Out of print for more than 30 years, now available for the first time as an eBook, this is the controversial story of John Wooden's first 25 years and first 8 NCAA Championships as UCLA Head Basketball Coach. This is the only book that gives a true picture of the character of John Wooden and the influence of his assistant, Jerry Norman, whose contributions Wooden  ignored and tried to bury.

Compiled with more than 40 hours of interviews with Coach Wooden, learn about the man behind the coach. The players tell their their stories in their own words. This is the book that UCLA Athletic Director J.D. Morgan tried to ban.

Click the book to read the first chapter and for ordering information. Also available on Kindle.

2012 NFL Playoffs First Round

by Tony Medley

The NFL has changed the game so much that predicting who will win and lose has become much less reliable. The rules-makers emphasis on offense by prohibiting defensive backs from even breathing on a wide receiver and prohibiting defensive players from even touching a quarterback has made the passing game inviolate. Rogers and Brady and Brees aren't better than van Brocklin and Namath and Unitas through skill. Their numbers are better because of the rules and the way they are enforced. The league has turned the game into a replica of the old pre-merger AFL, all offense and no defense, and that's not for the better.

Ergo, I'm no longer writing my predictions of playoffs because it's just a coin flip. However, just for the record, here's how I'd pick this weekend's games if it were the old world:

New Orleans over Detroit. At the beginning of the year I thought Detroit would be in the NFC title game. But they are undisciplined, lost their only running back, and commit too many stupid penalties.

Houston over Cincinnati. Cincy has come a remarkable way with a rookie quarterback, and Houston lost its first two quarterbacks, but I still think Houston should win, although I haven't seen either team play very much, so this is really a coin toss.

Giants over Atlanta. I think the Giants are close to being the best team in football right now, with Eli Manning throwing some truly amazing touch passes and they have a good defense. I've never been that impressed by Atlanta or its qb.

Denver over Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh really disappointed me in last year's Super Bowl and their two best players are injured. This is my big upset.

In the past I've been very confident and in the last three years I've only missed on three games. This year, with the way the game has changed, I wouldn't risk a farthing on any of the games.