mike zimmer bengalsMike Zimmer is a sentimental favorite in Cincinnati. He sadly lost his wife to cancer last season and the team rallied around him. His defense last season helped push the Bengals to the AFC North title, and he’s near-universally praised as a good coach and a good guy. Just don’t ask him about Bobby Petrino, who now runs Arkansas’s football program in the SEC. Zimmer was on Petrino’s staff during his very short run with the Atlanta Falcons, a job that Petrino famously left without so much as notifying any of his assistants.

“He’s a gutless bastard. Quote that. I don’t give a s—,” Zimmer said Wednesday, according to Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

When Zimmer was told that [a] responsible news organization may not be able to use “bastard,” Zimmer responded:

“How about this, gutless MF. You can use that.” via PFT.

I can’t help but admire a man that doesn’t mince words, but honestly, what sort of company out there is shying away from the word “bastard?” It’s not like kids are even reading news sites these days anyway. They’re all snorting cough syrup and reading Harry Potter books watching Harry Potter movies. They’re all bastards. Believe it or not I’m really good with kids. I was VP of personnel when I worked out of the Nike “office” in Indonesia.