Last week a friend commented that I treat politics like sports: I know all the “players,” treat parties like teams, and even have statistics and history at my fingertips. I had never thought about it that way, but he’s right. Politics, the ultimately dirty game, is very much like sports, only without athleticism and with real-world issues hanging in the balance, especially for fans/junkies like me. To the extent that my interest in politics comes from my earlier love for sports, I’m proud to admit a connection. But I’m most happy when the two overlap.