Usain and Lightening Bolt...get it? Get it?!?

OK, not really.  But, something like this is actually in the works: “Sources” say that Usain Bolt (fastest guy alive, adoptive parent of adorable cheetah named Lightning Bolt) might race Chris Johnson, of the Tennessee Titans (buyer of cars for his entire O-Line after his 2,000 yard rush season concluded yesterday.)

Our money is on Bolt, but…um…only sort of.    Johnson shattered the Titans’ record for rushing yards in a season, previously held by Earl Campbell with 1,934.  He also, meanwhile, broke Marshall Faulk’s NFL single-season record for total yards from scrimmage Have you SEEN Johnson recently? Nope, you haven’t.  You blinked and missed him!

Oooh, we know. Our wit slays.

The race would be run for charity, and would take place on a standard track.  Johnson was clocked at 4.24 on the forty at the 2008 NFL combine, and he wants a short race, at the most 60 yards.  Bolt, meanwhile, wants the race to be longer.  (Johnson’s longest run lately was a 91 yard TD run early in the season against the Texans.)

Bolt, whose celebratory antics at the Olympics were either exuberant and real or terrible sportsmanship, depending who you talked to, says he wants to hit a 9.4 100 meter.

Meanwhile, Tyson Gay, world champion 100 meter runner in 2007, set the all-time American runner record at 9.71 seconds, a feat that a year ago would have been good enough for a world record.

The triumph of Bolt–and to a lesser extent, of Gay–is good news for a sport that’s mostly known lately for doping, at least by the casual ESPN-watcher.  We can’t wait to see what he does next: his exuberance is catching!