In the saturation coverage right after the events, the “expert” talking heads are compelled to offer theories about the causes and consequences. In the following days and weeks, newspapers and magazine will have their theories too. Looking back, we can see that all such efforts are futile. The shootings never mean anything. Forty years later, what did the Charles Whitman massacre “mean”? A decade later, do we “know” anything about Columbine? There is chaos and evil in life. Some people go crazy. In America, they do so with guns; in many countries, with knives; in Japan, sometimes poison.

Fellow Atlantic blogger Jeffrey Goldberg counters:

I am not arguing, of course, that American Muslims, as a whole, are violently unhappy with America (I’ve argued the opposite, in fact). But I do think that elite makers of opinion in this country try very hard to ignore the larger meaning of violent acts when they happen to be perpetrated by Muslims. Here’s a simple test: If Nidal Malik Hasan had been a devout Christian with pronounced anti-abortion views, and had he attacked, say, a Planned Parenthood office, would his religion have been considered relevant as we tried to understand the motivation and meaning of the attack? Of course. Elite opinion makers do not, as a rule, try to protect Christians and Christian belief from investigation and criticism. Quite the opposite. It would be useful to apply the same standards of inquiry and criticism to all religions.

Despite recent reports that Hasan’s religion may have played a large role in the shooting, I still tend to agree more with the former opinion than the latter.  “There is chaos and evil in life.  Some people go crazy.”  Just because there’s a reason behind the shooting doesn’t mean there’s any meaning in it.

On the other hand, “do we ‘know’ anything about Columbine?”  Yeah, we do.  We know a lot more about locking down schools in emergencies and paying attention to signs of mental illness or violence in teenagers.  If a kid has ambiguously angry messages and pictures of guns on their Facebook page, schools are much more likely to take notice and deal with it.  That’s a good thing.  There are lessons to learn from every tragedy and there will be lessons to be learned from Fort Hood.

But acknowledging that there are lessons to be learned and reasons behind the violence doesn’t mean that the act of shooting unarmed people is somehow meaningful.  It’s not.  It’s empty and random, a behavioral outlier.  Hasan isn’t a crusader or a messenger, he’s a drunk driver.  A day later, someone else shot six people in an office building in Orlando.  Different reasons, different lessons to learn, same amount of meaning: none.  “There is chaos and evil in life.  Some people go crazy.”

Related posts:

1. Don’t inject race and politics into Pittsburgh gym shooting

I think it’s generally ridiculous in the year 2009 to have white people playing this far outside their race. Neither the blue-eyed Jake Gyllenhaal nor the downright pale leading lady Gemma Arterton look even remotely Middle Eastern, and no amount of makeup, wigs, or British accents (for some reason) can change that. Add to that a supporting cast of Alfred Molina (half Spanish) and Ben Kingsley (half Indian, close enough?), and you have a movie titled Prince of Persia starring no one with any heritage within 1,000 miles of Persia. Congratulations, Jerry Bruckheimer, you’re an idiot.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in HD

Trailer Park | MySpace Video

Related posts:

1. “Whip It” may have revealed entire plot in 2 minute trailer
2. The Biggest player in movie history.
3. Avatar – New Extended Trailer Leaked

TNT has picked up the critically acclaimed series SOUTHLAND, closing a deal with Warner Bros. Television that will bring the drama from Emmy^®-winning producer John Wells (ER, The West Wing) to the network in January.  TNT has obtained exclusive rights to air all six episodes that have been shot for the second season, as well as the seven episodes from the series’ first season.  SOUTHLAND will air on TNT Tuesdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), beginning with the first episode of the series on Jan. 12.

But the question is will TNT air the profanity that was too much for network television unbleeped?

Meanwhile, the dramas NBC did decide to keep are failing miserably.  Trauma has already been cancelled and Mercy will probably be off the air by spring.  And The Jay Leno Show continues to be a ratings black hole that drags down and destroys everything within its gravitational pull.  Good.

Related posts:

1. Good Morning Forbes
2. Sure, go see G.I. Joe, but it will suck.
3. Make it Work- Project Runway Season 6

1. New Orleans Saints (7-0, last week: #1)

2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0, last week: #2)
After feasting on the dregs of the NFL for the last six weeks, the Colts struggled at home against a rapidly improving 49ers team.  When you need Joseph Addai to throw a 22-yard touchdown pass to win the game, it probably wasn’t a great day at the office.  I have a strong suspicion that the Colts are not the second best team in the league, but I’ll keep them here until provided with further evidence.

