Seniors Jamie Whitacre, pre-med biology major, and Colin Rockett, marketing major, cheer at Ray’s Place last night during the Indians game. GAVIN JACKSON | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: DKS Editors

There is a familiar sound around downtown Kent this October: Fox’s Joe Buck or Indians radio announcer Tom Hamilton. There are three familiar colors around campus and downtown: Red, blue and white. There is a familiar mascot worn around campus: Not the blue and gold Flash, but rather a script I or Chief Wahoo. A certain group of men have brought the students together: Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, C.C. Sabathia and Kenny Lofton.

This familiarity is due to one thing: It’s Tribe Time Now, and the Indians are back in the playoffs.

The students of Kent State have embraced the Tribe this season, during a time when most fans have usually long forgot baseball and have moved on to the football season and the Cleveland Browns.

Compared with the weekend, downtown was subdued last night. A combination of beer, wings and friends brought senior psychology major Josh Tomm to Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar for Game four yesterday.

“I’m drinking, eating wings and watching the game,” he said. “I usually watch the game at home. I have a 60-inch TV, but I have some friends from out of town here with me today.”

With 40-cent wing night in full swing, many people were at Buffalo Wild Wings last night.

“I usually come down here on Tuesday for (40) cent wings,” senior marketing major Dan Bennett said. “I am here with my friends and girlfriend tonight, because the tribe is playing great.”

Just being in tribe gear makes people friendly downtown. A young man walking down the street in a Grady Sizemore jersey Saturday was stopped by an older man who yelled: “Go Tribe!” The two high-fived and went along with their night.

At Mugs Brew Pub & Sports Grill, bartenders have passed out blue Bud Light shirts with the team’s players and logo.

Three men sat around a TV outside the bar talking about the game and the atmosphere.

“We’ve been sitting here watching the game at Mugs,” graduate student Michael Kahloz said. “It is a better atmosphere, not too many people and it’s more relaxed.”

He and his friend were taking a trip down memory lane while talking about the team.

“It’s like ’97 because no one expected them to win, and they play well together and just won,” Kahloz said. “They don’t have all the all-stars though.”

Nothing compared to Saturday night at the Zephyr. The place was loud outside and packed around a TV inside. The Indians had runners in scoring position and Trot Nixon at the plate. When he hit the go-ahead run, the Zephyr crowd cheered like they were at Jacobs Field. The bouncer was that night’s John Adams, banging on the bar’s walls instead of a drum in left field. The crowd played along banging on the walls with the bouncer.

Seven runs later, the place was euphoric. The group was chanting “Let’s Go Tribe!” Everyone in the bar was high-fiving and hugging. Right around the bar’s last call was the Red Sox last call, as the Indians won.

One man in the front climbed up on a chair and banged on the T.V. in celebration. He led a chant with the bar: “Kenny! Kenny! Kenny!” His red shirt said it all. It said, “what time it has been since October 4, when the Indians played its first playoff game: It’s Tribe Time.”

Contact sports reporter Jeff Russ at [email protected].