A little confidence is a fine thing. A little confidence against the greatest in the world, however, might be a touch misplaced.

Newly minted Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross set the NFL record for the 40-yard dash in this year’s scouting combine, posting a 4.22-second time. Emboldened by his feat, he declared himself ready to face Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man. NFL types tried to talk themselves into the thought that this might be a fair match, but a U.S. Olympian shot that idea down by dusting Ross’s 40 time.

Now Bolt himself has weighed in on the matter, and here’s his assessment of Ross’s chances to beat him:

“Zero. Absolutely none. I think over the years, people always aim to the top. I’ve learned something through the ranks, that there is a ladder, but nobody wants to climb the ladder. They just want to get to the top of the ladder. They always want to beat me, but no. No chance.”

Bolt delivered his no-uncertain-terms message through Jesse Washington of The Undefeated:

There’s still some faint hope for Ross to salvage his pride in a foot race; the Reds’ Billy Hamilton, the fastest man in baseball, has aired the possibility of a head-to-head showdown. But given the fact that there are millions invested in both of these guys by two Queen City teams, the chances of a race are unlikely indeed. Ah, well. We’ll have to be content with Ross outrunning overmatched defensive backs.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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