it was so hard to see what the future held because to perform at this game, you have to be “in the mud,” obsessed with the task at hand. Perspective is neutralized, stunted so that you can capture only the most relevant, time-sensitive data that will determine how to approach your opponent that day. Then you look up and realize your 20-year career has been a collection of days where you couldn’t see tomorrow.

Time served does not guarantee maturity.

As history of any kind will tell us, when human beings get an opportunity to express their individual selves, a few selves will go completely over the top.