As an avid lifelong sports fan, I’ve always found it fascinating that both Americans and other nationalities view professional athletes as gods. Some may dispute the insanity of this pedestal we place athletes upon and argue that the real commendation should be awarded to doctors, teachers, etc. However, despite arguments to the contrary, globally we overwhelmingly heap laurels — and an absurd amount of cash — onto those who make a living playing sports.

On the surface, it would seem that it’s because sports provide a great source of entertainment. However, in my almost 20 years of fandom, I’ve begun to think the reason lies deeper: Athletics are such an important part of our lives and cultures because they provide a pseudo-escape from reality where we can witness athletes perform inhuman feats we can only dream of.

The reasoning is similar to that behind the popularity of video games. Video games provide a virtual reality where we can do things we typically couldn’t. Whether it’s playing soccer alongside Cristiano Ronaldo or fighting terrorists in guerrilla warfare, the experiences are all ones most people never have.

In sports, unlike video games, we aren’t controlling the athletes, but the act of watching and following athletics still allows us to have unusual experiences because we have a sense of connection with the athletes we watch. We live vicariously through the athletes we idolize.

The obsession starts early. Whether it’s a little boy watching football on his television at home, wishing he could be the quarterback heroically commanding the offense down the field, or a young girl dreaming of the day she can represent her country as she watches the U.S. Women’s National Team lift the World Cup, it starts with awe when we’re young but quickly grows to enormous appreciation as we grow older and learn that the accomplishments we witnessed when we were younger are even more difficult than we ever could have imagined. What starts as an aspiration often becomes an admiration: As we age, the reality sets in that the vast majority of us will not be able to do the things athletes do, simply because, unlike them, we are not in the top percentile of the human physique.

That top percentile is incredibly minute. In fact, according to the NCAA, only around a 10th of a percentage point of all high school athletes will turn pro. Taking note that this statistic includes only those enrolled in school and playing sports means that if one were to factor in the rest of the population at the age group, the number would drop even lower than its already extreme percentage. This means, simply, professional athletes are rare, and, therefore their accomplishments are rare. And with that rarity comes a sense of god-like ability because the overwhelming majority of us is unable to perform at that level. But through our fandom, we’re able to imagine we can.

Looking at the evolution of professional sports, the obsession makes sense. Although the actual sports have been played for far longer, organized athletics are relatively new to civilization. Professional sports have gone from creation to worldwide phenomenon in just the last century and a half. It’s no mistake that in that short amount of time, technology, and therefore our access to the athletes we admire, has skyrocketed. We now have 24-hour sports networks beamed right into the comfort of homes that further increases our exposure to these extraordinary feats and consequently increases our obsession.

That little kid we all once were hasn’t gone anywhere. Although we all may have grown up, there’s still a part of us that can’t help but sit back in awe as we witness other humans accomplish things we previously thought impossible.

Jacob Altstadt is a McCormick junior. He can be reached at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].

The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.