3. New England Patriots (5-2, last week: #4)
The Patriots play the Dolphins twice in the next month, and Miami has a 3-0 division record.  Despite being by far the best team in the AFC East, the Pats by no means have things wrapped up.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2, last week: #5)
The last time safety Ryan Clark played in the mile high air in Denver, he nearly died from a bizarre blood reaction and missed the rest of the season.  Doctors have cleared him to play Monday night, but I don’t think the one-game drop off from Clark to Tyrone Carter is worth risking it.

5. Minnesota Vikings (7-1, last week: #6)
I don’t understand why people are questioning Packers fans for booing Brett Favre.  Not only did he leave the team (granted, not entirely voluntarily), but he went to a division rival and acted like a jerk about it.  He could have retired with class and spent the rest of his life promoting local car dealerships and enjoying unparalleled popularity in Wisconsin, but instead he made the decision to screw his legacy for one flash-in-the-pan season with the Vikings.  Boo-hoo, Brett Favre isn’t universally loved.  Pass me a tissue.

6. Denver Broncos (6-1, last week: #3)
The Broncos are now 0-1 in the Mitch Berger era.  I’m just saying.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2, last week: #7)
I’ve started getting all my news from OCNN, the Ochocinco News Network.  This just in: “I’m so mad I couldn’t ustream my workout, I’m gonna try again tomorrow.”  You won’t see that on Fox News.

8. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2, last week: #9)
The Eagles did everyone a huge favor this weekend by thoroughly exposing the Giants as a fraudulent fraud who I’m ashamed to say I recently had ranked #1.

9. Baltimore Ravens (4-3, On the bubble)
Word on the street is that Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron thinks he can turn Ray Rice into another running back he used to coach: LaDainian Tomlinson.  Rice is averaging 150 yards from scrimmage and has 4 TDs in his last three games.

10. Atlanta Falcons (4-3, last week: #10)
Michael Turner got back on track against the Saints, but Matt Ryan fell off the rails and threw a couple of killer picks– one in the red zone, the other returned for a touchdown.  And he’s thrown 7 INTs in the last 3 games.  At some point, it’s going to come together for the Falcons.

On the bubble: New York Giants (5-3, last week: #8), Green Bay Packers (4-3), Dallas Cowboys (5-2), Houston Texans (5-3), New York Jets (4-4)

Related posts:

1. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 4**
2. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 5
3. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 8

It’s never really a surprise to see [Chris Johnson] outrun defenders to the end zone, since the man has 4.24 speed. But if he’s going to lower his helmet and run over NFL safeties…well, that’s just unfair. When you watch the video of his 89-yard fourth quarter TD, note the way he dismisses Brian Russell. Mass + acceleration = shame. (That’s commonly known as William Gay’s Law, in honor of this play).

Definitely click through to watch the videos.

Related posts:

1. Steelers-Titans postgame: The curse of the Towel
2. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 5
3. Steelers-Vikings Week 7 postgame: Drinking Brett Favre’s milkshake

No related posts.

And here’s what happens when your mom sees the above video and decides to give it a shot for you:

Thanks, Mom, but no thanks. I’d rather drop the transform feature altogether for something like this homemade costume.  This definitely would’ve gotten the job done back then:

Related posts:

1. Iron Man 2: Leaked Footage
2. Transformers 3: Rise of Cultural Stereotyping
3. Good Morning Forbes

First things first though, unless you’re playing in a four-team league, there’s no reason why Mendenhall should still be on your waiver wire.  He’s the Steelers unquestioned #1 running back, his 5.4 yard per carry average is third among the NFL’s 15 leading rushers. and he’s got 430 all-purpose yards and 4 TDs since taking over four games ago.  If you project his rushing numbers out over the first three games that he basically didn’t play in, he’d be third in the league in rushing, 25 yards behind Adrian Peterson.  In other words, yeah, pick him up off the wire.

But the notion that you would put Matt Forte– a guy who I had ranked as the #2 running back in fantasy football at the beginning of the season and called “the safest bet of any running back this year”– on the waiver wire is a different story.  I realize the situation is desperate for Forte owners.  He’s only scored 1 TD in the first seven games.  He’s currently 25th in the NFL in rushing yards and 30th in fantasy points, just above Tashard Choice (who has started only one game this year).  So how does a guy who put up 1,700 yards and 12 TDs as a rookie take such a huge step backwards in his sophomore year?  What’s wrong with Matt Forte?

