Sports and politics, America’s two favorite pasttimes, are often compared, and for obvious reasons.

Sports can be political, and politics are often played with a contact sport’s total abandonment of civility.

Sometimes the overlap between the two is real and tangible — like the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union. Sometimes it’s a matter of semantics; like when a senator uses a fourth-and-long analogy to describe the predicament of a bill lodged in subcommittee.

Both sports and politics tend to turn the true believers into hard-headed partisans, and both are bickered over without end on TV and talk radio, even though nobody’s ever convinced anybody to change their opinion on either subject through the simple force of argument.

Both are blood-pumping, fist-pounding, foot-stomping distractions from the things that really matter in life: friends, family, tax rates, third-down conversions.

Sorry. Got distracted.

Sports can turn respectable adults into juvenile hooligans and politics often make fools of the wisest men.

But sports trump politics without fail where it counts — the objective reality of the final score.

Politicos have policy and legislation that ostensibly affect us all, but sports have the undebatable, undeniable and understandable truth of the scoreboard.

Sports wins because there’s an inherent resolution, which is infinitely preferrable to, and not to be confused with, House Resolutions. After all the trash talk, at the end of the week, somebody wins and somebody loses. And judging by reports from Stillwater, Okla., our politicians could stand to learn a little about dignity and decorum from Oklahoma State fans.

Unlike the political forum, where debate rages and rarely wanes, flows and hardly ever ebbs, in sports, one side or the other eventually has to shut up and take their medicine.

Your team loses. Your arguments are proven wrong. You show contrition, and you get over it.

Or, your team wins. Your arguments are proven right. You may gloat, but hopefully you do it with a little more nobility than many of our elected leaders regularly display.

And at the end of the game, the participants line up for a handshake and don’t punch each other or charge raging into the crowd — not usually anyway. Score one for the politicians for not stooping to that level yet, though it doesn’t seem we’re that far from the day when some congressman goes all Oregon tailback on another.

God bless America.

Please?

This week’s subjective realities:

Georgia over South Carolina: I don’t like the line (Dogs minus 7), but I don’t see Georgia losing at home to fall to 0-2.

Falcons over Dolphins: With this year’s schedule, just about every Dome game is a must-win.

Banks County over Dawson County: The Leopards’ ability to run finally pays off this week.

Buford over Lovett: Lovett might be a top-10 team, but the Wolves are on another level.

Johnson over Chestatee: The Knights’ offense finally gets on track.

Franklin County over Commerce: It’ll be closer this time, but the Lions stretch their series streak to three straight.

Lumpkin County over East Hall: The Indians’ defense is too tough.

Flowery Branch over Creekview: The Falcons offense is clicking early this year, and it will probably need to be in this one.

Gainesville over White County: The Red Elephants’ look like 7-AAA’s most complete team so far.

Clarke Central over Habersham Central: The Raiders fall short in another bruiser.

Jefferson over Fannin County: T. McFerrin’s bunch have shown no signs of skipping a beat under the new coach.

Lakeview over Hebron Christian: If you can run, you can win. The Lions will do both tonight.

Riverside over Rabun County: The new-look Eagles may have found an identity in a hard-fought win last week.

Towns County over Copper Basin (Tenn.): It won’t be as easy as last year’s whitewashing, but the Indians should score their first win of 2009.

North Oconee over Union County: The Titans take the inside track to home-field advantage in the playoffs.

West Hall over Gilmer: The Spartans get it together for a win before the schedule toughens next week.

Last week: 11-2. Season: 23-4.