Marvin Lewis Calls Johnny Manziel 'Midget' in Interview Ahead of Bengals-Browns

Marvin Lewis added more fuel to the fire in the Bengals-Browns rivalry Monday after he referred to Johnny Manziel as a midget in a radio interview with Lance McAlister of 700 WLW in Cincinnati. He has issued two separate apologies since his initial comments came out.

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Wednesday, Dec. 10

Manziel Responds to Lewis' Comment

Jim Corbett of USA Today had Manziel's response to Lewis' comment:

"

"I don't think they'd say that about Drew Brees. It didn't really get to me," Manziel said of Lewis' dig. "It's absolutely funny. I'm not going to sprout five inches over the course of the week. My height is my height. And I need to overcome it with other pieces of my game.

"It's a dream come true to be where I am now getting a chance to start my first NFL game. ... It's an awesome feeling, and it made me motivated and hungry."

"

Tuesday, Dec. 9

Lewis Apologizes for Midget Comment a Second Time

The backlash directed toward Marvin Lewis for calling Johnny Manziel a midget has forced the Bengals head coach to issue his second apology in as many days via the team's official Twitter account:

The Browns host the Bengals in Week 15, and Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports that Manziel will indeed be the starter. At 8-4-1, the Bengals can all but close the door on the playoff hopes of the 7-6 Browns with a road win. The playoff implications and Manziel's debut already made this AFC North battle must-see TV, Lewis' comments add even more intrigue to the Battle of Ohio. 

Monday, Dec. 8

Lewis Calls Manziel Midget on Local Radio Show

Players taking shots at upcoming opponents and providing "bulletin-board material" is common enough in the NFL. It's pretty rare that coaches get in on the act, however.

That's why it was fairly surprising that Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis went out of his way to take a dig at Johnny Manziel on Monday ahead of the team's matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Lance McAlister of 700 WLW in Cincinnati tweeted the coach's comment from their radio interview:

Well then.

The Browns are embroiled in a full-blown quarterback controversy, as incumbent Brian Hoyer has really struggled down the stretch and public pressure is mounting to start exciting rookie Manziel. Clearly, Lewis doesn't care whom the Browns start, though he didn't go out of his way to poke fun at Hoyer, it should be noted.

Lewis was quick to offer an apology just a few hours later according to ESPN's Cole Harvey: 

Beyond the bulletin-board-material nature of this quote, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk pointed out another reason Lewis should have chosen his words more carefully:

This isn't the first time Lewis' comments have turned some heads this season. In October, he suggested that concussions seem to "linger longer" in the NFL these days, a remark that didn't sit well with proponents of player safety, especially as head trauma has become such a prevalent issue in the NFL today.