F-WORD VS. COONASS I!

Welcome to the main event!

In this corner in the purple and gold trunks, we have LSU coach Les Miles, who said the "F word" in front of the word Alabama and in front of thousands of people, including kids, at the Bayou Bash recruiting party Wednesday at a podium with a microphone. He was talking about LSU’s new rival, which he called "(F-word deleted) Alabama."

And in this corner in the red and white trunks, we have Alabama coach Nick "Satan" Saban, who said "Coonass" in telling a story about an LSU fan to three reporters in what he considered an off the record moment. He’s also been recruiting players from Louisiana whom Miles is also recruiting and Miles does not exactly like the way he’s doing it.

Miles at the moment is not planning any type of apology or non-apology apology, which are extremely popular in the sports world today, after displaying his peppery vocabulary.

Saban, meanwhile, was boiled and blackened, for saying a word that is only arguably a dirty word.

There’s no argument about the "F" word. It’s bad.

When I first heard Miles say it while at the Bash Wednesday, I thought he said, "freakin," which he has used in the past. And Miles tends to slip up when he speaks anyway and insert words that don’t belong. For example, when he was talking about Joe McKnight choosing USC over LSU, he said, "Coach McKnight."

I played my tape recorder over again, thinking he may have said "Joe McKnight." But it was "Coach McKnight" plain as day. I wondered if Miles was taking a verbal shot at McKnight for possibly trying to tell Miles and his staff how to run the LSU offense for McKnight while being recruited. I thought, naa, Miles just slipped again. And I deleted "Coach" from my story because I believed he didn’t mean anything by it.

Just recently, Miles slipped up and sort of said that Matt Flynn was going to be his starter. He didn’t actually say that, but people got confused. LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette had to come out the next day and explain what Miles meant.

That shouldn’t have to happen. Miles needs to learn how to speak more clearly and say what he means. But I still thought he said, "freakin." I asked some other folks, though, who said they heard the real "F word." Then on the way home, members of a local radio station who were at the Bash said it was the "F word."

I couldn’t delete the "F word" like I deleted "Coach." Thousands of people heard him say it. As a journalist, I couldn’t just brush it under the rug.

Miles does not go around cussing as much as most coaches. He is a very nice guy and a true family man. His use of the "F word" in front of his famiy and other coaches’ families was obviously very much out of character.

Maybe he didn’t know there would be some reporters in the audience who would write about this, but even if there weren’t any reporters you don’t say that in front of thousands of people, including kids, on a stage with a microphone. He just got caught up in the moment and must have thought kick-off was seconds away.

Miles should apologize to all us coonasses for such language.