So how does the rest of the world view all the craziness at Rams Park?

Here is a sampler:

Mike Sando, ESPN.com: “Interim coach Jim Haslett, the defensive coordinator until today, has a chance to restore his reputation as a head coach. The Rams’ defense bottomed out this season. If the Rams show improvement under Haslett, everyone wins — including Haslett. Offensive coordinator Al Saunders was the other logical candidate to become interim coach. He was obviously onboard with the decision to bench (Marc) Bulger in favor of Trent Green, who played under him in Kansas City. The decision to start Green seemed to suggest Saunders might be in line for the interim job. The move backfired in the locker room. Haslett must try to repair the collateral damage or at least move past its consequences.”

Steve Wyche, NFL.com: “From dealing with high-maintenance players to temperamental ownership to coaching a displaced team because of Hurricane Katrina, Haslett had his share of headaches to deal with as a head coach of the Saints. That experience seemingly makes him more than qualified to take over the woeful Rams.”

Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports: “If the NFL’s 31st-ranked defense improves in the coming weeks, will it be because Jim Haslett became the head coach or because Rick Venturi succeeded him as defensive coordinator?”

Rick Chandler, Deadspin: “What’s amusing to me is that Haslett, the former Saints head coach, is now in charge; if anyone is more culpable for the Rams’ stinky 0-4 start, it’s the red-headed one. It’s his defense, after all, which gave up 147 points in four games. Fun fact: Haslett played most of his NFL career for the Buffalo Bills, and it was the Bills who beat St, Louis 31-14 on Sunday, giving Haslett the job.”

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while Haslett tries to steer the Rams back on the Road to Competency:

• What will the interim head coach do about the Rams’ porous defensive unit?
• Is Bulger ready to quit pouting and win back his job?
• Now that Kyle Lohse is locked up, can John Mozeliak focus on lefthanded relief help and middle infielders with RBI clout?
• Will brittle Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew pull himself together for the playoffs?

FAREWELL TO PAUL NEWMAN

With his passing, let us not forget “Slap Shot” – one of the greatest sports movies ever made. Tipsheet tried to find a SFW clip to post today, but that proved impossible. All the best scenes were profanity-laced.

You’ll have to check them out on your own.

LEARNING ABOUT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard has learned, first hand, that careless remarks in public can be captured by hand-held video devices and posted quickly on the Internet.

He starred on a video posted recently on YouTube. Before a charity flag football game, here is what he had to say: “’The Star Spangled Banner’ is going on right now. I don’t even celebrate that [expletive]. I’m black.”

That didn’t go over so well.

“It was me joking around,” Howard told Dallas reporters. “Guys were out there making fun and I decided to get along in it. I wasn’t using my head. I guess the valuable lesson I did learn is that words really do hurt. You’re held accountable for what you say.

“That’s not me. … I went to military school. I have friends that served in the military. I know how it is to wake up and salute the flag. The national anthem every game, I have my hand over my heart.”

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Will Leitch, Deadspin: “Cubs fans have done an admirable job of putting a brave facade of confidence this season. My friend Mike, who loves the Cubs the way I love the Cardinals, goes so far as to say that this team has no historical connection to the Cubs’ past whatsoever, that he doesn’t even worry about ‘history’ and ‘curses’ and ‘the fact that we’re talking about the Cubs here.’ But you wait: The minute something goes wrong in these playoffs — and something will, no matter what happens — the fans are going to revert immediately back to The Panic. It’s inevitable, and the players will feel it too. If they can recover from that moment, when all looks lost, when the Cubs remember they’re the Cubs, they can pull this off. But I remain less than convinced.”

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: “The Big 12 Conference should temporarily suspend the season and take a giant group photo, because there may never be a week like this again. The conference has the nation’s top-ranked team, Oklahoma, four schools ranked in the top seven, six teams ranked in the top 25, and nine quarterbacks ranked in the top 20 of this week’s NCAA pass efficiency statistics.”

Jerry Greene, Orlando Sentinel, on Brett Favre’s statistical outburst: “Favre’s great day was almost ruined because all the Jets had to wear throwback blue-and-gold uniforms that date to the 1962 New York Titans of the AFL. In a word — hideous. But that means the Jets now have another Favre jersey to sell. The team clearly knows how to promote him but finally seemed to understand how to play him.”

Dan Daly, Washington Times: “Drew Rosenhaus is playing the heavy again. If he’s not kicking up dust on behalf of demoted Eagles DB Lito Sheppard, he’s renegotiating Plaxico Burress’ suspension from the Giants. Not to worry, though. Next week, just to balance the scales, Drew is planning to save another child from drowning.”

Bill Simmons, ESPN.com: “You know what scares me about the Redskins other than the fact Dan Snyder is a stubbier, less successful Mark Cuban? Poor Jim Zorn looks like he’s wound tighter than a substitute teacher at Watts High. And it’s not like a Mike Shanahan thing in which it looks like he’s trying to melt a referee’s brain; it’s more of a ‘Don Draper running into an old friend from the Korean war back when everyone called him Dicky’ type of nervous intensity, like he’s battling a complex about never having been a head coach before.”

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “A bomb scare outside the Phillies’ ballpark was caused by three hot dogs wrapped in duct tape that had been part of a Phillie Phanatic stunt. It was feared the hot dogs might be weapons of mass indigestion.”

MEGAPHONE

“I was tired of being booed and I was tired of being embarrassed on offense. I told the guys that. There’s no need for it. I had to make a statement.”

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, after rallying his team Monday night.