Reigning American Idol Lee DeWyze May Sing National Anthem for Bears & Packers in NFC Championships

Will Lee DeWyze, the reigning American Idol, belt out "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the NFC Championship title football game on Sunday, January 24^th? When the Chicago Bears welcome the Green Bay Packers to Chicago's Soldier Field for one of the NFL's most heated rivalries, will both teams stand at attention to hear the American Idol from Chicago do the honors?

Lee DeWyze has all but announced that he will sing the national anthem for the big game, although the Chicago Bears organization and Fox TV have not officially announced the singer selection.

"National Anthem at home, yes. Go Bears," the 23-year-old Season 9 winner of "American Idol" posted January 17^th on his Twitter page.

Rumors of the rocker's possible appearance at Soldier Field had already been circulating when Lee DeWyze posted his Tweet.

Raised in Mount Prospect, Illinois, Lee DeWyze enjoys an enthusiastic fan base in the Chicago area. The former paint store employee drew huge crowds for a mid-season appearance at Arlington Park Racetrack during the ninth season of "American Idol" (which he won). In December 2010, he performed "The Little Drummer Boy" in Disney's Christmas Day Parade in Orlando, with "American Idol" emcee Ryan Seacrest introducing him.

Lee DeWyze recently released his first major CD, titled "Live It Up."

Singer Jim Cornelison, a favorite of the Chicago Blackhawks team and fans, belted out the national anthem for the NFL divisional playoff game on January 16^th. The Chicago Bears played the Seattle Seahawks, beating the West Coast team 35-24 at Soldier Field.

The NFC Championship game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports on Sunday, January 24^th, beginning at 2 PM CST. Football fans will have to watch and see whether Lee DeWyze actually appears, as expected, and whether the hometown boy's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" helps to kick off the game in the home team's favor or not.

"It doesn't get any bigger than this," Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler commented January 17^th about the upcoming grudge game with the Green Bay Packers. "To be in an NFC championship in the situation we're in at home and then to bring Green Bay in on top of it just adds to it."

"It's our closest rival," Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher pitched in. "They're right up the street, so it's a big deal. We have a lot of history with them. We don't like them; they don't like us. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of hype around this game building up to it."

Broadcasting the big game on January 24^th, Fox TV also happens to be the network behind the popular reality television/singing competition known as "American Idol." The show's Season 10 begins this Wednesday, January 19^th.