Manuel’s history class

Skipper learns from Kareem and Mrs. Robinson

Jerry Manuel (below) already was quite familiar with basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (right). Now the Mets manager has discovered the other side of Abdul-Jabbar, the author and World War II historian. Both men attended a fundraising event in Manhattan this past week for the Jackie Robinson Museum, which is slated to open in 2010. At the affair, Jabbar spoke of the second of two books he has authored, “Brothers in Arms,” a story about the Black 761st Tank Battalion and its exploits in World War II.

“To hear Kareem detail their accomplishments in the war was just amazing,” Manuel said. “They helped liberate Nazi death camps and performed a host of other monumental feats that have gone unnoticed through the years.”

Meeting Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s 86-year-old widow, was another highlight of the evening for Manuel.

“What a wonderful woman,” he said. “The completion of the museum is so important because we can’t let people forget what Jackie went through during his career. We are fortunate that we have a Jackie Robinson Rotunda at Citi Field and our fans can be reminded every day about the nine principles that shaped his life.” Robinson’s 90th birthday would have been yesterday.

Bruce woofs it up

Bruce Springsteen sat down on Thursday with Sirius XM Radio host Chris “Mad Dog” Russo in Tampa for a live one-on-one. Russo started the interview by exclaiming, “Is anybody alive out there tonight?!” To which The Boss jokingly replied, “You’re good. I’m going to have you come out and do it.”

The audio of the interview can be heard at http://www.sirius.com/superbowl. In addition to Bruce on Mad Dog Radio, members of The E Street Band made appearances on two other Sirius XM channels. On E Street Radio, Springsteen biographer Dave Marsh was interviewing Patty Scialfa, Max Weinberg, Nils Lofgren and Steven Van Zandt. And on Sirius NFL Radio, Hall of Famer John Riggins and Adam Schein were chatting up the big man, Clarence Clemons, who played football at Maryland State.

Super radio team

Legendary Marv Albert and sidekick Boomer Esiason will be calling their seventh Super Bowl together today on over 700 Westwood One stations around the country.

For the indefatigable Albert, the Supe is sandwiched between the NBA All-Star Game (on TNT) and an episode of “The Simpsons” in which he played himself.

“It was good preparation working with Boomer for the Super Bowl because there are a number of similarities in (Boomer and Homer’s personalities),” El Marveloso tells The Rumble.

Giants Super Bowl XLII hero David Tyree has volunteered to become the American Heart Association’s national spokesman for its Go Red For Women awareness campaign to promote “Wear Red Day” on Friday. Tyree lost his mother Thelma to a heart attack days before his miracle catch against the Patriots.

Cashman steps to plate

In an exclusive event to discuss New York baseball and support Ed Randall’s Bat For The Cure charity organization to strike out prostate cancer, Yankees GM Brian Cashman will be interviewed before a live audience at The Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a two-hour Q&A on his team and the upcoming season. Attendees will be able to submit their own questions to Cashman. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Uroendocrine Research Lab at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt in New York, the primary recipient of funds raised. Tickets are available for $35 per person by calling (212) 972-7070, ext. 110.

King of Garden court

Tennis legend Billie Jean King is no stranger to Madison Square Garden. She nearly opened the new Garden, playing an exhibition there in 1968 in its opening week – the first year of professional tennis. In the 1970s, she starred for the New York Apples of the old World Team Tennis League, which played at the Garden and the old Felt Forum. Earlier, the team played at the Nassau Coliseum as the New York Sets. King developed the new name, thinking it needed a Big Apple flavor.

King also participated multiple times in the WTA’s season-ending championship, then held at The World’s Most Famous Arena. King, who sat celebrity row at the Rockets-Knicks game last week, is anticipating the latest tennis chapter in Garden history on March 2, when the world’s four most renowned players – Serena and Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic – stage a round-robin. The winner captures the “Billie Jean Cup.”

“They’re the best entertainers we have in tennis,” King told The Post’s Marc Berman. “We don’t have a real No. 1. That’s because Justine Henin retired early and nobody has filled the void.”

Kids up and Adam

Adam Graves fever officially will start tomorrow, a day before his jersey will be retired at the Garden, when 250 children from the Garden of Dreams Foundation will throw a party for their hero, No. 9. Set to join Graves at the party will be his fellow ’94 Cup teammates Mark Messier, Brian Leetch and Mike Richter, along with legends Rod Gilbert and Eddie Giacomin. Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell, who will be honored on Feb. 22 at the Garden with jersey retirements of their own, also will join the festivities. Graves will be ringing the ceremonial opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange and then head to Q104 rock radio to serve as a “Guest DJ” with host Ken Dashow. For those still eager to be a part of the retirement

ceremony, limited tickets for the exclusive Graves Viewing Party at the WaMu Theater are still available at newyorkrangers.com.

Mistaken identity

Ex-Yankee David Wells took timeout from his feud with Joe Torre to consume a gastronomic amount of pricey Kobe beef at Nobu with friend Noel Ashman of The Plumm. Later, they went to The Plumm where Wells got a firsthand lesson in deejaying from embattled mogul Damon Dash. Then, a drunken female reveler went up to the southpaw – thinking he owned the space – and bored him to tears rattling off her design ideas for revamping The Plumm’s VIP basement lounge. She then slurred to Ashman, “I enjoyed your perfect baseball game.”