Don't know much about history

I see where Manny Ramierez took a page from the Mark McGwire history-is-bunk playbook when asked about his steroids suspension. Man-Ram told the L.A. Times yesterday that the incident was in the past and that he wanted to move on.

You might remember how the juiced-up Big Mac kept saying during the Congressional steroid hearings a few years back that he didn't want to talk about the past. Faster than you could say "It's outta here,'' McGwire went from being The Incredible Hulk to the Incredible Shrinking Man.

"I didn't kill nobody; I didn't rape nobody, so that's it,'' Manny told the Times. "I'm just going to come out and play the game.''

Well, no he didn't kill or rape anybody (wow, what an original defense). But he did cheat himself, his team, the game's integrity and the fans who had turned Dodger Stadium in Mannywood.

Manny pointed out that he apologized to his owner, his manager and his teammates. Interesting, isn't it, how the fans - the people who showered him with adulation and ultimately pay him millions - didn't so much as receive an "I'm sorry'' from the slugger.

Just Manny once again being Manny. In other words, a fraud, like too many of his homer-hitting colleagues of the current era.

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Speaking of fools, please put me in that category.

Yesterday in this cyberspace, I said I was going to reluctantly watch the BoSox-Yankees instead of the NBA and NHL finals because the hoops and hockey series were "duds.''

Well, I'm the dud because the endings of both the Pens-Wings and Lakers-Magic games last night made for compelling television, while the Boston-New York game proved to be a lopsided affair that was about as exciting as a C-Span fillibuster.

Foolish me.

Blame the Yankees for not upholding their end of the deal, which is becoming common place lately in a rivalry that's lost some of its luster. The Red Sox 7-0 thumping of the punchless Yanks last night at the Fens gives Boston seven straight wins in the series, dating back to last year.

New York manager Joe Girardi may dismiss the streak, but you can rest assured that Hal and Hank Steinbrenner aren't glossing it over. They're doing a slow burn.

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Getting back to the hockey and basketball . . . that third-period of Game Six between Detroit and Pittsburgh in the Igloo was riveting, especially after the Red Wings had cut the lead to 2-1. Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was sensational, turning away 13 of 14 shots, some from point-blank range, to preserve the win and force a seventh game. There truly is nothing like a tightly contested Stanley Cup hockey game.

And Game Three of the NBA finals looked like it was going to be a case of Orlando playing as well as it could and still not knocking off the Lakers. But the Magic prevailed, and all of a sudden what could have been a 3-0 L.A. advantage is 2-1 with the next two games in Orlando.

If I'm a Lakers fan, I'd be worried because Kobe Bryant is looking rubberly-legged to me, which explains why he was missing shots he normally makes. The fatigue shouldn't be surprising. I believe that "extra season'' he played while helping the United States reclaim the Olympic gold medal last summer is taking its toll.