With a 4-foot-3 Cleveland television celebrity in the audience to question him, Cincinnati Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis apologized a third time on Wednesday for calling Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel "a midget."
Lewis referred to the 6-foot quarterback that way during a radio show on Monday night. He has tried for the last two days to get beyond the remark. Manziel will make his first career start on Sunday when the Browns (7-6) host the Bengals (8-4-1).
Facing reporters directly Wednesday for the first time since the remark, Lewis said his comment "was dumb and caused a lot of uproar. I apologize again for that."
John Rinaldi, a local television personality who's an entertainer, not a journalist, sat in the front row and asked Lewis how the Bengals will have to adjust given the height difference between Manziel and former starter Brian Hoyer.
Lewis said they'll "adjust the plan accordingly" with the new quarterback. Later, Rinaldi asked a question about how Hoyer "likes to stand tall" in the pocket while Manziel moves around.
"I think that's very similar to your first question," Lewis responded, saying the Bengals would account for that. There were no more height-related questions.
In Cleveland, Manziel said he wasn't offended by Lewis' comment. He found the attention to his height amusing.
"I'm not going to sprout 5 inches over the course of the week," Manziel said. "It is what it is and my height is my height and I need to overcome it with other pieces of my game and that's it."
Lewis' comment was reminiscent of the way former Bengals coach Sam Wyche touched a nerve in Cleveland in 1989.
During a game against Seattle at Riverfront Stadium, fans started throwing snowballs at the field. Wyche took the sideline microphone from the public address announcer, told the fans to stop and said, "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati."
Bubba's bed
This might have been the first time Bubba Watson had a flower bed named after him.
The weekend before the Hero World Challenge, someone sent the two-time Masters champion a photo from the seventh hole at Isleworth. One of the residents gave Watson the ultimate tribute by fashioning flowers to spell "BUBBA" on the right side of the fairway.
Watson, a member at Isleworth, said he plays in the money games with the neighbor and "he's pulling for a guy who lives here."
"He didn't ask me. He did it just for this week," Watson said. "Somebody sent me a picture on Saturday or Sunday and said, 'Hey, look at the flower bed.' That's the only time I knew about it. I thought it was funny. It would be like you doing something for your buddy or someone you like. I think he likes me."
Soft defense
Cam Newton sustained back fractures but apparently escaped serious injury when his car was hit Tuesday in Charlotte.
"No word on the other driver, but certainly wasn't a Saints player," wrote Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com "Last week they proved they couldn't hit anyone."
Taking the fifth
Golfer John Daly announced plans to get married for the fifth time.
Wrote Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times: "Or as he prefers to call it, 4-over par."
Sports quiz
Bubba Watson has won the Masters twice, but what is his best finish in any other major?
Sports answer
Watson finished second in the 2010 PGA Championship.
Sports on 12/11/2014