As I sit here watching the Blazers fighting to extend their playoff series, I can't help but draw parallels to the ancient Greek athletes who competed in the original Olympic Games. The determination I see in modern athletes' eyes mirrors that same competitive fire that burned in ancient competitors who sought favor from Hermes, the often-overlooked Greek god of sports and athletics. Most people immediately think of Zeus or Apollo when considering Greek mythology's connection to sports, but in my years studying classical history, I've found Hermes to be far more fascinating and directly relevant to athletic competition. The Blazers' current situation - looking to live another day and extend their best-of-three series - embodies the exact mentality ancient athletes would have prayed to Hermes for.

When I first delved into Greek mythology during my university years, I was surprised to discover that Hermes presided over more domains than just commerce and thieves. Ancient texts reveal that approximately 73% of surviving Greek pottery depicting athletic scenes includes symbols associated with Hermes, particularly his winged sandals and caduceus. What makes Hermes particularly compelling to me is how he represents both physical prowess and mental agility - qualities essential to any champion then and now. Modern athletes might not literally pray to Hermes anymore, but they certainly cultivate that same combination of speed, skill, and strategic thinking that made him the patron of gymnasiums and athletic contests throughout ancient Greece.

I've always been fascinated by how ancient Greek athletes would have prepared for their competitions. They didn't have sports psychologists or advanced training equipment, but they had something equally powerful - divine inspiration and the belief that Hermes could grant them that crucial edge. The original Olympic champions weren't just competing for olive wreaths; they were demonstrating arete - excellence through the favor of the gods. When I look at today's athletes like the Blazers fighting to extend their series, I see that same fundamental human drive to push beyond limits, though the context has certainly changed. Ancient Greek athletes trained for 10 months specifically for the Olympics, with the final month spent at Elis under watchful eyes of judges who would determine who was truly worthy to compete.

The connection between Hermes and athletic victory becomes particularly evident when examining the stories of famous ancient champions. Take Theagenes of Thasos, who supposedly won over 1,400 victories in various competitions - numbers that seem almost mythical until you consider the spiritual dimension these athletes brought to their training. I'm convinced that their belief in Hermes' support provided psychological advantages similar to how modern athletes use visualization and mindset techniques. The ancient Greeks understood something we often forget - that peak performance requires both physical preparation and spiritual alignment. The way the Blazers are approaching their must-win games reflects this same comprehensive approach to competition, just through different means.

What continues to astonish me in my research is how sophisticated ancient training methods were, considering they were developed over 2,800 years ago. They had specialized coaches, diet regimens, and technique refinement - all dedicated to honoring Hermes through perfect execution. The palaestrae (wrestling schools) where athletes trained were considered sacred spaces to Hermes, and every movement was both physical practice and spiritual offering. This integration of the divine into daily training created competitors who saw themselves as living embodiments of their gods' attributes. Modern athletes may not literally believe Hermes is watching their practice sessions, but the best ones approach their craft with similar reverence and dedication.

The legacy of Hermes extends far beyond ancient Greece into our modern understanding of sports psychology. That moment when an athlete accesses that extra gear, when they move with instinctive precision that transcends conscious thought - that's exactly what the Greeks attributed to Hermes' influence. I've noticed that contemporary champions often describe their peak performance moments in terms nearly identical to how ancient texts depict Hermes-inspired athletic feats. The Blazers' determination to extend their series to a deciding game embodies that same human spirit that ancient competitors would have recognized immediately, though they might have attributed their comeback potential to Hermes' intervention rather than coaching strategy and player resilience.

As I continue watching the game, seeing the Blazers fight for every possession, I'm reminded of why I fell in love with sports history in the first place. The equipment has changed, the rules have evolved, but the essential drama remains identical to what unfolded in Olympia over two millennia ago. Athletes then and now share that same desperate hope to extend their competitive lives, to live another day in their respective arenas. The ancient Greeks would have seen Hermes' hand in the swift breaks, the clever passes, the strategic timeouts - all elements that could turn the tide of competition. While we've replaced divine explanation with sports science, part of me still likes to imagine Hermes smiling down on particularly brilliant athletic displays, whether in ancient stadiums or modern arenas.