Everybody seems so tense these days. First, it was Colin Montgomerie complaining about the American crowds at the Accenture Golf Championships and threatening to quit playing on the PGA Tour.

Then there was the Nolan Richardson saga from last week.

Kobe Bryant and Reggie Miller joined the love fest with their fight Friday after the Lakers beat the Pacers.

Why can’t people just take it down a thousand and chill, like Elvis Grbac?

Elvis Left to His Fishing Boat

It’s no secret. I’m a big fan of my hometown teams. So when I heard that Grbac, former Chiefs quarterback, was released from Baltimore’s clubhouse on Friday, I couldn’t help but shake my head and grin. What happened next was laughable.

On Monday, Grbac announced that he was retiring from the NFL after a nine-year career.

What makes this a sad case is that Grbac was wanted by another team, the Cincinnati Bengals. However, he turned down their four-year, $10 million contract offer on Saturday, after failing to take less than the four million he requested for what could have easily been more inadequate services.

He said that settling his family in one place was a factor. That’s okay. He questioned how much he wanted to continue playing the game. It’s possible.

Nonetheless, saying that offering anything less than $4 million is unacceptable terms, especially for a team that gave him a chance. It gives me another incident to prove why I’m not a fan of his.

Absurd Predictions

Welcome to week two of my topsy-turvy, misty-twisty, breezy-squeezy tournament predictions. This week, the men’s Big 12 basketball tournament goes under my microscope for a little peeking. So many stories, so many teams with the all-around games to win. Who’ll be standing on top of the mountain when Sunday evening rolls around?

You have to start with Kansas. They just completed the first undefeated conference season. The Jayhawks are balanced, physical and just plain talented. How about them winning it all? Nope, they’ll choke.

Then there’s Oklahoma. The Sooners have only lost three games in conference play, all on the road, to top-tier teams. Hollis Price and Quannas White make up a backcourt that is extremely tough to guard. However, will that and Aaron McGhee be all good for the second seed? Not quite. They’ll need to prepare for a big shock.

That brings us to third-seeded Texas. The Longhorns have the best freshman in the league in T.J. Ford. Add that to Mike Boddicker’s outside shooting and Jason Thomas’ toughness, and Texas should be hooking a trophy by Sunday, right? Nope. Kansas City is the home of grilling cattle, not celebrating it.

So who, then, will covet the honor that goes with playing for the Big 12 tourney championship? Once again, I say it will be two teams nobody expects to be there. Welcome to the final of the one man shows. Larry Reid’s Kansas State Wildcats will lock up against Bernard King’s Texas A&M Aggies in a battle that will go down in basketball history.

Never will a game be more based upon the decisions of two men. Reid has the scoreability factor, but King is more apt in the athleticism department. Add in the amount of futility shown by the other 15-16 players that participate in the game and you should have one for the… well, something.

Scoreability beats out athleticism. Kansas State will make the Big Dance with a 63-58 victory. And the superstar matchup? Reid beats out King 57-55.

Now if you aren’t revved up for the season with these tidbits, you will be by the time next Wednesday rolls around. Good luck to all the teams down in K.C. At this time of year, you’re gonna need it.

Jonathan Lowe is a senior in meteorology from Kansas City, Mo.