By Steve Powell

Herald Writer

I’ve heard it all today. …

No, I did not just get out of the hospital.

No, I am not going to a party or a concert.

"Nice bracelet, man," one co-worker teased.

The sports editor LOL’d (laughed out loud for you noncomputer types).

Well, it may look silly — this white plastic band around my wrist with "Ticketmaster" in bold blue letters — but if I get tickets to a Mariners playoff game it will be so sweeeeet.

It’s a little irritating, like an itch that won’t go away. But if it’s what I have to do for a chance to see the M’s in the American League playoffs, so be it.

Ticketmaster outlets around the Northwest started handing out numbered wristbands at noon Wednesday. We have to wear the bands until Friday morning.

What about taking a shower over the next few days?

I hope it’s OK to sweat on them, because I was planning to work out tonight. And what if it gets torn off playing basketball?

I’d have to go back to try to get another one. And there may not be any left.

Maybe I could just take it off and glue it back together.

No way. Ticketmaster is emphatic about that:

Do not tamper with your wristband. Wristbands that are damaged, altered or removed from your wrist will not be honored.

It’s in bold letters on a note given out with the wristbands.

A representative at a Snohomish Rite Aid Ticketmaster outlet, who refused to give his name, said the outlet had about 100 wristbands, and about half were given out by late Wednesday afternoon. There was a line at noon, but he said most people didn’t object.

He said the bands are plastic, so showers should be OK.

That’s a relief.

Ticketmaster locations in Marysville and two spots in Everett wouldn’t say a thing about the program.

But it’s great advertising for Ticketmaster — thousands of people wearing wristbands just for a shot at getting M’s playoff tickets. It’s certainly not as fun as camping out overnight, but Ticketmaster says it’s safer and gives everyone an equal chance.

Now I go back to the Rite Aid on North Broadway in Everett Friday at 8 a.m. A drawing will determine who gets to be first in line. If, for example, No. 50 is drawn, that person would be first in line, followed by 51, 52, etc., up to 100. Those with Nos. 1-49 would go after that. And if you don’t have one of the bracelets, you get in line after those that have them.

However, M’s officials think the tickets will sell out in about an hour. How many tickets are sold at each site depends on how fast the line moves. So, have your money ready Friday or you could be booed worse than Seahawk quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

Only about 15,000 tickets for each of the first two games are being sold this way, so a lot of people will be going through this inconvenience for nothing.

If we win, we get the honor of paying $35 or $50 for seats in the nosebleed sections of Safeco Field in Seattle to watch the M’s in the first round of the playoffs. Lucky season ticket holders get the good seats.

If you don’t like this wristband thing, you can still stay overnight at Safeco Field tonight. You also can line up first-come first-served at M’s team stores, including the one in Lynnwood at the Alderwood Mall. But you can’t do that until 6 a.m. Friday.

The tickets are for the first two games of the best-of-five American League Division Series. Hope to see you there.

You can call Herald Writer Steve Powell at 425-339-3427

or send e-mail to powell@heraldnet.com.