Brad Evans at Yahoo! wrote a column this week that gave the most comprehensive answer I’ve seen to the Forte question, and it basically comes down to three factors:

1) Chicago’s despicable offensive line. Sans the Detroit game, the trench hogs up front have emitted a rancid odor. The left side of the line anchored by Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale has routinely been manhandled. The downtrodden tandem has failed to create consistent push. …

2) Decrease in workload. Throughout the offseason and into training camp the Bears’ coaching staff expressed their desire to trim down Forte’s burdensome workload to ensure longevity. Last season, he griped the rock 23.7 times per game. This season that average has decreased to 19.0. Even if his yards per touch elevated up to ‘08’s level (’08: 4.5, ‘09: 4.1), he would still finish nearly 350 total yards shy of last year’s mark.

3) Play-calling. The opposite of what most pundits argued preseason, Cutler has actually been more of a hindrance than help for the running game. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner has leaned on the arm of his prized quarterback, calling 6.5 percent more pass plays than with Kyle Orton a season ago. More worrisome for Forte owners, Cutler leads the league in pass attempts inside the 10 (21), which has led to a downturn in goal-line rushes for the marquee back.

Cutesy sums up Turner’s play-calling in the red zone. Instead of designing plays to utilize his back’s tacky hands, he’s installed riskier fades and corner routes. So far this season, Forte has netted just 7.3 percent of the team’s targets inside the 20, down from 16.9 percent a year ago. Overall, his role in the passing game is nearly identical to last year, but he’s being underused in critical situations. All four of his receiving TDs a year ago were scored inside the 10.

Notice that none of these issues has anything to do with Forte himself.  He’s healthy, he’s running relatively well, and his per-touch averages in rushing and receiving are pretty much in line with what he did last year.  That’s important, because it’s the difference between someone who has a chance to turn things around and someone like LaDainian Tomlinson or Brian Westbrook who is just physically losing the tools to repeat past performances.

The issues Forte is dealing with is that his offensive line has gotten worse, he’s getting fewer carries, and he’s become a distant second option in the red zone to the Bears shiny new toy (Cutler).  Is there a chance that any of these factors could turn around?  Yes.  Orlando Pace isn’t getting any younger, so Forte will probably have to continue working around that offensive line.  But the Bears coaching staff may very well respond to their two-game losing streak by giving Forte more carries, and they may respond to their 20th ranked scoring offense by getting Forte more involved in the red zone.  The Bears’ overreliance on Jay Cutler and those CFL-caliber wide receivers isn’t working, so a midseason change back to last season’s game plan isn’t at all out of the question.

Keep in mind that the Bears schedule is on the tough side from here on out, but there’s no reason why Forte can’t return to last season’s form or very near to it, starting this Sunday against Cleveland’s 31st ranked rush defense.  And last season’s form had him equal in fantasy points to Adrian Peterson.  Also keep in mind that DeAngelo Williams had 4 TDs at this point last year, then beasted for 16 more in the last half of the season.  Dramatic midseason turnarounds do happen in the NFL.  In other words, no, don’t drop Matt Forte.

Related posts:

1. Steelers-Bears Week 2 postgame: Wide left
2. Why you shouldn’t draft a kicker or defense until the last two rounds
3. 2009 fantasy football draft rankings: Running backs

1. New Orleans Saints (6-0, last week: #1)

2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0, last week: #2)
Jaguars, Dolphins, Cardinals, Seahawks, Titans, Rams.  That’s been the Colts schedule so far.  They still have yet to play any team that could be considered top 10 material.  They’re like a dude who keeps his self-esteem up by scoring with ugly chicks.

3. Denver Broncos (6-0, last week: #3)
The Broncos just signed former Steelers punter Mitch Berger to their roster, and I can assure you with all certainty that he is a downgrade from whatever their situation was before.  Even if their situation was a one-legged punter with a hook for a foot, Mitch Berger is a downgrade from that.

4. New England Patriots (5-2, last week: #4)
I’m thinking very seriously of changing my fantasy team’s name from “Death of Autodraft” to “Tom Brady’s Summer Jam Screen.”  I’ll let you know what I decide.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2, last week: #9)
Any team that forces Brett Favre into two turnovers and runs both back for touchdowns, resulting in outstanding sports photography like this is my favorite team for a week.  Just so happens my favorite team for a week is my favorite team.

6. Minnesota Vikings (6-1, last week: #5)
The Vikings run defense is running on reputation fumes at this point.  It’s just not great anymore, although it might be another few weeks before teams figure that out.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2, last week: On the bubble)
Anybody who says the Bears made a mistake letting Cedric Benson go has a terrible memory.  He was an absolutely horrible running back in Chicago, and there was no indication whatsoever that he was capable of doing what he’s doing right now.  If this was baseball, I’d be checking his bat for cork and subjecting him to hourly steroid tests.

