PHOENIX -- Bruce Arians was in one of his favorite settings Wednesday morning.
No, he wasn't on a football field. He was behind a microphone.
For an hour at the NFC coaches breakfast during the NFL owners meetings at the Arizona Biltmore, Arians answered questions, mainly about the Arizona Cardinals. There were a few about his former teams, the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as some about former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
But in typical Arians' fashion, his answers didn’t disappoint. Here are the best quotes from the league’s most quotable head coach:
On whether Arians would be a different coach, in terms of what he says, if he was 42 instead of 62:
“Hell yeah. I don’t give a crap. I don’t think I talked any different back then. That’s probably why I didn’t get a head-coaching job. I think the truth is the truth, and some people just can’t take the truth.”
On Cardinals general manager Steve Keim receiving an executive of the year award Monday night:
“He was embarrassed as hell to go up and get his (award) the other day. I was like, ‘Dude, you got a cup. We can drink out of that.’”
On the difference between him as a coach at Temple and with the Cardinals:
“If I coached today the way I coached at Temple, I’d be in jail.”
On having linebacker Sean Weatherspoon in the same room as former linebacker and current coach Larry Foote:
“I don’t know if we’ll be able to shut them both up at the same time.”
On nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu not playing much in 2014:
“He got heavy, basically ate himself out of a job.”
On being asked about Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson:
“You trying to get me fired? That’s tampering, dude. I can’t talk about another player. I ain’t saying Jack about Adrian Peterson. I’d get fined for that.”
On the rule proposing what would’ve been a nine-point touchdown:
“I’m old school, man. I like the extra point the way it is. I like football. I like kickoffs. The game has been pretty good for a long time. I hate tinkering with the rules.”
On Arians seeing his former quarterback in Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger:
“We talk all the time. I’m going to miss him next week. I’d like to get some of his money (from golfing). He took all my money last time on the golf course.”
On the Cardinals winning Super Bowl 50:
“That’s the goal every year. Last year it just happened to be in our stadium. It was easy to look a guy in the eye and say, ‘Who’s dressing in your locker?’ We don’t have that so I have to come up with a new line this year.”
On why he supported the Patriots' proposal to put more end zone cameras on the field to assist with replay:
“I don’t want the game right on Monday and Tuesday. I want it right on Sunday. I think everybody wants it right on Sunday.”