Only the Bengals, folks. Only the Bengals.

Only my beloved Cincinnati Bengals could find themselves in this situation. Listen, I’ve followed the Bengals since my cousin Greg was the quarterback in 1969 and the NFL Rookie of the Year. I’ve been to nearly 200 games in my lifetime. I’ve endured Akili Smith, David Klingler and Ki-Jana Carter. But this latest episode takes the cake.

You see, this coming Sunday we play our in-state rivals, the hated Cleveland Clowns. We really need this win, because we’re currently just a half a game ahead of the Steelers and Ravens. We need to focus, man!

Perhaps not.

Because in true Bengal fashion, a distraction had reared its ugly head. Last night our coach, Marvin Lewis, referred to Cleveland QB Johnny Manziel as “a midget.”

Sure, this in itself is not a horrible mistake. However, how could anyone in their right mind not understand this would not go over well in 2014?

As expected, the PC Police are all over it, and Coach Lewis has issued this hilariously, apparently sincere, apology:

“I’m aware that my comment on local radio [Monday] night was offensive to people of short stature and to their families and friends,” Lewis said in a statement. “It was thoughtless on my part to use the word I did, and not excusable, and I greatly regret it. I since have read about this issue on the Little People of America website. I understand it better, and as I have apologized to Johnny Manziel and the Cleveland Browns’ community, I offer the same to all others who I offended, and I pledge that I will learn from this.”I hope that my mistake and the resultant publicity may serve at least to help others not make similar insensitive comments in the future.”

So, to reiterate, instead of game-planning to beat the Cleveland Browns today our coach was visiting the Little People of America website, learning about them, and apologizing to the short folk of the world.

This is so Bengals it hurts.