AP

In the end, Ted Ginn wasn’t willing to put someone else’s money where his mouth is.

Ginn has vowed to place $10,000 on the line against anyone who wants to race him. Multiple challengers accepted, or at least tried to. Ginn never proceeded.

But Ginn remained willing to prove that he’s indeed faster than anyone in the NFL, signing up for the $1 million (possibly paid out in equal $1 installments for a million years), not-so-well-hyped (in my opinion), and not-so-well-received (in my perception) “40 yards of gold” racing tournament. And then, as MDS noted last night, Ginn simply didn’t show up.

That’s right. The races started, and Ginn wasn’t there. Event organizers had enough advance notice to replace Ginn with Broncos running back Khalfani Muhammad, who actually made it to final four of the 16-man event. The more important question is whether organizers did anything to spread the word that Ginn wouldn’t be attending after they knew he wouldn’t be attending; anyone who decided to buy tickets to the event or to order the $39.95 pay-per-view specifically to see whether Ginn could win the thing would have solid grounds to demand a refund, especially if they made the purchase after Ginn canceled — and if no effort was made to let people know Ginn wouldn’t be running.

It’s unclear whether any effort had been made to let people know Ginn wouldn’t be running, because the event simply didn’t create enough organic buzz. Event organizers, who decided to keep the names of their investors secret, told Sports Business Daily that they aren’t “super focused” on the amount of money that will be made, and that they will regard it as a success “if we just execute.”

They did. But without the one name that was the most likely to draw eyeballs and interest.

Which in the end wasn’t actually a bad thing for Ginn, who gave up a slim chance at winning $1 million but who avoided putting at risk the $2.5 million he he’s due to make this year in New Orleans, along with a $1 million signing bonus proration he arguably would have had to give back to the Saints if he had blown out an Achilles and missed the 2019 season.