Enough is enough

At some point it has to stop raining, right?

After postponing or delaying most of the spring season in tennis and softball, the rain and wet weather in Western Montana has now postponed or delayed parts of the state golf, divisional tennis and state softball playoffs.

Luckily, there’s nothing else for it to delay.

It’s been a battle with the weather all spring. It usually is.

Along with all of the other things happening in the spring — state music festivals, college trips, etc. — weather usually knocks out a few events every year. Coaches and administrators have become wizards at filling and replacing many of those events and generally, by the end of the year, everything gets played, even on a shortened schedule.

But usually, by this time of year, most of the hard luck goes away. The weather tends to cooperate, at least until the last week of the season, when the skies open back up and temperatures drop back down as a last hurrah on the way into summer.

Not so this year. There’s been no let up. Or at least very little.

Once again, everyone involved has done a tremendous job of working in sports around the five dry days we’ve had this spring. They’ve done it with indoor practices and compacted schedules.

But, it’s getting old.

Even in the newsroom, where rainouts mean less work, I’m getting a little tired of writing out that a game will have to be played on another day. (See right.)

I can’t imagine how frustrating it is to be an athlete this spring. You sign up for the chance to get some sun and play a competitive sport and instead you have to sit in the rain and cold for two months.

Imagine running the 300 hurdles while rain drops are pelting you in the face and you’re wearing shorts and a tank top in 50-degree weather. I’d run faster just to be the first to throw sweats back on.

And that says nothing for fielding a fly ball in hail or trying to grip a tennis racket when you can’t feel your fingers.

But, it’s the hand we’ve been dealt.

Kudos again to everyone who has put up with it and stuck it out.

With this weekend not looking to be the best, at least there’s one more week for the Treasure State to shine on the spring sports season.

Hopefully, this time it will be literally.