'American Idol' Winner Lee DeWyze to Sing at Halftime for 'Da Bears'

Sunday might as well be an official holiday in Chicago.

The NFC Championship game between the archrival Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers (who haven’t faced each other in the playoffs since the 1950’s) is the most talked-about sports event in the city since William “Refrigerator” Perry and Walter Payton busted out the “Superbowl Shuffle” back in '85.

Adding to the circus-like environment is the return of Chicago born-and-bred “American Idol” winner Lee DeWyze, who will perform at half-time of the NFC championship game.

DeWyze was originally slated to sing the national anthem regardless of where the game was located. As soon as he heard the news, DeWyze tweeted “National Anthem at home, yes. Go Bears.”

DeWyze further solidified his role as a hometown boy by agreeing to shift his performance to the half-time, after superstitious Bears fans pointed out that a sudden change away from traditional, classically-trained national anthem singer Jim Cornelison could bring the Bears some seriously bad ju-ju.

Chicago fans may have been hoping Cornelison would be able to bring some of the same luck he brought to the Chicago Blackhawks by singing the “Star Spangled Banner” before home games during last year’s Stanley Cup winning championship season.

DeWyze was reportedly fine with doing whatever it takes to assure Jay Cutler, Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers crush Aaron Rodgers and the hapless Green Bay Packers on their road to Dallas and the Super Bowl on February 6th in Dallas.

DeWyze was crowned champion of “American Idol” Season 9 in May of last year, and he released his first album “Live it Up,” on RCA last November.

The "Idol" winner's ties to the Chicago area are well-known. DeWyze told Us Weekly that "I have four tattoos.  The most recent is the Chicago flag on my right arm. All my musical ventures started there."

Upon winning last year’s “Idol,” he was given a key to the city of Prospect Heights (a Chicago suburb), and performed for a crowd of over 40,000 who congratulated him at Arlington Park Racetrack.

Bonus Material:

Yidio's not here to start no trouble. We're just here for the "Super Bowl Shuffle."