ManRam's Entertainment Value

We’re offended. We’re indignant. We’re mad as heck and aren’t going to take it anymore.

Now, where ‘s the ticket line to see Manny Ramirez?

The Dodger superstar is scheduled to start his rehab by playing with the Albuquerque Isotopes, Tuesday night. That’s bad news for Ogden Raptors CEO Dave Baggott, who was hoping to get ManRam for a game or two. Baggott isn’t dumb. He when a player is at Ramirez’s level, people will pay to see him.

The A.P. reports that the Isotopes sold nearly 7,000 tickets on Friday alone, after word began to leak that Ramirez would rehab in the Duke City. Remember, this is Triple-A baseball. The story said the Isotopes have sold about 20,000 tickets for this week’s four home games, so far. Tuesday’s game at the 15,000-seat stadium is expected to be sold out.

If people are so upset with Ramirez violating baseball’s drug rules, how come they’re buying tickets to see him play?

Oh, right. He’s paid his price.

And because they want to see him anyway.

They paid to see him before they knew he had violated the rules, now they’re paying afterward. So when don’t they pay to see him?

When he’s on suspension and they don’t have a choice, I guess.

In the interest of disclosure, I would have been in Ogden, this week, if Ramirez had been sent to the Raptors. Not out of interest, as much as duty. I would have been there to chronicle the appearance of a superstar at Lindquist field. But in my mind, covering something for work is one thing, paying to watch him for entertainment is another.

Principle only goes so far when it comes to entertainment. That’s why we still pay to see movie stars, even after they’ve done deplorable and/or humiliating things. And why we watch TV, even when much of it is crass an unacceptable.

It’s hard to get us to switch off, if it entertains us.