Last night was big night for David Cook, even if it wasn’t a terribly surprising outcome for the rest of us. Sure on Tuesday David Archuleta sang his heart out. Sure Simon Cowell endorsed him – but everyone still knew that Cook was going to win.

Wisely, Cook doesn’t seem to be letting the win go to his head saying “I walked into this competition with no expectations and I’m walking out with out any.”

That’s good thinking when you look at the success levels of previous Idol winners and finalists. It’s a mixed bag. Some, like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood go on to be super stars. Others, like Reuben Studdard have had a harder time making it to super stardom.

Will Cook be the next Underwood or Clarkson Idol, or will his biggest gig in a few years be performing on American Idol again as a guest?

Only time will tell.