If thirst for attention were an Olympic event, there'd be a photo finish between Tyreek Hill and Noah Lyles

Tyreek Hill delivered the line so calmly, with such a straight face that you would think the statement was a matter of fact, and not of spotlight-seeking delusion.

"I could beat Noah Lyles," said Hill, nicknamed "Cheetah," holder of the highly unofficial title of NFL's Fastest Man, in a post-practice interview with the Up and Adams podcast.

Lyles, of course, just won Olympic 100-metre gold in 9.79 seconds. It's his second consecutive global title at that distance, which buys him 12 more months with the equally unofficial but much more measurable title, World's Fastest Man. So the idea of the Miami Dolphins receiver defeating Lyles seems a step beyond far fetched, unless Hill were referring to wrestling or checkers or UNO.

Hill quickly clarified that he meant in a race. 

These days, even as misinformation brokers flood the internet with bad-faith sludge, journalists need to be careful about calling people liars. "Liar" implies that the speaker knows something isn't true but says it anyway, intending to mislead. But sometimes that person is simply misinformed, or genuinely believes what they're saying, even if it's false. 

Elly De La Cruz might not be lying, technically, if he says he can outrun the Olympic champ. He just might not know any better because he's not a track star, and doesn't know first-hand how near impossible it is to crack the 9.80-second barrier. But Hill is an all-American NCAA sprinter, and should know just how wide the gap is between winning the Big 12 and earning an Olympic title – which is to say, he knows better.

And he knows enough about how the media work to pick the right time and target for his latest viral sound byte. 

Lyles' profile is higher than ever. He followed up a season as a main character in a Netflix docuseries with a dramatic win in the Olympic 100 metres. He backed up that performance with a bronze in the 200, then revealed he had run the race while sick with COVID-19. That move was either brave (if you ask Lyles) or selfish (if you ask me), but made headlines either way.

If Hill wanted to generate discussion about credible hypotheticals, he'd talk about whether he could have qualified for U.S. Olympic Trials. But that doesn't get you aggregated; claiming you're faster than the world's fastest man search engine optimizes both your name and your bold claim.

WATCH | CBC Sports' Morgan Campbell discusses Lyles racing after positive COVID test:

Any footrace between them would end with Hill choking on Lyles' exhaust. Serious people don't even debate it. But in a publicity stunt competition, Hill and Lyles are both peers and peerless. And their back-and-forth is another timely reminder for media members to scrutinize outrageous claims, because we serve our audiences better, and help everyone hop off the pointless debate hamster wheel, when we can separate truth from tall tales.

Hill, of course, could settle this particular debate in less than 11 seconds if he would line up against Lyles. It can't be that hard to arrange. If Hill is willing to race hobbyists for free – like he did in winning the 60 at the U.S. Masters Championships last year – an appearance fee might lure him into a pro track meet. He could also prevail upon Adidas, which sponsors him and Lyles, to save him a lane at the Atlanta City Games, the city track meet that the apparel brand underwrites.

Except Hill already knows he and Lyles are in different leagues, speed-wise.

Lyles won the Olympic 100m in a personal-best 9.79 seconds. Hill's PB, established in 2012, is 10.19 seconds, which would have tied him for 34th place in Paris. The 200m was Hill's better event – he ran 20.14 seconds as a high school senior. But it's Lyles' specialty, too. His 19.31 personal best is also an American record.