Grip on Sports: Football’s worst weather report is in the eye of the beholder – sometimes literally

A GRIP ON SPORTS • We have a legitimate question: What’s the worst type of weather to have to sit through during a football game? Read on.

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• Football season in these parts spans the gamut from the hot and smoky to the freezing cold and snowy. In-between there can be just about any type of weather, from breezy to rainy, from sunny to stormy.

Which makes us wonder. What’s the worst? The best?

The latter seems easy. About 75 at kickoff, with the sun shining bright and accompanied by a slight breeze. It gets just a bit cooler as the game goes on, ending in a pink cotton-candy sky at twilight with the temperature hovering in the high 60s. At least that’s how I see it.

And how Grantland Rice may have described it.

But the worst weather? That’s a more personal preference.

I know folks who hate the heat. Abhor it. They can’t stand when the temperature hits the 90s, a common occurrence in the early part of the season. To me, it seems better than a lot of alternatives.

Like a cold, wet fog. Years ago I covered a high school football game in Laguna Beach, California. The field overlooked the Pacific Ocean. It was a decent day but that night the fog rolled in, accompanied by a mist that seemed to be able to penetrate every piece of clothing I was wearing. It was also impossible to keep my notebook dry, even with the plastic bag I brought along.

I have never been more miserable covering a game, and I’ve been in rainstorms, windstorms, snowstorms, heck even smokestorms, since.

Speaking of snow, some folks love watching a football game in it. I think they are called “Montanans,” but I’m not sure. It could be “Montanites.” Whatever, they love themselves some snow and a 4-yard run. Maybe it’s because college teams around these parts see snow as an advantage, especially against institutions from the sunny southern climes or those who play in domes.

Except when it comes to a cold rain. Wind-driven rain, to be more precise.

It’s hard to watch a game while trying to keep your glasses clear. Or water from running down you face. Or your undergarments dry.

A rain that seems to be running from goalpost to goalpost also makes it tough to see who has the ball, what yard line it is on and which Pac-12 referee you want to yell at.

Heck, wind doesn’t even have to be a factor if it’s raining hard enough. You know what I mean. The type of rain that could star in its own Moen commercial. “Our most powerful shower head” or something like that.

Rain just plain sucks. Unless the visiting team can’t hold onto the football and gives it to the good guys three or four times. That’s when rain is celebrated and dismissed as “good for the soul” all at the same time.

Which brings us to just one conclusion. The best weather, it seems, is any type that gives the home team an advantage.

• You know why I’m bringing this up, right? The forecast for the area Saturday calls for Noah-type rain. My Weather Channel app tells me there is a 100 percent chance of rain in Spokane and Pullman, the two places hosting college games that day.

Eastern and Idaho are both on the road – if the Vandals were home it wouldn’t matter anyway because, you know, Kibbie Dome – and there is no rain in the forecast for Cedar City, Utah or Columbia, Missouri.

But Whitworth hosts Puget Sound in the Pine Bowl on Saturday afternoon and Colorado visits Martin Stadium late that night.

So if you are planning to attend either game, dress accordingly. In Pullman, there should also be an accompanying 20-to-30 miles per hour southerly wind, with gusts occasionally upwards of 40 miles per hour. Oh joy.

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WSU: No matter what the weather is like, the Buffaloes will feature one of the Pac-12’s better rushing attacks, led by Philip Lindsay. Theo Lawson has this story about Colorado’s top offensive threat. … Theo also picks the conference games as well delving a little deeper into a recent suspension. There was also the news yesterday Mike Leach is up for the college football coaching award. There are videos from Leach and others on our Washington State football page. … Finally, Theo held a live chat yesterday and posted a transcript. To answer one question, I once went to a Halloween party as Grumpy from “Snow White.” I just wore my usual clothing. … Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre is impressed with WSU’s defense.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, whom do you have winning this weekend? After last weekend, who knows? … Leach was joined on the coaching award watch list by Washington’s Chris Petersen. … Washington, Oregon State and Stanford all have byes this week. The Beavers will be spending some money, though. … It may not be the end of the world, but both Oregon and UCLA need a win this weekend at the Rose Bowl. The Ducks’ Royce Freeman may set a record against UCLA’s porous defense. Gary Beban will be at the game. … USC’s run defense better be stout against Notre Dame, even if the Trojans are missing a couple pieces. … The loser of the Arizona State at Utah game this weekend may be out of the South race. … Both Arizona and California will feature the running game, though from different positions.

Gonzaga: There were a couple of pieces of news yesterday, one unexpected, one not. The not would be the GU women picked to win the WCC title again by the conference’s coaches. Jim Allen has that story. … The unexpected? Redshirt freshman Zach Norvell Jr. making the watch list for the Erving Award, given to the best small forward in the nation. Norvell may not even start for Gonzaga. Jim Meehan has more on that piece of news.

EWU: There was a trio of star receivers last season. This one? It’s a group effort. Jim Allen has the story of how Eastern is spreading the football around throughout its passing game. … Southern Utah has a middle linebacker who is a bit older than most of his peers. … Around the Big Sky, North Dakota’s athletic director may have “retired” but the school is paying his salary for a long time. … Montana is on a roll thanks to multiple contributors. … A Montana State player has earned his teammates’ trust. … There are award nominees throughout the conference.

CCS: The men’s soccer team picked up a win yesterday.

Preps: It wasn’t too long ago when slowpitch was the only softball girls in Washington played at the high school level. If by “not too long ago” you mean 30 years. But the sport, supplanted by fastpitch decades ago, made a comeback recently in the GSL as a way to help Title IX numbers. Now, as Dave Nichols explains, there is a move afoot to make even more of the sport. … A couple of local football players are headed to the Army All-American game. Dave has that story as well. … Picking high school games is tougher than it looks. Dave has his Pick Six with leader Sam Adams.

Chiefs: If you had Spokane scoring two power-play goals and defeating visiting Moose Jaw 2-1 last night in the pool, why do you have a pool about Chiefs’ games? And why are you lying? Kevin Dudley has the story of an unexpected outcome. … Around the WHL, Tri-City got past host Everett 3-2 in overtime.

Seahawks: You just never know which play will be your last. Cliff Avril is learning that lesson the hard way. … How are this year’s draftees doing? … The Hawks are better offensively when they play fast. … Michael Bennett isn’t about to change anything he’s doing. Neither is Doug Baldwin.

Sounders: The final MLS regular season match between Portland and host Vancouver has about three levels of significance.

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• The rain in Spain may fall mainly on the plain, but in the Palouse on Saturday, it could end up everywhere. (Darn it, now I have that silly “My Fair Lady” song stuck in my head.) Until later …