In case you didn’t know, Chuck Conner is the acting Secretary of Agriculture, the 7th in line to the Presidency, and Asafa Powell is the World’s Fastest Man. Both of those things you can read about in Slate, an online magazine for people who like to scoff at politics and religions. In a recent article about Powell and the “World’s Fastest Man” title, Ted McClelland scoffed at the current state of the 100 meters in track and field. While it is certainly the most historic and prime-time of any track and field event, the 100 meter world record holder, who gets the resume-juicing title of World’s Fastest Man, is probably somebody you have never heard of and who will be forgotten the next time a stiff breeze blows during a high school track meet. Asafa Powell from Jamaica is the WFM, yet he has failed to win at the big meets or in direct competition with any of his most fierce rivals. His main competitor, Tyson Gay, will not race against Powell in an upcoming race, as Powell has elected to run the 200 instead.

The article is fair and accessible, so I suggest you check it out. If you think like McClelland, then you probably view the current World’s Fastest Man champion with the same regard that you would view the current winner for MTV’s Video Music Award for Best Pop Video. Or the current acting Secretary of Agriculture, which is Chuck Conner, by the way. Scoff!