Two top-seven finishes ought to buy a player some serenity. Matt Doty turned them into whiplash.
The highs were contender-grade. He bought the Ducks early, watched the NHL card swell to 539.33, and finished 5th for 247. The NBA card was almost spotless: four winning calls from five, good for 244.5 and 7th.
The empty spaces were just as loud. Doty banked 0 on an untouched NFL Playoffs card and tied for 239th with 7 points. Golf later returned only 41 and 211th, helping turn a highlight reel into a 50-place slide.
A 163rd-place World Cup card offered no protection from golf, and the closing pair cost him 50 places. Doty's final ledger showed 1353 and 96th. Ceiling does not reimburse absence, no matter how spectacular the ceiling looks.