TMQ asked why otherwise polite and considerate people turn into fiends behind the wheel. Imad Libbus of St. Paul, Minn., writes, "The answer comes from a well-known principle of social psychology: anonymity promotes antisocial behavior. People are more prone to violence or destruction when their face and/or identity is obscured. This can commonly happen in large groups (i.e. mobs). In an interesting psychological experiment, subjects were more likely to push a button and administer a painful shock to another person if several other people in the room also had buttons, obscuring the identity of the shocker. This is one reason that many cities ban masked demonstrations -- masks confer anonymity to their wearer. Conversely, circumstances promoting self-awareness, such as name tags and mirrors, decrease antisocial behavior. In another experiment, subjects were less likely to cheat on a test if they wore a name tag. Vehicles, with or without tinted windows, confer anonymity to their drivers. This anonymity breaks down the self-restraint that most people normally exhibit. Although I have not seen a study, I would hypothesize that road rage is significantly less common among the convertibles, which do not obscure the identity of their driver."

Skyler Mills of Middletown, R.I., writes, "Cell phones, GPS, satellite radios, CD players, DVD players. People don't pay as much attention, and when they do, they are more apt to be in quick-decision mode. They are also more likely to be hearing about other people's problems on their phones, while telling other people about theirs." Chris Hanel of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, writes, "On the road, we are not hostile toward people. We're hostile toward cars. The anonymity that is felt and perceived in a situation as benign as driving a vehicle among other vehicles is strong enough that people feel empowered by their portable sovereign nation -- I can cut you off with impunity because I don't have to think about how you felt about it. You're just a car." Hector Martinez says, "Drivers assume, I will never see these people again in my life, why should I care what they think?" Many drivers do think this way, but it may be a mistake. Half of driving occurs within five miles of home. The people you cut off in the grocery store or school parking lot -- they're probably your neighbors, or your kids' friends' parents, and there's a fair chance of meeting them outside their cars, or of being recognized while driving like a jerk.

Eric Sofer adds these reasons: "One is safety from retribution. With the exception of having the police in near proximity -- and everyone knows that they can't be everywhere at once -- there's no consequence from road rage. Even flashing the brights or laying on the horn aren't usually actionable, no matter if police are around or not; it's got to have been a really quiet day for a cop to pull someone over for beeping at someone, and I don't ever remember hearing of anyone being pulled over for tailgating (although doubtless it's happened on occasion). If there is no fear of punishment, there's little deterrent for acting like a moron. Another factor is power. Cars represent a degree of both strength and protection to the average driver (whether it's a correct assessment or not). Driving sixty down the freeway feeling the roar of the engine can be seductive, and convince a normal person of the tremendous power at their fingertips (and foottips, I guess). The incredible protection that a solid steel vehicle around them provides -- granted, that protection is mostly illusory, but still, it's a very convincing illusion. A lot of bullies act from positions of power; if they didn't have the upper hand to be bullies, one way or another, they probably wouldn't do it. Same thing with some drivers; they've got umpteen horsepower under their hood, they can take a hit in a car that would kill a normal pedestrian, and they are in a situation of control that is rare to the average person. So, it's a form of self-entitlement to act and use that power."

Regarding driving, TMQ would remind everyone of a core rule of ethics: Your character is revealed by how you act when no one but you will ever know what you did.

TMQ noted the rules seemed to require that Joe Gibbs be warned before his fateful second timeout against Buffalo. Jason Reddish of Baltimore fills in the details: "The 'referee must inform' proviso is an unfortunate vestige of the rule prior to 2005. Up until then, consecutive timeouts were still not allowed, but the 15-yard unsportsmanlike for attempting it during a kicking situation had not been added to the rules. Prior to 2005, an official could, in his discretion, assess a 5-yard delay of game penalty or 15-yard unfair practices penalty (among other remedies under one of the only rules that gives the referee vast leeway) if he believed the team was intentionally trying to obtain an advantage by abusing the rule. If the team attempted to call consecutive timeouts, the referee was required to inform the coach why he did not allow the second timeout. Part of the rub is that the officials are not supposed to whistle the second timeout. That, if anything, is the linesman's error in not informing Joe Gibbs that it could not be done. If an official does whistle the second consecutive timeout, the clock is to be reset."

After the Ravens seemed to win against the Patriots by stopping a fourth-and-1, only to a find false start had been whistled, TMQ wrote that that penalty "cannot be declined." Chuck Flint of Fort Worth, Texas, a high school football official, corrects: "As part of the Texas Association of Sports Officials, we are tested annually on rules and mechanics. Almost every year there is a question about whether a penalty can be declined or not. Likewise, there is almost always at least one instructor in a class who will hammer on the fact that any penalty can be declined. In the case of the false start, it is a dead ball penalty meaning that fourth-down did not happen yet (even though it appeared to). The Ravens could have declined the penalty, meaning it simply is still fourth-and-1. But since fourth down still has to be played, they might as well accept the penalty and make it fourth-and-6."

TMQ quoted a news report stating that Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon was staying eligible as a senior by taking only one class -- billiards -- and asked why a university would offer a billiards class. Kendra Scott of Syracuse, N.Y., writes, "While at first glance it looks terrible that a state school would offer multiple courses in seemingly random 'sports' like billiards and juggling, I do not think you can take more than one. When I was at Syracuse University, I took tennis in my senior year because I needed enough credits to stay a full-time student while completing the final two courses I needed for my degree (not being a full-time student causes repayment of student loans to start early and a loss of financial aid). Many of my fellow Orange took Human Sexuality or Beer and Wine Appreciation in the same semester … apparently college alone wasn't enough for them?" Lee Herring of Santa Fe, N.M., adds, from inspection of the University of Oregon Web site: to enroll in Billiards II, one must first pass Billiards I.

TMQ praised Wegmans, the greatest of all grocery stores -- plus a business that evolved in the supposedly dying industrial areas of the Northeast. TMQ received dozens of e-mails from Wegmans lovers, so many we wondered, why isn't this outfit on the cover of Time? Salah Salem of Fairfax, Va., wrote to report there is a Wegmans near Dulles Airport, about 25 miles from TMQ. Katie Schmidt of Washington, D.C., writes, "I shop there whenever I fly into Dulles." Monica Gleed of Pasadena, Md., reports a Wegmans will open in Crofton, Md., reasonably close to TMQ. Apparently one of the reasons Wegmans are so nice -- best prepared food of any supermarket TMQ has ever shopped in, including the expensive ones in Europe -- is a company rule that each store must have a unique design and incorporate a significant improvement over the previous store.

Finally, on the wacky disclaimer front, Joe Cervelli writes, "The latest commercials for the Heisman Trophy broadcast include the disclaimer, PLAYERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE."

In addition to writing Tuesday Morning Quarterback, Gregg Easterbrook is the author of "The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse" and other books. He also is a contributing editor for The New Republic, The Atlantic Monthly and The Washington Monthly.