Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Luck isn't a replacement for hard work.  They both exist and happen, and neither is guaranteed to pay off. 

When they happen together, payoff is guaranteed.

When they happen together, payoff is guaranteed.

Not to make you groan, but that's not the case.  It usually is.  
I really think you underestimate the army of people who do the right thing, but still live unfortunate lives.  Even with a lucky break - those can be temporary.
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Doing everything right on your end and having things work out is luck in itself.  I won't call it privilege or white privilege, because it's not.  But it is also not a layup.

There are always outliers. But luck + hard work = success is usually a pretty good general rule, even if there are some occasional exceptions.

My boss in grad school was from Mississippi and grew up when that was tough for a black kid.  He went to Tougaloo College and then Case Western for his PhD.  He got a teaching job at Dartmoth and left because he told me he was their "token N" and then went to UNC.  You could opine he was lucky to have black skin, or unlucky, because at different times it was a different kind of "luck".  He just wanted to be treated like everyone else, and largely was in the department.

Outsiders, not so much.  

Every time there was some public event needing faculty he got called.  He was 6'5" and played bball against Willis Reed in college.  He had a lot of interesting stories.  A grad student won't really get very close to his adviser until it's pretty clear he's going to make it though.

It is fun to explain position names to Brits et al. in CFB.

OK, the center snaps the ball.  He's in the center of the line.  

He snaps it to the quarterback, who is kind of a quarter of the way back in the I formation.

The next back is the fullback, because, well, I don't know, and then the halfback, even though he's fully back.

In the line, we have an offensive guard to either side of the center, and then tackles, who of course never tackle anyone, or they get a penalty if they do.

Then there is one tight end, he's on the end of either side of the line, but lines up tight.

Then there are two wide receivers here and here, and another guy in the "slot", but only if there is no fullback.  And a player can't catch a pass downfield if he lines up and is covered, but his own teammate.

This is great.

BTW I came up with the concept myself last night, and made that meme this morning. 

That's a bwarbs original