Most people evolve over time. But not many undergo dramatic change.

For evidence of this, consider the cases of disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding and suspended NFL star Adam “Pacman” Jones. They just keep on keeping on.

Back in December, Harding made an appearance at a mixed martial arts show in Kansas City. She summed up her current life to the Kansas City Star: “I’m a redneck girl. I live in the middle of . . . nowhere, I cut wood, drink beer, work on cars, that kind of thing. That’s who I am.”

True to her words, she drew the wrath of folks near her property in southern Washington. The Vancouver Columbian picks up the story: “The first call came in to the county’s 911 dispatch center shortly after 10 a.m., and the dispatch log notes that someone was ‘firing high-powered rifles in a dangerous manner.’”

Fortunately, nobody in Harding’s party got shot or arrested. And, no, Nancy Kerrigan was not involved in any way.

(Side note on Harding: Just to the south in Portland, Tonya’s twisted story came to the stage. “Tonya and Nancy: The Rock Opera” opened in February.)

Jones, meanwhile, consented to a wide-ranging radio interview with former NFL bad boy Michael Irvin. ESPN.com’s Matt Mosley was on the scene and had this observation:

“Even though strip clubs seem to be his kryptonite, Pacman wasn’t willing to rule them out in the future. Asked if he planned to ever walk into a gentlemen’s establishment again, Pacman said, ‘I cannot say ever, ever,’ Pacman said. ‘But I can say they won’t see me [in strip clubs] for the next three or four years.’

Well, that’s reassuring. Meanwhile, the gang at Deadspin put up a poster hyping an event Jones helped sponsor. The event promised to “make it rain” for party goers.

That won’t make NFL commissioner Roger Goodell happy. The last time Jones “made it rain” at a Las Vegas strip joint, he triggered a small riot that included gunplay and the shooting of a club employee.

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering if there is any end to the Blues suffering:

• Say, Cards general manager John Mozeliak wouldn’t trade Anthony Reyes before getting several injured pitchers back, would he?
• Matt Clement IS going to get his old fastball back, right?
• Is it safe to say Alex Rodriguez is no longer on speaking terms with Jose Canseco?
• Who could have possibly guessed the Chris Webber comeback wouldn’t last?

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Chris Coleman, manager of the Coventry soccer team in England, offered this truism: “Football is like fighting a gorilla — you don’t stop when you’re tired, you can only stop when the gorilla is tired.”

Thanks to the Orlando Sentinel for finding that gem for us.

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Steve Rosenbloom, ChicagoSports.com: “Spectacular upsets in Tampa on Friday, but nothing compares with Duke losing early in the NCAA Tournament. Duke almost always is the most overseeded team in the tournament. Jeez, beat a good team once every seven years, would you? Another thing: Duke also looks like the most under-nourished team in the tournament. All that money, and they can’t afford a weight room at Duke? You telling me there isn’t a decent cheeseburger stand down there?”

David Thomas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, on the demise of Texas-Arlington in the NCAA Tournament: “As a UTA alum, let me say that I didn’t have a problem with the Mavericks drawing Memphis for their first-ever NCAA tournament game. I just wish it could have been the Grizzlies.”

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Atlanta defense attorney/agent Manny Arora is having a hard time creating a market for Adam ‘PacMan’ Jones. The good news: Jones will have no problem getting his next signing bonus in $1 bills.”

Jerry Greene, Orlando Sentinel: “So when Tiger officially lost Monday, did anybody see Don Shula or Mercury Morris sipping champagne?”

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “I’m glad the Red Sox and A’s coaches got their bonus money for the trip to Japan, and that the players each get $40,000, but come on. It’s a long plane trip, but in first-class seats, where you could sleep a family of four. It’s not like we’re sending the A’s and Red Sox to the South Pole by tugboat.”

Norman Chad, syndicated , on Tiger Woods:“My friends, nobody can beat every course and every opponent every week. Tiger could lose his swing at the car wash. He could wake up tomorrow and Steve Blass every tee shot. He could stumble onto Augusta National and miss putts from here to Stuckey’s. Then again, Tiger’s so good, it’s possible he could’ve slain Goliath with his pitching wedge.”

Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun-Times: “As the most tortured and masochistic fans in sports, you demand love and tenderness in Cubdom. You want hope, optimism, faith. You want 100-year amnesia. You want a combination of Ron Santo, a Wrigley Granny and Eddie Vedder in the bleachers. You want me to say 98-64, a sweep of the Rockies, a Game 7 victory over Johan Santana and a Game 7 win over the Red Sox, after which you can die peacefully. For such goo (woo!), please call Ronnie Wickers. I cannot help you.”

MEGAPHONE

“Tennis is a prejudice game. Well, I’m black and I’m prejudiced, very prejudiced. I’ll be always prejudiced as the white man. The white man hated me all my life and I hate him. That’s no secret. I’m not even an American, it just so happens that I was born in America. People are prejudiced in tennis. I don’t think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be. But if you get some little white no good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert who cannot hit the ball, they will claim this is great.”

Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus, ranting to the Decca Herald.