The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Fans grab ALCS championship gear
After Tribe wins the ALCS, fans flock to Dick’s
Indians fans from across Northeast Ohio piled into Dick’s Sporting Goods, 360 Market Drive in Elyria, to pick up official American League Championship merchandise Oct. 19.
The line stretched from the front to the back of the store, and despite the Elyria Police Department receiving a report of people fighting over shirts the line seemed peaceful.
Chad Hall, 26, of Lorain, bought a hat, lanyard and Tshirt. He said that he hopes to wear his gear at his job with the United States Postal Service.
“I didn’t know how crazy it was going to be, so I wanted to make sure I’d be able to get a shirt or a hat,” he said.
Nick Piasecki, 35, of Elyria, wasn’t able to buy the locker room shirt he wanted, but thought he’d give trying to get one a shot.
“It was just a fluke thing,” he
said. “We were driving out and I was like ‘if there’s no line,’ because we were out at Harry Buffalo when the Cavs won and we came over. So, we decided to do the same for the Indians.”
Jackie Guitar, 51, of Wellington, was at the watch party at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the game and decided to head over to Dick’s in search of the T-shirt. She had a meaningful reason that she believes Cleveland sports teams are doing so well.
“I lost my son in January,” she said. “He was
a big sports fan; a big Browns fan, and Cavs and Indians, and I just think that this is him giving it back. Letting us know that he’s still there and dotting the Is and crossing the Ts for Cleveland sports fans.”
She summed up the mood of all Cleveland Indian fans succinctly.
“Go Tribe!” she said while walking back to her car.
“Go Tribe!”
— Jackie Guitar, of Wellington