Buying Into The Book

The Daily News is reporting that UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow gave starting quarterback Ben Olson a summer reading assignment: The Inner Game of Tennis.

Chow said he became familiar with the book when one of his sons began playing tennis.

"I think it has a lot of life's lessons," Chow said. "It's, 'I can't look at my teammate and say you screwed up.' It's how to allow yourself to be successful and work hard."

Is it a coincidence that Chow's old boss -- Pete Carroll -- is also a longtime fan of the book? Carroll gave it to Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush before they had Heisman-winning seasons. Lawrence Jackson, a first-round draft pick, was the latest Trojan to study "The Inner Game."

Originally published in 1972, the book helped pioneer the field of sports psychology. The forward in the latest edition was written by Carroll. Maybe Chow gave Olson the original version.