Oakland Athletics Monday Trend Meter

As the team began their game tonight, we decided to create our own weekly recap of the latest happenings with Oakland Athletics' fan culture.  So if you find yourself asking, "Who or what are the A's fans talking about this week?" Stop by on Mondays and look for it here!
 

Number One: The Rally Possum

It's grammatically correct to say "opossum" but since the account has named itself "@RallyPossum" that is going to dictate what I call those things from now on. Sorry, grammar police! Our furry friend once again made an appearance during last Friday night's game, but this time it showed up farther down the left field line by the foul pole. Our Sean Doolittle even seemed mesmerized by the wildlife phenomenon that seems like it's here to stay. I will say for scientific purposes that it looks as though this particular opossum looked like a baby while the one from last Monday looked like a full-sized adult but that doesn't matter. It's shown up two times, and both those times the Athletics have won so even the green and gold fans who are creeped out by these creatures will be happy to be in their presence. This became evident to me by the few stuffed opossums that were seen around the Coliseum this past week. I myself am curious how long this particular phenomenon will last but I think the end of the season is far from a stretch. As you read from my last post, and I'm definitely onboard the Rally Possum bandwagon but all good things will have to come to an end at some point, unfortunately. 

Number Two: Stephen Vogt's NBA Referee Impersonation

If you haven't seen this VIDEO, I suggest you stop what you're doing right now and enjoy this hilarious display of showmanship. During an episode of MLB Network's "Intentional Talk," our own Jonny Gomes was the guest and he decided to bring along Stephen Vogt, who decided to bust out his NBA referee impersonation that was so hilarious that one cannot simply put it into words. Basketball referee symbols are so exaggerated and ridiculous it's hard to believe that Stephen was the first to real take a stab at this. Stephen Vogt has become an increasingly popular player since his return to Oakland a few months ago and he's certainly become my favorite player. As a guy who was once labeled a career minor leaguer, you have to love Stephen Vogt. He's enjoying every moment he can in the big leagues and with all the divas and entitled characters that are flooded across the league, Stephen Vogt is that breath of fresh air. 

 

Number Three: Jon Lester

Not the most exciting trend from a pure pop culture standpoint, but it's still worth noting how great Jon Lester has been since being traded to Oakland to don the white cleats. It's been so far, so good for this cancer survivor, as he's had one game where he wasn't at his best but still got the job done and the other, on Thursday night, was a masterpiece. A complete game, shutout against the Twins where he blazed 8 strikeouts was just the statement he needed in order to show the Athletics fans what he's capable of doing. Things won't get any easier for Jon Lester, he'll need to put in these performances in the postseason in order to repay the Oakland fans but he knows that and he's the right man for the job based on his track record. Jon Lester may not seem like a guy who'd wear anything other than a plain t-shirt, but there is a beauty to that approach because he's all business. 

Will these trends still be standing by the beginning of next week? Check back here next Monday to find out! 

-- Wes

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