Though Hurting, You Can Quote Him Any Time

At least we know the mouth still works.

Jayson Williams of the New York 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, as long as he couldn’t play anyway, 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.”

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More mending: Williams’ is not your usual comeback story. He is scheduled to be David Letterman’s guest on “Late Show” in about three weeks, and he’s supposed to be at the White House this week to speak with President Clinton about kids and sports, and maybe other things.

The way Williams sees it, this could be his chance to finally ask a president the question he’d planned to pose to George Bush during another Washington visit, only to have Bush talk on and on about hoops and not give Williams the chance:

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

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Trivia time: Who leads active pitchers in home runs hit?

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Rebel-ious: 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?’ ”

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Juan more thing: Just when the barbs started to disappear about his refusal to play in the All-Star game as a reserve because fans did not vote him in as a starter, Juan Gonzalez did it again.

The Texas Ranger outfielder, a talent fast becoming overshadowed by his touchiness, apparently refused to play in the Hall of Fame exhibition game because of the pants assigned to him, part of the 1993 replica uniforms used to salute Nolan Ryan’s final season. He said they were too baggy.

“It didn’t help his image,” Ranger Manager Johnny Oates said. “I think the way his teammates look at him, Juan needs to do everything he can to be part of the club.”

Said one of those teammates, Mark McLemore, “Juan can make it difficult at times.”

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Trivia answer: Dwight Gooden, with seven.

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And finally: Cyclist Lance Armstrong isn’t the only elite athlete providing inspiration in the battle against cancer. Ludmila Engquist, the Olympic 100-meter hurdles champion from Sweden, won her first race since announcing in April she had breast cancer, and followed that up Wednesday with a fourth-place finish against a much more competitive field in Monte Carlo.

Her husband-coach, Johan, had tears in his eyes after she crossed the line.

“I still can’t believe what I am seeing with my own eyes is really possible,” he said. “It is the first time in the history of sport at this level that someone is competing while undergoing treatment.”