Whatever Situation, Venus Can Sleep on It

Venus Williams is a real sleeper. She told Life magazine, “I once slept from Florida to California, changed flights, then slept from L.A. to Australia.

“I’ve been called Rip Van Winkle. I wish they’d call me Sleeping Beauty.”

Trivia time: Which opponents did Williams defeat in the finals to win U.S. Open women’s singles titles in 2000 and 2001?

The comforts of home: Williams, who spends much of her life in hotel rooms, was asked by Life to name three things she must always have with her.

“A good book, my iPod, and, well, I don’t have to include tennis rackets, do I?” she said. “That’s a given, right? OK, and my emergency makeup kit. Or is that a given too?”

Stretching out: Chris Mihm, the Lakers’ 7-foot center, on how he sleeps in hotel beds: “As long as it’s a king-sized bed, I’m OK. I just sleep diagonally.”

Crimes against fashion: The New York Post ran a three-page color layout critiquing the off-the-court fashion choices of Maria Sharapova. Fashion critic Robert Verdi, describing one colorful outfit, said, “She looks like she is about to be shipped off somewhere -- maybe back to Russia for crimes committed against American fashion.”

A brief stint: The USA network hired Anna Kournikova to work as a roaming reporter at the U.S. Open two years ago, but she didn’t last long. When USA announcers Ted Robinson and Tracy Austin were talking about Kournikova and her influence on Russian women players last week, Robinson said, “Notice how I didn’t say our former USA colleague.”

Replied Austin: “About three days. Shortest colleague ever. There was too much food around, right? Couldn’t stop eating.”

Robinson: “The entourage going through the locker room was a little troublesome too.”

What’s worse? David Letterman, on Hawaii’s victory at the Little League World Series, said, “Here’s what the kids get. They get free McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken for a year, and 52 six-packs of Pepsi. And I’m thinking, well, actually, it might be healthier if they were taking steroids.”

Defense strategy: Lance Armstrong said on “Larry King Live” recently that he is hesitant to get involved in any lawsuits to defend himself against charges that he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

Said King: “So where do you go with this, Lance?”

Armstrong: “I go on ‘Larry King Live.’ ”

Looking back: On this day in 1966, in an American Football League game, the Houston Oilers did not give up a first down against the Denver Broncos in a 45-7 victory.

Trivia answer: Lindsay Davenport and Serena Williams. The Williams sisters met again in the 2002 final, with Serena winning. Serena also won the title in 1999 by defeating Martina Hingis.

And finally: If gas prices continue to rise, maybe Milton Bradley and Jeff Kent can patch things up while carpooling.

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.