1. Don't count your chickens (as fans) before they hatch. Potential does not equal accomplishment. You have to be good, but you also have to be lucky. You have to stay healthy to set career records. And it isn't done until it is done. Close doesn't count in records. And you have to stay focused. Wives, and later children, and later grandchildren (in certain sports, such as golf) can be a huge distraction.
2. Longevity does matter. Steady accomplishment over time, even if unspectacular in any given season, can result in a brilliant career. The fans may not notice, but the record book will.
At least this once, I made a prediction that was vindicated. Woods was roaring along, and the press already had him anointed as The Greatest Ever. But I kept saying, "Wait until he gets married." Of course, if he had married a nice, quiet, supportive lady, it might have been different. But he didn't, and his sort usually don't. Then - crash and burn. Throw in health problems, legal problems, child problems, not to mention the effects of age, and the result was predictable.
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