Are Sports Gods Just Watching for Fun? The Mythology of Talent, Fate, and the Superhuman Athlete

What if we weren’t living today but instead existed centuries ago? If we had witnessed the same extraordinary athletes performing their superhuman feats back then, would they be immortalized not as elite sports figures, but as mythical demigods? Would the supremely talented women we admire now be remembered as Amazon warriors?

It raises a haunting question: Were the mythological figures of ancient times actually the sports superstars of their era?

And if that’s the case… what about today’s exceptional athletes? Are they, unknowingly, the children of gods and goddesses? Have they been sent down for our viewing pleasure - to ignite awe, to entertain, to elevate the human experience?

When we watch someone dominate a sport with grace, power, and precision, it feels as if nature itself has chosen them. But how? Why? Is this mastery a gift? A glitch in evolution? Or simply the result of years of relentless training?

And if it’s just training, why can’t the rest of us replicate it?

We win once, maybe twice. And suddenly we believe we’re among them. We wear the same jerseys, mimic their rituals, and borrow their mindset quotes. But soon, the euphoria fades. Our motivation slips. We search for the fire they have but can’t find it in ourselves, our work, or our environment.

This sparks a deeper question: How do coaches and talent scouts identify these chosen ones so early - sometimes at age 10, 12, or even younger? What kind of divine eye does it take to recognize not just talent, but transcendence?

More importantly: How do they keep these athletes on track without breaking them? How do they nurture them without suffocating them, and protect them from being consumed by the pressure of being “special”?

And in that process, how many ordinary but hard-working players are sacrificed or ignored because they simply weren't “born for it”?

So we ask again: If all of this is written in the stars, if some children are truly “the chosen ones,” then how much choice do we really have? Are we participants in fate or just spectators?

Are we here to try, or are we here to watch?

If the gods of old were entertained by myths of Hercules, Achilles, and Athena, maybe today’s gods enjoy watching Serena serve aces, Messi bend free kicks, or Boskovic spike sharp diagonal.

And if that’s true, we must ask:

Are the gods still watching the games, not to judge us… but to enjoy the show?