One of the summer's most popular parlor games came to a quiet end Friday night when [article id="1647220"]"American Idol" announced that Kara DioGuardi[/article] would, as rumored, be leaving the show after just two seasons behind the judges' table.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Slezak said -- as painful as it is to admit, given his criticism of DioGuardi's first year on the show in 2009 -- if "Idol" was determined to keep one veteran judge on the panel, it probably should have been Kara.

"I think she's a significantly better judge than Randy [Jackson], because she gives specific critiques and doesn't rely on the same clichés over and over again," he said. "There were definitely times last season where she was more insightful and paying more attention than Simon [Cowell], but that was a pretty checked-out panel."

Her problem, Slezak said, is that the veteran producer/songwriter was just not a great television personality. Her onscreen persona never really jelled, and she didn't find a unique way to engage the audience. "Part of that was her desperately trying to find an angle, with Paula [Abdul] as the wacky one and Simon as the tough one, she just came off as someone who was in love with the sound of her own voice," he said, noting that DioGuardi didn't seem to get much help from the show's producers in honing that persona.

Employing a tactic favored by politicians in Washington, the DioGuardi release dropped on the eve of a long holiday weekend and was filled with platitudes about her rocky tenure on the most popular show on TV.

"I felt like I won the lottery when I joined 'American Idol' two years ago, but I feel like now is the best time to leave 'Idol,' " DioGuardi said in the statement announcing her departure. "I am very proud to have been associated with 'American Idol' -- it has truly been an amazing experience. ... I look forward to my next challenge and want to thank everyone who has supported me." DioGuardi, who has written songs for Ricky Martin, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Adam Lambert and Miley Cyrus, didn't specify what her next step would be.

"Kara had some solid, useful critiques for the Idols, but unfortunately, she came across grating and condescending on television," said MJ Santilli, founder of the popular "Idol" fan site MJsBigBlog.com. "It didn't matter that the content of what she had to say improved a lot in the second season -- she still annoyed."

Like Slezak, Santilli said it didn't help that DioGuardi never really developed an independent, discernible voice in her critiques on the show. "She was so eager to be liked, she was only too willing to turn herself into a reality-show cliché," Santilli said. "Between her shameless flirting with Simon and behaving like a crazed cougar with contestants, it was like she felt compelled, for some reason, to take on Paula Abdul's least flattering personality traits but without any of her warmth or sincerity."

If only Kara had calmed down a bit and focused on delivering her critical appraisals in a "smart, authentic, straightforward" manner, Santilli speculated that she might still be around.

"Idol" execs were complimentary in their announcement, also not citing any reason for the change. "Kara is one of the world's best songwriters," "Idol" creator Simon Fuller said in the release. "She has been passionate and committed to 'Idol' over the last two seasons. I will miss having her on the show, but I look forward to working with her in music for many years to come."

"As one of the most proclaimed songwriters in the U.S., Kara brought a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to 'American Idol,' " "Idol" executive producer Cécile Frot-Coutaz added. "We are very grateful for the time she spent on the show, and we wish her nothing but the best in all her future endeavors."

Slezak said he's still mystified by reports that Jackson is the one judge staying on the panel. "Assuming Randy is staying, which seems quite likely, that's a head-scratcher," he said. "Randy has had nine seasons to get it right and learn how to be funny, articulate and constructive, and he's never succeeded at that. His critiques from last season were terrible. You could drag the average person off the street in and put them on a panel, and they wouldn't do much worse."

Looking at the majority of other reality contests with judging panels, Slezak said most hew to the unspoken rule of two men and one woman. If reports that [article id="1644771"]Jennifer Lopez is joining the cast[/article] are true, that would automatically eliminate DioGuardi and save Jackson due to what Slezak called the "antiquated" logic of such shows. "I feel a bit bad for her," he said of DioGuardi. "She did improve, and I feel like she made an effort to improve her performance."

The announcement confirms months of rumors that DioGuardi would not return for the show's upcoming season. In July, reports surfaced that "Idol" producers were dropping the songwriter and mounting a return to a three-judge panel. In August, DioGuardi's father said she heard the news that she was being edged out of the show the same way millions of "Idol" fans did: through the media.

DioGuardi is the latest judge to exit the Fox ratings magnet. In January, outspoken longtime judge Simon Cowell announced his departure to helm the American version of the British talent show "The X Factor." In July, Ellen DeGeneres jumped ship after one season, citing a packed schedule, among other issues.

Though Jackson appears to be the only holdover from season nine, an "Idol" spokesperson could not be reached for comment on whether the producer/ bass player is locked in for season 10. The spokesperson has also declined to comment on rumors that Lopez and [article id="1644881"]Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler[/article] would be stepping in as the new judges.

Who do you think should sit behind the "American Idol" judges' table? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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