alright, yeah, i probably wrote too much (there's not much else to do at my job). i'll agree with you there. i disagree, however, that i have been disrepectful of athletes from previous generations, as you imply by calling my statement "ironic."
for their day, they were great. paavo nurmi, emil zatopek, and kip keino were as great as any runner today (well, maybe not Geb). the talent pool was smaller, training was less advanced, and the (arguably important) technology was inferior, yet they accomplished what no one had before, and few have since.
on the other hand, you're crazy if you think that the HUNDREDS of africans running times better than the old world records don't signal a paradigm shift in what it means to be world class. all the old world-beaters acknowledge that things have changed.
but, you know what? we're not talking about Paavo Nurmi or Emil Zatopek. we're talking about Pre- a guy who i've always been a fan of, but whose accomplishments you're blowing WAY out of proportion! for the same reason that no one is reasonably calling Webb "the best American miler ever," you can't claim that Pre was all that great: no olympic(/world) medals, no world records, no major international wins (although Webb has a few), and only a few US titles.