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"Pants on the ground. Pants on the ground. Lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground. ..."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, "American Idol" is back.

Normally, I detest these early rounds as we're forced to sit through painful audition after painful audition with only an occasional glimpse of real talent. But as you've no doubt already noticed, things are a little different this year. We're seeing way more of the talented singers and way less of the train wrecks. In fact, for the first time ever, you can meet all the contestants who advance to Hollywood at AmericanIdol.com. The change in focus was a decision by the producers to help us get to know the good contestants a little better, and it's a change I fully support.

However, I think you know there is much more change on the horizon, and I can't say that I'm happy about all of it. Next month during the Hollywood rounds, we'll get our first glimpse of Ellen DeGeneres as a judge. I have nothing against DeGeneres, but I can't shake my concerns about what her presence will do to the judging panel. I worry that Kara DioGuardi will feel the need to try and one up DeGeneres every chance she gets. And I have to admit, I miss Paula Abdul already.

But as much as I miss Abdul, that doesn't come anywhere close to how much I will miss Simon Cowell when he leaves the show after this season. The exit of Cowell will mean the end of "Idol" as we know it and possibly the end of "Idol" period. There are many who say that the show can survive without him, but I am not one of them. It doesn't help that the show Cowell is leaving "Idol" for, "The X Factor," is very similar to the "Idol" formula, and I'm not sure FOX can support both of them. Even though I think "Idol" is starting to show its age, the thought of it ending makes me very sad.

It's hard to believe that with the ninth season just up and running that we're already thinking about the 10th and beyond. Thankfully, we were brought back to the present with some talented singers with some great stories. There was Justin Williams who overcame cancer seven years ago. And Vanessa Wolfe who was excited about eating peanuts on an airplane. And of course, there was Larry Platt, a respected civil rights activist who made a heartfelt plea to young men everywhere to pull up their pants.

And since we're just getting started, there will be plenty of good and bad over the next three weeks. Plus, we'll have an interesting assortment of people keeping DeGeneres' seat warm for her including Shania Twain, Kristin Chenoweth, Avril Lavigne, and the one I'm most looking forward to -- Neil Patrick Harris.

In case you're wondering, the Top 24 will be revealed Feb. 17 as "Idol" goes back to its familiar 12 girls and 12 guys format. And that is when the journey really begins.

But why can't I shake the feeling that it could be the beginning of the end?

Angela Henderson is an "American Idol" fan who writes the Idol Chit-Chat blog on www.herald-dispatch.com.

Photo courtesy of Michael Becker / FOX

Larry Platt performs the catchy ÒPants on the GroundÓ song for ÒAmerican IdolÓ judges during the Atlanta auditions.

AP Photo/Fox, Michael Becker

This undated publicity image released by Fox, shows new ÒAmerican Idol,Ó judge Ellen DeGeneres.

The Associated Press

Former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham sits in as a new judge on American Idol.