Sport: Testing the Velvet Hammer

Bud Wilkinson returns to football—and trouble

Senior Editor James D. Atwater first met Bud Wilkinson when he was still coaching at Oklahoma, completing his legendary record of 145 victories against just 29 defeats and four ties. The two men wrote a book on physical fitness, and later Wilkinson, then a prominent Republican, made Democrat Atwater his deputy on the staff of the Nixon White House. Like most people who know Wilkinson well, Atwater was not surprised when his friend decided, after 15 years, to return to coaching with the St. Louis Cardinals. Last week...