or bad. Did Cook get the sympathy vote? Were millions upset that Simon practically chose the winner himself and decided to go against the judge? We'll never know.

Last night's apology to David Cook was too little too late. In all honesty, Simon should have zipped it or left it to positive strokes and let America decide who deserved to win. Did anyone remember not seeing Chris Bernheisel? He was the happy-go-lucky "American Idol" contestant who gave gifts to the judges and was awarded a reporting spot during the finale. In my research, I found that the Fox station in Bernheisel's town refused to let him report on the red carpet alone. His outrage and discouragement led to talk show host Jimmy Kimmel inviting Bernheisel to attend the event on the talk show's account. Though we did not see him last night, make sure to tune into Jimmy Kimmel this week to get a glimpse of the "American Idol" finale through a die-hard Idol fan's eyes!

A Nostalgic Look Back

David Archuleta, a judge and fan favorite from the very beginning, came into the competition a very strong contender. Blowing each and every contestant out of the water every week, Archuleta managed to steer clear of the bottom three the entire time. His journey on "American Idol" included memorable performances such as "And So It Goes," "Stand By Me" and the song that made his mark, John Lennon's "Imagine." With a myriad other performances under his belt, this kid is sure to make a comeback in the near future. Either way he wont' be forgotten. I'll still be the first one in line at the store for his debut album. I'm an Arch Angel at heart (and always will be!)

As I flip through my downloaded iTunes selections from this year's "American Idol" performances, I peek at some of my favorite memories of David Cook: The first time he caught my eye after his sensational version of Lionel Richie's "Hello;" the moment I realized he could sing anything after a moving performance of "The Music of the Night;" and his unforgettable signature arrangement of Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby." These and many more memorable moments led up to his crowning Wednesday night.

Congratulations, David! You deserve it! America, welcome your newest "American Idol," David Cook!"

What do you think America? Did we make the right decision? Make a comment!

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Story by Kathryn Sparks
Starpulse contributing writer