I have observed Alan since 9th grade (I live 4 miles from South Lakes High School).
I know his former coach pretty well, too.
One of the things I always worried about with Alan's choice to come back home and be coached by Razcko is that it was not an optimum situation for him to mature. Like it or not, Alan is and was an American suburban kid and being away from home, studying and running and socializing on his own (at one of the nation's best schools to boot) would have been an invaluable experience in terms of gathering maturity and independence. It would have been far more than about the running, which in turn would have led to a more balanced life that ironically I think would have worked out well for him. Of course, when the comparison is Nick Willis, it makes these hindsight kind of conclusions easier.
And so there is this latest incident. It scares me a bit - this not keeping things in perspective. I could understand moments of frustration - in fact, if this was a 30 second incident until the adult instincts kicked in, we would simply state we admire his fire and competitiveness and leave at that. But to go on and on like this. Do it in public - particularly when you are the American record holder and the best world class talent since Ryun - it is newsworthy, irrespective of irrelevant dreck such as the Brojo's Ivy League pedigree. (Alan's family frankly doesn't have a middle class background, but more of an upper middle class one, and really now, if Alan wanted to go to Harvard or Princeton, well, he would have been admitted).
I don't wish ill will on Alan. And especially so since he is newly married to a young woman who is a fantastic catch, with a promising future before him. But that is the point, isn't it? A race is just a race, and when things don't go well, well, you move on to the next one. It is what we expect of champions, and Alan certainly qualifies in that category. Being great means putting up with good press and bad. Shooting the messenger here doesn't make sense - and thoughtful fans (including me) don't think any less of Alan - at some level we can identify with the frustration. But perspective and maturity is important, and a wake-up call, even a public one, has its benefits.
Give this a rest.