George Ferguson Column: The next year is going to be exciting and I have it all planned out

2017 was memorable. That goes without saying. Whether it was on a local, or national level, the last year was a big year.

But 2017 is also over. We’ve seen the retrospectives. We’ve all reminisced. We enjoyed Christmas and tried to enjoy ringing in the New Year, though that was difficult to do when it’s 32 below outside.

In essence, we’ve looked back. I’m done looking back. Instead, I’m looking forward. With each year, I get older. I’ll be 43 in three months. I used to think 43 was ancient. Now I can safely say, it isn’t.

Yes, there’s so much to look forward to in 2018, it’s hard to know where to begin. So, instead of lumping it all together, I’ve laid out some of the things I’m most looking forward to over the next 12 months, and I’ve done it in typical me fashion, organizing it by the month.

So here goes. Here’s what’s exciting to me about 2018. And before I forget, happy New Year to all of you, and whether you’re playing sports, or just living life, I hope the next year is a prosperous one for everybody.

January: I refer to January as the rat race. That’s because there isn’t a weekend, or even many week nights when sports in our parts aren’t going full throttle. You’ve got high school basketball, wrestling, swimming, hockey and Northern hoops and wrestling to choose from. So for me, it’s one of the ultimate sports months in our coverage area, and while the rat race might be a negative connotation, it’s something I really enjoy. Oh, there’s one more thing about the long, dark, cold month of January that excites me: Tiger Woods is going to try another comeback. I don’t know if it will go any better this time, but I know this, I’ll be watching.

February: In high school sports, it doesn’t get any better than February in my humble opinion. It starts with state wrestling and swimming, two big-time events in Montana. Then it shifts right into District 9C basketball, the Northern C, which happens to be my favorite tournament of the year, the Northern B, and the Eastern A in Billings. And let me tell you, with so many really good basketball teams in our coverage area, this February could be a historic one. February also marks the renewal of the Carolina/Duke rivalry, and there’s this little sporting event they like to call the Super Bowl. It’s in Minnesota this year, and I’m a diehard Vikings fan. Yes, here’s hoping February is a big month for me, and for Vikes’ fans everywhere.

March: Tennis season begins. Period. I love state basketball tournaments, and I think the Hi-Line has some teams that will not only be at state in March but grab some hardware, too. But for me, March brings back Havre Blue Pony tennis. Next to my wife, it’s the true love of my life, and while March can still be nasty out, tennis season — this will be my 16th — is something I wait a long, long time for every year. March also means Northern wrestling at nationals, and hopefully, MSU-N basketball going to national tournaments as well. Yes, and March Madness itself. I’m just like most of you, I love, love, love March Madness.

April: Aside from my birthday, and the Havre Invitational tennis tournament, for me, April is always about The Masters. Boy, would I love to see Tiger put on one more Green Jacket. But I won’t hold my breath for that either. Recently, the return of Major League Baseball has also become pretty important to me. That’s because my beloved Cubs are pretty dang good now. I have always loved the return of the Cubs, but now, April really does give hope because the Cubs are now one of the best teams in baseball.

May: I love the month of May. Again, it’s about tennis, but all of our high school sports swing into high gear. The 9C track meet, HHS softball, it all comes down to May. May for me also signals that summer is coming (more on that later). And I really love summer. Yes, with so much happening in May, it’s generally a really good month. And, it’s finally green in Havre, too!

June: June begins with depression for me, because another tennis season is over. But I get out of that funk pretty quick because I do finally get to hit the golf course. While most of you start golfing in the harsher months of April and May, I don’t start playing until after tennis season is over. But I make up for lost time pretty quickly. I’ll get 30 rounds in by the time the month is over. And as always, I look forward to the Women Fighting Cancer Golf Tournament. I love volunteering for that. There’s one more thing about June that I love so much. The snow is melting in Glacier National Park and that means hiking season is here. I should have also been looking forward to watching the World Cup this June, but U.S. soccer blew that one, and I’m a true Yank, so I won’t likely be watching much.

July: I wish I could say I looked forward to Independence Day, but I really don’t like fireworks anymore. I used to love them actually, but I’ve now been a lab owner for more than 20 years, and fireworks terrify them to no end. And since my dogs are my kids, I don’t like to see them terrified. Instead, July begins two short months of hiking in Glacier. It’s become an intense passion of mine, maybe almost an obsession. So, in July, I’m going to log some serious miles on the trails, that’s for sure.

August: And the hiking continues. I also have a request for Mother Nature for this coming August. Can you please give us all a break with the fires? Last year was horrible for so many people. Hopefully, this August is better. Aside from hiking, August is also about the return of Griz football, and with Bobby Hauck back this one’s going to be one I look forward to even more. This August, Northern football will also have a new coach, and it’s going to be exciting to see what Andrew Rolin can do here. August is also a time when I really get the itch for the fall sports to ramp up. I enjoy my summers, with golf, hiking and vacations (more on that in a minute), I make the most out of our short little summers here. But this August could be an even bigger one than usual, because it’s rumored that, the greatest band in the world, Pearl Jam, is going to play Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, and Safeco Field in Seattle. There’s my summer vacations right there. If those rumors turn out to be true, I’ll be there. I don’t miss an opportunity to see Pearl Jam. Period.

September: September is about returning to Blue Pony Stadium for Havre High and Lights’ games, and I’ll be jacked for that no doubt. One of my favorite hobbies lately is announcing Blue Pony football games. I really look forward to that, and I even have a space heater now for my booth, so I can do it without freezing my butt off. I’ll also be returning to Wash-Griz to watch the Bobby Hauck-led Grizzlies try to, as the slogan says, return to dominance. And, if September wasn’t big enough, the NFL comes back, and the reason I’m looking forward to that is, maybe, just maybe, the Vikings will be referred to as, “the defending World Champions.”

October: More high school football. I love October for that reason. And as mentioned above, I’m also loving October more now because the Cubs are usually a part of it. Oh, here’s where I have another request for Mother Nature, too. Can you please spare Havre and the Hi-Line an epic October snowstorm this year? At least wait until we’re done golfing and all the leaves have fallen off the trees. Last year wasn’t fun for us.

November: The return of Northern basketball and wrestling. November is pretty exciting at Northern because volleyball, football, hoops and wrestling are all going at once. I love that. It’s busy, but I love it. Of course, there’s something else that happens every November: the Cat-Griz game. Right now, the Cats have all the bragging rights, having won the last two, and they deserve it. But the biggest Cat hater of them all is back at the helm in Missoula, and we shall see if MSU can keep its streak going now.

December: Ahh, the last month of the year. For me, that’s about Christmas. I can’t help it, it just warms my heart. But I also love that December brings back high school basketball and wrestling, two sports that are pretty special around these parts. I look forward to that every year, and I will be again 11 months from now. Oh yeah, one more request for Mother Nature here, too. Take it a little easier on us at Christmas and New Year’s this year. That 30-below stuff was awfully rough for the holidays, and it was so bad, my Christmas lights stopped working. I didn’t know lights could freeze like that, but I do now.

So there you have it, my look at what I’m excited about over the next 12 months. I left a lot out because, quite frankly, when it comes to sports of any kind, I’m pretty much excited about it all. And because of that, 2018 is going to be a whole lot of fun.