If the rpm is hanging when you let up the pedal, and the pedal doesn't stick, then its not the tps thats the problem.
You have excess air coming in, and the IAC module is having to go from full open to full closed to drop the air flow enough to bring the rpm down, which takes a bit while the computer figures it out.
Slamming the idea of hooking up a laptop and being a stupid thing etc is actually, to be blunt, stupid thinking. With a laptop hooked up I can instantly tell you if the IAC, the TPS, the ACT or ECT sensor etc is the problem, and by looking at what the numbers are coming in can confirm what I stated above. Alot of times, that "stupid" laptop idea as you hinted at can save a ton of money because you can diagnose the problem directly and only replace the part you need to
, IF you actually have to replace a part.
Start looking for air leaks, such as the hose that runs from the driver's side valve cover over to the air intake tube between the MAF and the throttle body, which is often forgotten. There was the mention of the bearings, and if those are leaking air can cause the exact symptoms you are describing. It doesn't take much of an air leak to cause that hang.
Fraser