8. New York Giants (5-2, last week: #6)
Like I said last week, the Giants fooled everybody by jumping out to a 5-0 start against bad teams.  But after back-to-back losses to teams that don’t suck, the jig is officially up.  And their second half schedule is brutal.  Like, they might not make the playoffs brutal.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2, last week: #10)
It’s going to take a long, long time to wash the bad taste of last week’s Raiders loss out of the Eagles mouth.  And just in case anyone was entertaining the notion that the Raiders might not be that bad, they got shut out this week by the Jets 38-0 at home.

10. Atlanta Falcons (4-2, last week: #7)
7 TDs in 6 games is obscuring things a bit, but something appears to be not right with Michael Turner.  He’s averaging a full yard per carry less than last year (3.4 vs. 4.5), and a tougher schedule is not the problem.  Only two of the six teams he’s faced thus far rank in the top half of the league in run defense.

On the bubble: Baltimore Ravens (3-3, last week #8), Green Bay Packers (4-2), Dallas Cowboys (4-2), Arizona Cardinals (4-2), New York Jets (4-3)

Related posts:

1. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 2
2. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 6
3. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 7

Steelers 27, Vikings 17

▪ For the two people out there who actually care, sorry for the 24-hour delay, but I spent Sunday afternoon lounging on the beach with the in-laws and diligently avoiding the score of the Steelers game so I could watch it later on tape delay.  Back when I was living in Pittsburgh, trying to avoid game spoilers was impossible unless you physically barricaded yourself alone in a dark room.  For a good three or four hours after the game, Pittsburghers typically walk down the street shouting the outcome for little or no reason at all.  And in situations where shouting isn’t appropriate, they find ways to work it into the conversation.  “Would you like paper or plastic, sir, to celebrate the Steelers 27-17 victory over the Vikings this afternoon?”

▪ Before we get to the good stuff, let’s get my weekly RTFF rant out of the way (aka “Run The F***ing Football”).  On the first play of the Steelers first possession, Rashard Mendenhall carried the ball for 14 yards.  He got just three more carries the rest of the half.  He got 10 carries the entire game despite averaging nearly 7 yards per carry, and none after his fumble with 14 minutes left.  Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that Mendenhall jumping over the pile at the 5 yard line on 1st and goal was incredibly boneheaded to the point of being hilarious.  But guess what, Coach.  Running backs fumble the football, just like quarterbacks throw interceptions.  That doesn’t mean you take the ball away from your best players.  And there’s simply no reason why a guy who is routinely ripping off double-digit runs should only touch the ball 10 times.

▪ Speaking of RTFF, when the Vikings had 1st and goal from the 1, can somebody please explain to me why Adrian Peterson only got one carry?  So you’re telling me you don’t think the best running back in the league can get one yard on three carries?  Is that what you’re saying to me, Brad Childress?  I understand Brett Favre has the hot hand right now, but come on.  The Vikings didn’t deserve the three points they got out of that sequence.

▪ Ben Roethlisberger didn’t play well and only threw for 175 yards (all the more reason why giving Mendenhall 10 carries is ridiculous), Hines Ward– the NFL’s leading receiver going into Sunday– only caught one pass for 3 yards, and the Steelers still beat the Vikings by 10 points.  At the risk of sounding like a hack commentator, this is a team that can beat you in a lot of different ways.

▪ It’s amazing how dominant LaMarr Woodley is when he’s not being blocked.  He only had one tackle, but he ran a fumble recovery back for a touchdown and he was drinking Brett Favre’s milkshake all day.  I for one think more teams should deploy the strategy of having their right tackle completely ignore the Steelers outside pass rush.

▪ I don’t think I’ve mentioned James Harrison more than a time or two in these postgame posts.  So, yeah, he’s quietly on pace for 18 sacks this season.

▪ I think it’s pretty clear at this point that Troy Polamalu is more valuable to the Steelers defense than Aaron Smith, in case anyone was debating that.  Which I doubt anyone was.

▪ The Steelers defense outscored the Vikings offense.  Let that one marinate.

▪ I’m as big a Jeff Reed apologist as there is.  I really don’t care in the least how many drunk college girls he splits the uprights with, as long as he makes the kicks on Sunday.  With that said, he probably punched his ticket out of Pittsburgh by getting arrested last weekend.  And then got that ticket validated by the half-hearted love tap he gave Percy Harvin on Mr. Harvin’s way to the end zone.  It’s not a kicker’s job to make tackles, but it is their job not to get shaken off like a drunk college girl.

Related posts:

1. Steelers-Browns Week 6 postgame: “Subpar performance”
2. Steelers-Lions Week 5 postgame: Getting a little greedy
3. Steelers-Chargers Week 4 postgame: First-round knockout