Don't gift (or look for) these books

Christmas gives us all a chance to give to others, spend time with our families, eat some great home-cooked meals and to receive gifts we would probably never buy for ourselves.

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That doesn't mean all these gifts are bad. Sure, you should think twice about buying your wife a new vacuum cleaner, and dads should be given a little more thought than the unoriginal neck tie.

But another gift that sports fans are given more and more each year is books. This is not a bad idea. Many of us would not go out and buy a book for ourselves, but certainly would read a good sports book if given the opportunity.

As you might expect, publishers will stock the shelves at your local bookstores during the holidays with just about every sports-themed book you can imagine.

But some books might not be such a good idea. Here are a few:

Recruiting Ethics, by University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari. You can insert a number of coaches' names on this one, but this guy is as slimy as it gets.

Proper Etiquette for a New Kid on the Block, by Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin. I must admit some of the stuff this guy does is pretty funny. But appropriate? No.

Defensive Coaching Concepts, by former University of Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. Georgia's defense under Martinez yielded 34 or more points in 10 of the Bulldogs' past 21 games.

Knowing When to Say When, by NFL legend Brett Favre (Bobby Bowden pursued this title, too). Hey, the guy has been outstanding this year, but I would not heed his advice on this particular subject.

Filled to the Rafters: Another Night in the Life of an WNBA Franchise , Anonymous Author. When are announcers going to tell the truth about how bad this league is? Or better yet, when will the NBA stop subsidizing it?

Back With a Bang: Arena Football Returns to the CSRA, The Inside Story of the 2010 Augusta Colts. Sorry, this book is unavailable. Apparently it has been discontinued.

How to Run a Team on a Shoestring Budget, by George Steinbrenner. The Yankees three highest-paid players (A-Rod, Derek Jeter and Mark Texeira) were paid a combined $75 million last year. That was more than the entire payroll of 14 big-league teams.

The last three books are all Tiger Woods:

Tips on being a Faithful, Caring Husband

How a 50-Yard Drive Cost Me $500 Million

How to Pick Up a Pancake House Waitress

So, if you are in a bookstore looking for a good sports book, the above books might not be wise choices.

I wouldn't spend a lot of time looking for them, either.