Hooray for USA Today!

Notes From the Tuesday Morning Quarterback:

*Great, great article in the USA Today regarding why your Oakland Athletics are just so darn likable!  I've been trying to tell you!  I always liked that former Hornet Alum Tom Hanks!

*With a more than a week two go, how about this juicy little League Division Series:  Rangers vs. Oakland.  If that series comes down the pike, and the Tigers face the Red Sox, once again Grandpa Bud Selig will be smiling all the way to the bank!

*It will be interesting to see if all of the Tarp seats do indeed sell for the Playoffs?  If I were the A's, I would have gone one Tarp at a time based on tickets sold.  Lew Wolf with Ray Fosse on Comcast hard to take last night.   In case you missed it, Wolf a co-owner and the unofficial spokesman for the team, dissed the A's fans earlier in the week.  Fosse is the color commentator for the A's on Comcast.  Ray may have taken a few too many shots to the dome--in fact you may remember images of Pete Rose plowing him over in that early 70's All Star Game?  It's is hard to explain the catcher-centric announcer's style--you really have to hear it.  Hard not to like Foss, I just wish he would work on his "delivery." (I can guarantee you, at some point you will shake your head, and say eh, what did he just say?)

*Great for Pirates fans all over the world--unless of course they are also Steelers fans. (With the Pirates and Steelers, who came up with Penguins?)  Whew, that's enough hockey!

*So, If I recall the Raiders were 15 1/2 point underdogs last night, and sure enough they lose by 16!  Why not go for two?  Makes you wonder?  The Raiders are one draft away from being really good.  The need a couple of snot blowing interior lineman on both sides of the ball.  Add a big-time receiver, and this team will could be good.  Pryor may have went to well a little too often last night, and reports are out that he suffered a concussion.  Matt Flinn, this could be your chance with the struggling Redskins coming to town.

*Weird (and sad) deal across the bay, or should I say in Santa Clara?  Aldon Smith's personal issues impacted the 49ers in a negative way--and it's not over.  Smith is a superior player in every way, but Raiders fans remember two years ago when a likely playoff bound team was derailed by an off-the-field even by Rolando McClain.  Events such as these, absolute momentum changers for a team.  All eyes and ears are on Coach Harbaugh now.  The next couple of weeks will be worth paying attention to see how the master media manipulator and team motivator handles this "problem."

*Is it me, or is it practically impossible to NOT LIKE Andrew Luck?  Luck's father is former NFL QB Oliver Luck.  Perhaps his parents should write a parenting book? (Luck or Schmuck?)  Just a thought.

*Why do some folks celebrate Octoberfest in September?  Is that an oxymoron?