Raiderfan is smiling upon Jeff Garcia and his lovely wife. They are quite a pair.

If judging by the musings of Cam Inman of the Oakland Tribune is any barometer, the denizens of The Black Hole are positively giddy over the Raiders signing Jeff Garcia.

Joe assumes Raiderfan is equally excited about the chance of oogling over Carmella.

Coach Tom Cable repeatedly has wondered aloud this offseason as to whether Russell’s work ethic will meet the standard for a NFL starting quarterback. That seems like an ultimatum, which Garcia surely will echo.

Garcia, at least in his 49ers days, worked tremendously hard on his physical fitness and mental makeup. He went from Canadian Football League refugee to a Pro Bowl quarterback. He won over a cautious coach in Steve Mariucci and a fickle fan base that was spoiled by Joe Montana and Steve Young.

Aside from mentoring Russell on NFL schemes, Garcia can tell him how bad it is elsewhere (see: Garcia’s years with Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions) and how fame doesn’t exempt you from off-field dangers (see: Garcia’s drunken-driving arrest shortly before the 49ers cut him).

Pie-chart summary: Garcia, 39, is overlooked for his NFL achievements, unfairly criticized by his many cynics and surely as confident as ever that he can lead a NFL franchise to playoff glory. That definition meshes quite well with the Raiders’ MO, if you think about it.

Joe was hoping beyond hope that somehow Garcia would see fit to remain in Tampa Bay, if nothing else than a backup.

And if readers of JoeBucsFan.com wonder why, then said readers must be newcomers to the site.