63 go home losers. In any sport, the reward for a good season is a playoff berth. Only one team will win its final game. Some teams pursue victory for what seems like eternity yet never achieve it. The last time the Chicago Cubs won a World Series, the czars ruled Russia.
Sports are uncompromisingly merit-intensive.
You get to the top by being good at what you do. You stay on top only as long as you are worthy of staying there. Once your abilities deteriorate or someone dethrones you, you are history. If you are on top, there are countless people running laps, lifting weights, heading to the batting cage, and shooting free throws until midnight in order to get where you are. There is no job security.