For nine seasons, "Seinfeld" was the toprated comedy on the air. It dominated the Thursday night television lineup. But the show almost didn't make it to the airwaves in the first place. The first few episodes didn't test well with audiences. Audience members had a number of discouraging things to say about it. The character of Jerry received a "lukewarm reaction," and was considered by the test audiences to be "dense and naive." The character of George was labeled a "wimp." The whole thing was rated as "average in humor." (1)

How many times through history have the prognosticators been wrong?

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." Thus read a Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"The…