What a thread.
Here's what I learned.
1) People love to get angry when someone voices a few strong opinions based on incomplete and/or incorrect information.
2 a) Things that FP doesn't know but feels passionate about:
iii C130) You don't know if the coach asked, encouraged, demanded, begged or forbid the #2 runner to pace his buddy on to break the record. If I'm wrong, let me know. Tell me where the coaches stand on the race plan is posted. Comments he made? Some lengthy article he wrote on the glory of playing "second fiddle"?
*H2a section iv. title 6) Any self-respecting 4:16 HS miler who took second place in 4:37 after running a 2:02 should turn around at the finish line and make an obscene gesture to 3rd place kid because it would motivate them to break 4:50.
In conclusioning summary) Here is a plausible scenario that never occurred to FP:
CS ia) If I was a 4:16 HS miler, this thought might go through my head;
"Take some PED's, tell my "friend" (teammate?) I'm just going to pace him, roll him through 800 in 2:02, tuck in for lap 3, let him do all the work...then... KICK HIS ASS ON THE FINAL LAP, BREAK THE RECORD IN FRONT OF THE HOME CROWD, THROW HIS CAR KEYS IN THE RIVER, MAKE OUT WITH HIS GIRL AND RUN OVER HIS DOG. (who incidentally has better form than his master)
If I did that FP, would you be my daddy and love me more for not being a pansy? I promise I'll be better next race and slip him a bow in the throat when no one's looking.
*btw. Don't be confused by my numbering system. If you're incapable of comprehension, its because I'm a lawyer and I just read more than you do.