There are hundreds of Idol post-mortem articles written, in which the author expresses a sentiment not of sympathy for eliminated AI contestants but of eager anticipation of the individual's next career move.

However, when Chris Sligh was eliminated on Wednesday, finishing a disappointing 10th after being pegged early on as a possible Season 6 winner, I felt sorry for the 28-year-old Greenville, S.C. native.

Those of you who have watched Season 6 know that Sligh kind of ventured from sarcastic and witty and highly original to sort of survivalist -- not trying to be too smarmy, trying to work his way into the Idol mold for the sake of adhering to some sort of strategy that, perhaps, he thought would win him the competition.

The minute that he deigned to tangle with Simon Cowell some five or six weeks ago and was counterteased for his tubbiness, Sligh sort of tucked his turtle head into his turtle shell, signalling -- I think -- the beginning of his end on Idol.

Where he truly went wrong on the show, besides the fact that he has a disturbing lack of rhythm for somebody who fronts a band (although I've seen old videos of Black Sabbath, and Ozzy had none either), is that Chris really thought there was a strategy to winning. Like it's Survivor or The Apprentice, and really it's the furthest thing from either.

The most talented performer wins this show. Period.

Not the most talented singer. Not the most talented songwriter. Not the most talented musician. Not anything but the dude or chick who gets up and wows the crowd.

Unfortunately for Sligh, he truly had the potential to do that and just never went balls-out, which I think he had the ability to do.

However, Sligh really is one of the better dudes, as in life, this show has ever featured. I spent quite a bit of time reading this guy's blog, reading his original writing and listening to Half Past Forever, a band I think could be very, very successful commercially.

He has demonstrated very solid songwriting chops on tunes like "Know," which frankly is one of the better AC pop tunes I've heard this year. He can play instruments, and really his voice by itself is terrific. However, I don't think everybody is meant to be a solo artist.

I think Chris' musical calling is with a band of some sort, perhaps HPF, or as a songwriter, which frankly is more lucrative financially (if successful) than being an artist. Who knows what he wants to do; however, for future contestants of Chris' ilk and experience, they should remember that this show is about performance, period.

Not image. Not look. Not strategy. Performance.

Perhaps I'm wrong but I really think any insecurity Chris might have had in the years he had been honing his craft came to light the minute Simon and he got into it on national TV, however innocuous it was. I think that because Sligh was never the same on the show.

Typically, I don't delve too much into religion on this blog; however, I admire his devotion to God significantly. I've read quite a bit about his church in South Carolina and the folks who tagged along with him to L.A., however briefly.

I'm not sure why I even bring that up, except to illustrate why I kind of connected with him as a contestant early on. Good people with mega talent appeal to me, and I think it's because I've known so many people with buckets of talent who were either buttheads or didn't have their lives together. Perhaps, that's reflective of my musical trek all these years.

It was clear in the end though that he was overmatched not by any of the other guys, who are all honestly average to terrible, but by four of the remaining women.

Seriously. Gina Glocksen needs to lose the boyfriend. I kid.

But whether it's 10th or 5th, Chris is on the tour. He's known. Mission accomplished, and he's not tied to a 19 Entertainment label, meaning Half Past Forever and his songwriting career has a chance ...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Whether it's music or business, I respect anybody who can write competently, and Sligh is probably the most proven, talented songwriter, for my taste, the show has produced.

He should consider it an open invitation or request, on my behalf, to collaborate in the future.