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Bad choice for Blue

NASCAR driver Ernie “Swervin” Irvan is sponsored by M&M’s, so the paint scheme on his car is dotted with pieces of the candy. On the right side is one of the characters, Blue, looking anxious.

“Well, he should be nervous,” Irvan said. “He’s the one closest to the wall.”

At least we know the mouth still works

Jayson Williams of the New Jersey Nets, his 1999 season ended by a broken right leg April 1, figured he would be productive as well as diligent with his rehabilitation.

The most recent part of the comeback has also gone toward taking care of other physical business, such as thumb surgery about three weeks ago and laser surgery to correct his vision only days ago.

“Before, I couldn’t see the first E on the eye chart,” Williams told Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News of the operation that got him to 20-10 in both eyes. “I’ve got to get Kendall Gill to have that operation. Then maybe his shooting percentage will improve.”

Easy money

Joe Hawk of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, on the excitement caused by John Robinson’s presence as Nevada Las Vegas football coach:

“At age 64, Robinson is breathing new life into the once-moribund program. And the media attention that follows? Well, you couldn’t pay for a better recruiting edge.

“Oops! Did I say `pay?”’

Punks

They don’t make players any more like Chuck Bednarik, the last of the two-way players.

That’s why it’s not surprising that Bednarik, who played his entire career for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1949-1962, is not impressed with today’s players.

“When I see the salaries players are making today, I cry. It boggles my mind. But above all, the thing that irritates me most - and I told (Eagles coach) Andy (Reid) this, to stop them - is that when a player makes a tackle, he doesn’t need to jump up and run around like an animal in a zoo,” he said.

Bowling for medals

The Pan Anonymous, er, Pan American Games should have had a mass appeal in at least a few ways.

Among the sports that were contested, most hoping for acceptance for the Olympics: water skiing, bowling and roller sports.

“I always tell our guys: `The best thing about your sport is everybody can do it. The worst thing about your sport is, everybody can do it,”’ said Marc Whitney, press officer for the U.S. bowling team.

Aztec Week in the bigs

It was quite a week for the San Diego State baseball program. Lost in the excitement over Tony Gwynn getting his 3,000th hit was another Aztec, Mark Grace of the Cubs, getting No. 2,000 four days earlier. It didn’t come with the same glamour as Gwynn’s well-chronicled achievement, but it was very impressive in at least one way: Grace was a 24th-round draft pick.

“I was never supposed to get one hit in the big leagues,” he said.

The last word …

“Are there or are there not aliens on this planet?”

- The one question New Jersey Nets forward Jayson Williams would like to ask President Clinton when he meets with him this week.